You know how some people do really gross things that irk you? Like picking their nose in public or spitting on the sidewalk? Well fish do them too. Bleurgk! Just like how among humans there are a few "refined" individuals (some people label them as pompous or pretentious ;), there is a hierarchy amongst my various fish too!
Take my Betta fish. When I first got him, he wouldn't even eat regular fish flakes. I'd sprinkle them near his mouth and he'd just turn his nose and swim away as if to say, "you're trying to buy me off with this low grade stuff? I'll take my bloodworms now thank you very much." As opposed to my peasant-like catfish who scrounge for morsels day and night, barely "getting by".
But refinement aside, there are some gross habits of fish that appear incurable and unavoidable I suppose:
- They'll try to eat their own poo. And other fishes' poo. And dead leaves. And floating dirt specks. They'll put whatever they see into their mouths. Sigh. Totally uncultured.
- They have long stringy poop that trails for miles. Ok not miles. But their poop definitely trails from their butts far longer than it should trail. And they can't seem to just "shake it off". Bleh.
- They eat their own babies for crying out loud! Well, not all fish. But mine do! Why I ask? Shouldn't they have a motherly/fatherly/neighborly/friendly instinct? Apparently not. They'll eat teeny fry even if they're not hungry. Sheesh. Deplorable and completely un-gentleman-like.
- My ghost shrimp munch on their molted/shed skin. EWW. They scrape and munch on the outer crust they shed every few days? weeks?
- One of my male guppies has terrible manners. He's constantly "in your face" with my female Platy. He'll swim up casually, and then chase her incessantly, all the while millimeters away from her eyes and mouth. Almost like he's constantly asking her for a smooch. Even when the female tries to avoid his "amorous advances", he continues to pester her. Jeez, they're not even the same species! =P
- Stealing. The worst aquarium crime. No matter how fat and full the fish are, they will still steal food from one another any chance they get. I guess they never really learn that there will never be a shortage of food because I'll always be feeding them. Either that or they're just plain mean. They'll swim around playing with each other, all friendly......but the moment I walk up with some food....oooh, me, me! They'll start chasing and pushing each other away, pretending to "nip" any fish that stands in his way.
Oh fish.
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