Datnoid growth? Heard they grow slow?

[michael]

How old are these 10" or so that people have? I have 2 thin bars that are about 4" and was wondering how long it takes!?

[krndude610]

i would also like to know the answer to this i have a NGT datnoid at 5inches and been feeding him constantly, whats the growth rate on these fish?

[Pangong_ilong]

I want to know too, cuz i got 2 thin bar dats and about the same size 4"

[downset21]

i bought mine at 2 inches... it's been about 8 months and they are at 4 or 5 inches... everybody says they grow REAL slow

[twk1]

I would also like to know about their growth rate. And how long is their life span??? I saw a 13" at a LFS... What is the biggest that anyone has seen in person??

[michael]

Shark aquarium has some like 10"-12" and wonder how old those fish are?? Also very expensive as they get bigger!? Mine were $20 each and a 10" goes for $250-$500 depending! Big jump!

[unknownuza13]

Shark aquarium has some like 10"-12" and wonder how old those fish are?? Also very expensive as they get bigger!? Mine were $20 each and a 10" goes for $250-$500 depending! Big jump!


There are also different types of dats. Those 10" for 400 dollars are wide bar dats. I believe its Datnoid Pulcher. I think you can get a 10" thin bar for 75-100 bucks.

[Jesse]

There are also different types of dats. Those 10" for 400 dollars are wide bar dats. I believe its Datnoid Pulcher. I think you can get a 10" thin bar for 75-100 bucks.
True, there are five recognized species of datnoids:
1) Datnioides pulcher -- widebar datnoid, also known in Asia as Siamese tiger (ST) or Cambodian tiger (CT), depending on locale.
2) Datnioides microlepis -- Indonesian datnoid, aka Indonesian tiger (IT).
3) Datnioides undecimradiatus -- thinbar datnoid, aka North Thailand tiger (NTT).
4) Datnioides campbelli -- New Guinea datnoid, aka New Guinea tiger (NGT).
5) Datnioides quadrifasciatus -- silver datnoid, known in Asia as American tiger (AT) even though they come from southeast Asia, possibly because only Americans will actually buy them.

BTW, I'd buy a 10" thinbar dat for $100 in a heartbeat. I've never seen one larger than 8" in person, although I believe Ivan (alfon76) has a 12"+ thinbar. I've seen many Indo dats at that size for that price range though.

Regarding datnoid growth rates, some of the Asian enthusiasts who rely exclusively on feeders have achieved decent growth rates of up to 3/4 inch per month. Most of the rest of us who feed a combination of frozen foods get growth rates of about half that. I feed my young dats frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, then frozen krill as they get larger, eventually switching to market shrimp when they get 8" or larger.

[unknownuza13]

Yes I believe I was thinking of Indo Dats.... Any reason you can think of that you don't see any thin bar that are big..?

[Vince]

Actually, larger thinbars are alot rarer in the U.S. than the pulchers. Large thinbars might push a higher price in the U.S.

As for growth rate, I bought a silver dat about four months ago at 4", and now he is pushing around 8-9 inches. Thats a silver dat. I bought around the same time a thinbar, about the same size, and right now the thinbar is only about 5-6 inches. The silver dat eats alot, and pretty much anything and everything, sometimes I see it eat pellets, while the thinbar only eats krill and the occasional raw shrimp. I never see it with a full stomach, while the silver is always fat. The Indo that I have is about 10" when I bought it about 3 months ago, and looks to be the same size still, and it is a big eater also. The widebars (pulcher) I have four. Two I bought at the same time around 4inches, same time being about 4 months ago, and they are about 6-8 inches. The 10" I bought about 4 months ago, still looks like 10" but is much rounder, fatter, than I got it. When I got that 10", the color was dark, almost black, but now it is bright yellow, it seems to be from thailand, not vietnam. The 12" I bought about 2 months ago, still looks like 12 inches. They eat alot, except the thinbar. I am selling them, but I need to get at least the same price that I paid for them, or they can stay with me :) I bought a 2" Indo about 3 months ago, and now it is 4".

I guess the growth rate depends on the size of tank you have them in, how much food you feed them, and how often you feed them. They are also sensitive to water quality, so a periodic water change is good for them. I trained my pulchers to eat beefheart. They love it, but the thinbar wont touch it. Hope this helps.

[warren126]

My LFS has a wide bar he is like 13" he told me that the fish was about 3years old he is nice he have him in his display tank

[shoefreak03]

my grew about 2 inches per year but they were smaller at around 4-6 inches. i feed them on alternate days market shrimp and dry shrimp only.

my 2 inch grew about 1" in 5 months now only feeding him live bloodworms and market shrimp.

They do generally grow very slow. cant wait till they becomes monsters...

