alive or will they thrive?

[nycdominicanreef]

Now that you have read up and asked questions on our forum about a certain species that you would like to keep, take the following into consideration.

1. Can you Properly house this animal? Will it outgrow your system?
2. Will this animal just stay alive or will it thrive in your system?

Asking yourself these questions prior to purchasing livestock, can save you headaches, money and possibly your animals life.

COMMON QUESTION: IS IT TRUE THAT FISH GROW DEPENDING ON WHAT SIZE TANK YOU PUT THEM IN?

ANSWER: NO!!!! FISH DO NOT GROW ACCORDING TO THEIR TANK

LOGIC BEHIND IT: IF you were put in a closet, and you were regularly fed, would you stop growing because you lived in the closet? No, you would be miserable, same goes for our tank inhabitants.

please be considerate
*****This thread is not to take shots at anyone, but if your tank looks crowded, or if everyone's opinion (or common sense) is against what you believe, something MIGHT JUST BE WRONG.

WE ARE ALL HERE TO LEARN, YOU DONT HAVE TO MAKE MISTAKES TO LEARN.

 

[Dre]

How did you come up with this theory?So in other words you are saying that if i put a
2 1/2'' Naso Tang or an Emperor Angel in a 20 gal. tank and feed them regularly they will grow at the same rate as they would in a 150 gal?

 

[cmor1701d]

It's not a theory. Just because someone puts a fish with max size of 12" in the 30 gallon tank doesn'e mean the fish will only grow to 5". Some species will be stunted (head smaller) and high nitrates can also cause stunting. Barring that, the fish will still grow to 8" - 10", possibly as large as it's maximum size if water coinditions are right and it is fed properly.

It won't groow as fast or live as long as a properly housed fish, but it will still outgrow the tank.

 

[nycdominicanreef]

I am saying that being in a 20 gal will not stunt their growth, they will continue to grow, and that by being in a 20 gal you are not giving them the best living conditions. That naso tang or emperor angel will not be 2 1/2 inches forever

 

[nycdominicanreef]

The reason I started this thread because more and more often we are reading of ppl with multiple fish that grow relatively big for the tank that they are being housed in.

 

[beerfish]

I get your post, and it's a good sentiment, but not 100% accurate.

ANSWER: NO!!!! FISH DO NOT GROW ACCORDING TO THEIR TANK

Fish do adapt to their environment, but within reason. For instance, a yellow tang in the wild can grow to 8". This is about the size of a large dinner plate. I've never seen one grow this large in captivity. That said, putting a tang into a 10g tank will not keep it the size of a quarter.

if everyone's opinion (or common sense) is against what you believe

Opinions are not fact. NEVER base your choices on the opinions of others. However, if the general opinion is largely to one side of an issue, you should do some research on the issue. For those of you old enough to remember the TV commercials... Reading is Fundamental.

 

[nycdominicanreef]

Beerfish i know exactly what you mean, but you catch my drift

 

[beerfish]

Yep... and I'll add one more thing.

Learn the requirements of the animals you want to keep and plan ahead.

Often a small fish will be fine in a smaller tank, but realize that as it grows you'll need to give it a proper home. If you plan to upgrade from a 30g to a 120g, you might be able to house that 1" Hippo Tang for a bit until you do.

Additionally, make sure you understand what type of room a fish needs. A 40g cube is less suitable for a small snowflake eel than a 33g long tank. Some fish need to have a tank with length so that they can get the exercise they need, and so a different shape tank (possibly even a smaller one) may be a better fit.

Ok that was two things, but who's counting?

 

[nycdominicanreef]

bump

 

[aznt1217]

The whole closet analogy is flawed and yes it is a theory to the statement above. Yes I agree EVERYBODY has to do their homework on what they buy... we are taking something from the ocean-- the biggest fish tank in the world and putting it into a minuscule glass box. Buy your livestock utilizing reasonable judgment... meaning don't buy a adult imperator and stick him in a 20 gallon for example.

Anyway a few caveats:
Novel thread but there are a few factors that many of us fail to consider.

Fish size and growth rates vary greatly by individuals and actual environment it is housed in. You have to consider the genus, tank setup, diet, and furthermore the actual fish's genetics-- yes this sounds insane but it's true. Here we can use the analogy of humans. Ie. working out at the gym-- not everybody has the same fat burning abilities, capabilities to work out, etc.

Now let's take a fish example:
The Hippo Tang: these fish are built for long swims. Their hydrodynamic shape indicates these fish swim for miles and miles. It "works out their muscles," so yes they do get bigger quickly in the ocean because they can "work out" and graze continuously whenever they want as opposed to our schedules.

Case in Point: My two Hippo Tangs (well now one... I sold the other)
1. Both Hippo Tangs bought as juveniles.
2. Each Hippo Tang in totally different conditions - One ate FW flakes (previous owner) and grew to about 3 inches in 4 years in a 30 gallon bow front tank and stopped there... I proceeded to change his diet and fed him spectrum pellets in a 55 gallon tank with a Koralia 4 powerhead... his growth rates improved.

Other Hippo Tang... strictly fed on mysis and pellets. Started in a 54 Gallon Corner Bow then upgraded to a 72 Bow (this is all since my "career" in reefing for the past nearly 1.75 years). He has grown about 2 inches in the past year that I have had him.

-- Sorry for the long post but I felt like I had to illustrate.

 

[ryangrieder]

100% agree