Troubleshooter

Why is my fish eating the substrate?

Quick answerBottom-dwelling fish (corydoras, plecos, loaches) sift substrate looking for food. Some fish (cichlids) move substrate as territorial behavior. Most cases are normal; concern only if fish actually ingests gravel.

Possible causes (4)

1. Normal sifting behavior

Corydoras + plecos sift substrate searching for food particles. Spit out gravel + ingest food. Completely normal.

2. Territorial cichlid behavior

Cichlids redecorate by moving substrate. Normal pre-spawning + territory marking.

3. Hunger

Underfed fish search the substrate harder. Increase feeding if behavior is excessive.

4. Geophagy (gravel ingestion)

Some fish actually eat gravel intentionally. Sand is safer than gravel - switch substrate if ingestion is observed.

What to do next

Test water first - many "behavior" issues are actually water-quality problems. Use the water parameter checker to score your test results, the disease symptom matcher if you observe physical signs, or the general diagnoser to narrow further. Browse the disease database if illness is suspected.

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