FDBW = Floating Poop?

[EddyC]

I feed my fish freeze dried bloodworms a couple times a week as a treat. Whenever I do, I notice that my fishes' poops float. I'm not really concerned about this, but was wondering if anyone else experienced something similar? And when I say "float", I mean it's at the surface of the water, floating along like a little boat (or should I say "log"?). Sometimes my fish confuse the poops with more worms and start eating them! I've also noticed that when the fish actually start pooping it floats too; instead of hanging out of them as usual, it's floating up their side toward the surface. Weird. Anyone seen this happen?

As an aside, is it weird that I know so much about my fishes' pooping habits? :hmm3grin2orange:

[jaysee]

I've never seen that.

It's no weirder than noticing that your dog's poop floats away into the atmosphere.

[EddyC]

I would freak out if my dog's poop did that! Though it could be cool - no need for the Pooper-Scooper or plastic baggies! :hmm3grin2orange:

[BIO-Linist]

cheap air travel! :hmm3grin2orange:

[Deleted User]

How about if horse poop could float away??? Oh man, I'd have more horses if that's how it worked!!!

[violet]

Okay guys... Is this a joke... you all have me laughing so hard it hurts.

[violet]

I don't belive I've ever seen my fish's poopy at the top of the water but sometimes it hovers LOL... my frontosa likes to try and eat it... the tiger barb does to.

[EddyC]

I kinda wish it was a joke. The floating poop is a bit of a pain to remove when I do my water changes. It floats away from the net and easily gets pushed around by the filter's output, and then breaks apart if it hits anything. On top of that the movement attracts the fish who then desperately try to eat it thinking I'm feeding them. When they finally manage to catch some they immediately spit it out and then glare at me for tricking them!

The floating poop only happens after I feed them the freeze dried bloodworms. I use Omega One brand, if that's of interest to anyone. The food's not old or stale or anything - I just got it at the end of September. And this is a consistent occurence with this type of food.

Again, I'm not concerned/worried, just curious about other people's experiences.

[Fraulein D. Hatter]

Yeah, I don't think it's anything to be seriously concerned about. My Betta had that problem only once during a water change. It hasn't happened since then now that his Aquarium is cycled. And usually they don't eat it. So I guess that's good.

>_>

[Gramazing]

My fishes' poop doesn't float but I've noticed that when I feed them spirulina pellets they poop green.

[MonkeyPox]

I can't say that I've ever seen that before

[Lab_Rat]

Are you sure that it is poop that is floating? Could it just be uneaten bloodworms, especially because the freeze dried ones float and do not sink well at all?

[EddyC]

That's what I thought at first, and it IS sometimes hard to tell them apart from the uneaten worms. But I've actually seen the fish pooping, and while it's coming out of them it's floating toward the surface up along the side of their body rather than simply hanging there. It's strange. I wonder if the air from the worms is trapped in the poop and that's what makes it float. Is that possible?

[violet]

I've only noticed it happens with the freeze dryed stuff. I use the frozen stuff and it's fine, my fish love it and there's no floating poop thumbs2:

[EddyC]

Yeah, it is only the freeze-dried stuff. I've been trying almost every other form of food (live, frozen, flake, pellet, fresh veggies, etc.) to see if anything else causes the "floaters", but nothing else does.

On a side note, I can now make my fish poop whatever color I want by feeding them certain foods! My fish can crap rainbows!

[violet]

you are quite the character... my sick side wants to see the rainbow poop :hmm3grin2orange:

[lahlumdi]

I am very interested in this. I just bought freeze dried bloodworms. My fish didn't seem all that intersted, or couldn't figure it out. Got it for the Badis Badis, but it never even sunk to his level. What a waste of $5!

[EddyC]

Freeze-dried bloodworms don't sink quickly. If you want to feed a fish that won't eat from the surface, fill a small cup with warm ater and soak the FDBWs for a bit until they get waterlogged and soggy. It's kinda gross, but they'll sink.

[lahlumdi]

Thanks Eddy C