That's the key phrase there. If you provide the pair with a large tank and good clean water then growth may not be affected. Most people probably do not provide an optimal environment for this. I know Mel's pair of freds spawned very young but if you look at his later vids the pair look just as big as any other pair of freds out there. Large tank + clean water = optimal growth.
I was arguing with this guy today..........
- Thread starter golcondorus
- Start date
That's the key phrase there. If you provide the pair with a large tank and good clean water then growth may not be affected. Most people probably do not provide an optimal environment for this. I know Mel's pair of freds spawned very young but if you look at his later vids the pair look just as big as any other pair of freds out there. Large tank + clean water = optimal growth.
No but seriously that doesn't make sense. Also did he work for petco or petsmart?No, it wasn't a pet store employee thankfully. He was just one of those people who think they know everything and if they don't, they just make up stuff that they think sounds good
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False...my Geophagus Altifron female kept growing after breeding. However it did slow her growth (being that they are mouth brooders and abstain from food for months).
saw the link & immediately thought "Oh great. Dan posted some kind of incomprehensible biological study.."
I can not express how relieved I was to see that report written in comic sans.
;-)
Correct, with the added caveat that due to the energy required for breeding (egg production) by females, early & continual breeding at an early age can cause slower overall growth, compared to males of the same species. This is what many hobbyists typically experience, and many do not keep their fish long term (until death) so may not see the eventual mature female sizes. (at death)
Also, as Bob stated some female cichlids (such as mouth brooders) will generally not eat much, if any, for long periods while breeding, and this can also sometimes be seen even by substrate spawners if they are spawning in a community tank, where they spend a great deal of time & energy protecting their eggs/fry from their tank mates. In many cases these fish will also go of their feed for extended periods of time.
LOL, fine .........early & continual breeding at an early age can cause slower overall growth in females, compared to females that are not continually spawning. Better?
This isn't exactly rocket science. Egg production requires energy, energy that beyond normal metabolic functions would typically go towards growth. Males are not as greatly affected by spawning as sperm production requires less energy than egg production.
Then factor in that spawning females often feed less, some far less, than when not spawning, and the slower overall growth part of the equation should become rather obvious. Less energy intake via feed, more energy going to egg production vs growth = slower overall growth.
This isn't exactly rocket science. Egg production requires energy, energy that beyond normal metabolic functions would typically go towards growth. Males are not as greatly affected by spawning as sperm production requires less energy than egg production.
Then factor in that spawning females often feed less, some far less, than when not spawning, and the slower overall growth part of the equation should become rather obvious. Less energy intake via feed, more energy going to egg production vs growth = slower overall growth.
