I got my alligator pipe in the spring of this year. It was eating frozen adult BS in the store, so I brought it home. It has since learned to also eat frozen mysis, and has been seen snicking at small pellets and floating flakes. (It also eats frozen that is suspended at the top.)
About 2 months ago, I noticed it had developed a small growth on the side of it's mouth. I attempted to remove it, which seemed to make the pipe very uncomfortable, so I have left it. There are no other symptoms of any disease, the other fish in the tank are healthy, and the pipe still eats well, so I have left it alone.
The only thing I have noticed, is that it seems to get in the way of it's sight when it goes to snick. You can see the pipe line up the food, but the snick is just slightly off, and it sometimes misses, or just gets half.
To apparently compensate, it has learned to eat on it's side away from the growth, or even completely upside down. It's very funny to watch the pipe follow it's next bite, turn upside down, and successfully complete the snick. I don't know why seeing is easier upside down, but tonights dinner was eaten entirely that way.
About 2 months ago, I noticed it had developed a small growth on the side of it's mouth. I attempted to remove it, which seemed to make the pipe very uncomfortable, so I have left it. There are no other symptoms of any disease, the other fish in the tank are healthy, and the pipe still eats well, so I have left it alone.
The only thing I have noticed, is that it seems to get in the way of it's sight when it goes to snick. You can see the pipe line up the food, but the snick is just slightly off, and it sometimes misses, or just gets half.
To apparently compensate, it has learned to eat on it's side away from the growth, or even completely upside down. It's very funny to watch the pipe follow it's next bite, turn upside down, and successfully complete the snick. I don't know why seeing is easier upside down, but tonights dinner was eaten entirely that way.
