Can Fish Be "Potty Trained?"

[crownsbroyal]

I know this is a weird question, however, I have a white tail bristletooth tang that goes to the same spot on the sand in the back corner of the tank to relieve himself. He will literally go to the corner of the tank, get very close to the sand and lay a turd on the sand, each and every time. This is quite the opposite of my other tang or fish in the sense that they will usually go wherever they are swimming into the water column. So that got me thinking.......... Anyone experience this?

 

[9975]

I can't answer your question but a short video of this to make gifs of has comedy potential

 

[crownsbroyal]

I can't answer your question but a short video of this to make gifs of has comedy potential

Lol, I will see if I get a video of it. The issue is that he is not very regular timing is not consistent.

 

[SaltyT]

Hahaha this thread made me laugh! My lawnmower blenny crop dusts my zoa garden. He doesn't seem to poop anywhere else but there.

 

[burningmime]

That could be one method of nutrient control. Fill a small tupperware with sand and put it in the corner of the tank. Then change it out every week.

 

[Thaxxx]

My Kole Tang always goes right in front of the power head.....
Then he eats it!

 

[9975]

I will say that my smallest clownfish is very regular. He's always dropping a deuce right as I feed them at night

 

[AaronFReef]

Lol, I will see if I get a video of it. The issue is that he is not very regular timing is not consistent.

Needs more fiber.

 

[ca1ore]

Absolutely ..... it been years since any of my fish peeed on the rug. Cannot say the same for the dog .... or me .....

 

[SDguy]

IME all bristletooth tangs do this... Obviously the corner of the tank is the furthest they can get from their normal territory in the aquarium. I wonder how far they go in the wild to poop?

 

[mapleredta]

I will no longer say "Does a bear shlt in the woods?" and have since replaced it with "Does a tang shlt in the corner of a tank?".

 

[crownsbroyal]

IME all bristletooth tangs do this... Obviously the corner of the tank is the furthest they can get from their normal territory in the aquarium. I wonder how far they go in the wild to poop?

Oh wow. Good to know. Interesting....... I wonder if any other types of fish do this?

 

[WiscoFishNut]

Great thread lol!! Fish poop is a frequent topic in our household.. We have a coral beauty sh!ts like a yetti and my wife is always griping about how gross it is when he's swimming around with a 6" - 8" klingon.. Little punk usually finds an acropora to snag it on too.

 

[JasonK84]

I know this is a weird question, however, I have a white tail bristletooth tang that goes to the same spot on the sand in the back corner of the tank to relieve himself. He will literally go to the corner of the tank, get very close to the sand and lay a turd on the sand, each and every time. This is quite the opposite of my other tang or fish in the sense that they will usually go wherever they are swimming into the water column. So that got me thinking.......... Anyone experience this?

See if you can get it to change pooping spots. If you can then “training” might be the word you can use. Otherwise it is just pooping in its preferred spot. Untrained.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

double post

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

My Kole Tang always goes right in front of the power head.....
Then he eats it!

 

[saltyhog]

My Kole Tang always goes right in front of the power head.....
Then he eats it!

Yep tangs truly are coprophages! Wish I had taken a video of my yellow tang the other night. My large Ear Muff wrasse was in the process of taking a big one. It was taking a while and he had about 3/4" of pooh hanging out. The tang followed him like a dog for several minutes until he dropped his load and promptly ate it.;Smuggrin

 

[crownsbroyal]

Yep tangs truly are coprophages! Wish I had taken a video of my yellow tang the other night. My large Ear Muff wrasse was in the process of taking a big one. It was taking a while and he had about 3/4" of pooh hanging out. The tang followed him like a dog for several minutes until he dropped his load and promptly ate it.;Smuggrin

Ha that’s great

 

[Mike from TN]

buy this kit. It even comes with a little “pooper scooper” attachment.

 

[Bobblehead]

Funny you started this thread, I noticed my white tail doing the same thing