feces eating molly aka poop eater

Is it normal for Mollies to eat each other's feces?
I have 4 mollies and a swordtail. They usually eat everything floating around and if its not food, they spit it out right away. They seem to be busy all day looking for food. They are fed twice daily, first feeding is tropical fish flakes with vitamins, second feeding is freeze-dried brine shrimp. One of mollies keeps swallowing other fish feces sometimes directly before it even falls off the other ones. She has also been getting more and more aggressive towards the rest of fish in the tank. but she definitely is not lethargic and has a very healthy appetite. since day one I brought her, she acted neurotic and keeps swimming up and down the glass. Anyone has any experience with this type of situation when the booly fish feeds on feces of tank mates??? Anyone knows why this is happening? what do u suggest? I appreciate your inputs

 

Welcome to fishlore!
Yes, I've seen them do it before......gross.

 

it's a gross habit woke up and saw my top dalmation molly eating m guppies poop yeah it happens

 

One of my balloon Mollies does it all the time. Only spits it out if it's her own.

 

Eating faeces is normal for any fish that eats plants or algae. A Molly's natural diet is algae and insect larvae. Any fish that eats plants or algae as part of its diet has bacteria living in its gut to digest the cellulose. Some of these bacteria become dislodged and are excreted in the faeces. Herbivorous fish eat faeces to replenish their own gut bacteria.

When herbivores are imported they can lose their gut bacteria through not being fed. Then when they start eating again they can't digest the plants/algae, so they often starve. The ones put with other herbivores often don't starve because they can eat faeces with gut bacteria in it to start their own colony again.

 

wow never really thought of it like that you just taught me something