[Jesse]

Yes I believe I was thinking of Indo Dats.... Any reason you can think of that you don't see any thin bar that are big..?
Well, thinbars are less frequently imported than Indo dats. Also, thin bars are more laterally compressed, less robustly built than either widebars or Indos, so maybe they eat less and grow more slowly. I've certainly noticed that, although my thinbars eat, they aren't gluttons like my widebars. I'm just speculating here though.

[unknownuza13]

Well, thinbars are less frequently imported than Indo dats. Also, thin bars are more laterally compressed, less robustly built than either widebars or Indos, so maybe they eat less and grow more slowly. I've certainly noticed that, although my thinbars eat, they aren't gluttons like my widebars. I'm just speculating here though.


This makes sense to me. My two widebars are huge Pigs and will eat until they are nice and fat.

[krndude610]

my NGT takes both live and prepared food and eats vigoursly everyday what would be the estimated growth rate on NGT. Any1 who has owned a NGT before some information would be nice

[DiXoN]

i have had indos from 5-7'' and they still gre slowly even when eating loads.
my widebar which is 11''+ is the most greedy fish i have ever owned and could eat 2-3 times the amount i feed it.
i dont think it will grow bigger anytime soon though

[Steve_89]

My 12inch indo has grown 1 inch in the last 6months.

Hopefully he keeps going...

[mauls]

My indo's havent grown at all since i got them about 4 months ago, they really piss me off, they just hide in the top corner of my tank, if my toilet line ran to a lake where they could survive i'd flush them, mine are some weiner ass fish.

[truman]

For all younger dats its the frequency of small amounts of prepared foods or live ones that gets them growing fast.


They also stall out at about 10 inches and take forever to push furthur.

I myself have had a 4" widebar hit 13"after he was passed to a friend to raise...that took about a whole year

The fastest growth is still achieved with live feeders though.

[redtailfool]

The fastest growth is still achieved with live feeders though.


A lot of people can attest to that. Still wont give feeders though..

[Steve_89]

A lot of people can attest to that. Still wont give feeders though..

Me too....

[alfon76]

Datnoids are generally considered slow growers but there are always exceptions. My Datnoids grow steadily at about 3-4 inches per year when young but much less when adults.
Definitely live feeders make them a lot more active and grow faster but I try to use this practice as little as possible just like many here.

NGT's do not grow very fast. My little ones grew from 2 inches to 4 inches in 1 year. Not sure if this is a rule or just my experience with them. Thin Bars are also very sluggish when it comes to growing. I have a 12 inch Thin Bar that was purchased at that size though so I can only hope to grow him even more as the years go by.

Frequency of feeding, type of food and water changes all seem to have an effect on the growth rate.

Ivan

[Fried_fish]

Most Datnioides sp. have growth spurt. Very active. With adequate tank space and constant food they can be grow at a very impressive rate.

[Im4u2nV]

i still can find any datnoids in my local area...even the so called 'Indonesian Dat'..and i live in the capital city of Indonesia... :swear:

probably it's not the season yet though because in my area some fishes will become A LOT at a given time and may even scarce at some other time....

right now Clown Loach is scarce so the price went up quite a bit...and Datnoid is NADA NONE...

[redtailfool]

Datnoids are generally considered slow growers but there are always exceptions. My Datnoids grow steadily at about 3-4 inches per year when young but much less when adults.
Definitely live feeders make them a lot more active and grow faster but I try to use this practice as little as possible just like many here.

NGT's do not grow very fast. My little ones grew from 2 inches to 4 inches in 1 year. Not sure if this is a rule or just my experience with them. Thin Bars are also very sluggish when it comes to growing. I have a 12 inch Thin Bar that was purchased at that size though so I can only hope to grow him even more as the years go by.

Frequency of feeding, type of food and water changes all seem to have an effect on the growth rate.

Ivan


Ivan - didnt know NGTs grow slower than other Dat species. Thanks!

[alfon76]

Redtailfool, do not quote me as 100% accurate on the growth rate of NGT's but I have noticed my little ones do not grow as "fast" as the other species.

Ivan

[tigerfish]

do lots of water changes, and try aquatronics vitamix, water changers make fish grow

[Steve_89]

So approx how old would a 13 inch indo or pulcher be?

[Fried_fish]

So approx how old would a 13 inch indo or pulcher be?

Its hard to say because it depends if it was caught in wild at that size or caught at 2" etc and grown in aquarium until 13" . My guess is its at least 2 years old.

Ivan is the expert on dats as he is the true dats fanatic. I noticed that NGT when small are more picky with food than small pulcher.

[alfon76]

I agree with you fried_fish that NGT's tend to be a bit pickier with food when small. When larger however, they will eat pellets without porblems (at least mine did).

Ivan