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Sunfish pooping patterns


6 replies to this topic

#1 Aquarist Fist

Aquarist Fist
  • NANFA Guest
  • Oregon

Posted 21 October 2017 - 10:12 PM

Weird question, I know, but I've had my sunfish for close to two years now, and I have never seen them pooping. Other fish...well, they seem to trail some poop all the time. Do sunfish have a particularly slow or fast digestion, or does their poop break off quickly maybe? I've been keeping fish (tropicals mostly) on and off for almost 25 years, and I've never seen anything like this. 

 

What might be relevant: I feed all my fish only two to three times a week, and pretty sparingly. I feed Tetra Color Plus flakes, Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets, freeze dried bloodworms, and occasionally worms, flies, and small pieces of rinsed shrimp or fish. 


Edited by Aquarist Fist, 21 October 2017 - 10:17 PM.


#2 centrarchid

centrarchid
  • NANFA Guest

Posted 22 October 2017 - 07:00 AM

Characteristics of feces is very much a function of diet and how much is consumed.  Diets dominated by small particulates that digest easily result in feces that tends to disperse as soon as released.  Diets with lots of coarse fibers in the form of chitin or cellulose like compounds result in larger and generally more durable fecal pellets.  If the fish engage in geophagy, then you have another way to make nice big and firm turds as the clays can also promote stability of the turd shape.  Small turds resulting from small meals tend to break apart quickly.

 

I have played with fish turds more than most in research setting.  It is an area needing more study as can benefit fish care management more than realized.  


Find ways for people not already interested in natives to value them.

#3 Matt DeLaVega

Matt DeLaVega
  • Forum Staff
  • Ohio

Posted 22 October 2017 - 12:34 PM

Turds :biggrin:. I have seen few natives with turd strings like you commonly see hanging from tropicals. Southern redbelly dace come to mind as occasionally having turd strings. Great topic!


The member formerly known as Skipjack


#4 littlen

littlen
  • NANFA Member
  • Washington, D.C.

Posted 22 October 2017 - 12:49 PM

Our grazing friends, the Stonerollers, often have long, stringy turds.  At least when I have a nice covering of algae & diatoms for them to eat.


Nick L.

#5 Cricket

Cricket
  • NANFA Guest
  • Phoenix

Posted 24 October 2017 - 03:24 PM

I took a couple pics for ya[attachment=19060:1023171247b-1.jpg][attachment=19061:1023171247-1.jpg]
:)

#6 gerald

gerald
  • Global Moderator
  • Wake Forest, North Carolina

Posted 26 October 2017 - 10:27 AM

Sounds like a fantastic presentation for our next NANFA con ... right before lunch.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#7 Cricket

Cricket
  • NANFA Guest
  • Phoenix

Posted 26 October 2017 - 04:11 PM

Sounds like a fantastic presentation for our next NANFA con ... right before lunch.


Lolol

Edited by Cricket, 26 October 2017 - 04:12 PM.




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