ID sharks theories?

[Moontanman]

Update on the sharks, all but one died due to fungus, the one left is healthy and at nine months or so is still 3" long. He is in a 75 with some dither fish and he eats like a pig and the filter and water movement is as close ideal as it gets.

Still wondering how and why this fish is so small, I might put him in an outdoor pond for the summer and see if that makes a difference.

 

[celebrist]

Mine stayed around 3-4" for about five years then when I upgraded from the 150 to a 450 he had a year long growth spurt to 9-10" and hasn't done much more in the last two years.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I got three about 1.5 years ago. Two usual colored are 20"-24" and one albino is still ~6"-7".

 

[Moontanman]

Mine stayed around 3-4" for about five years then when I upgraded from the 150 to a 450 he had a year long growth spurt to 9-10" and hasn't done much more in the last two years.

I got three about 1.5 years ago. Two usual colored are 20"-24" and one albino is still ~6"-7".

Something odd is going on and i wonder if it is related to these fish being bred in captivity, small fish could easily be selected for by the fish farmers...

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

It makes sense and this sentiment had already been expressed in this thread.

Either the culled fish we get in our trade are getting worse or the smallest ones and the slowest ones are picked specifically out of the cull pool to go into the aquarium trade.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

11 year old IDS is about 12" https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/iridescent-shark.686631/

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

To this thread, I must add my new experience that properly housed IDS is, IMHO, unlikely to grow to only a foot or so. I had had an albino IDS who I thought was the runtest of the runts and grew to ony 8"-9" after 3 years with us. It too was exceedingly flighty in its "spacious" 240 gal 8x2x2. Eventually I rolled the dice and placed it in a 4500 gal. It paid off. The IDS started feeding better (it fed before seemingly more or less ok) and started growing quickly. It was a few months ago and the fish is 1.5' currently and not stopping.

Hence, I must surmise that perhaps all or most of the reports from MFK-ers that their IDS refuse to grow properly for years are related to the housing - their fish, just like mine, were stressed in too small tanks, by too boisterous or harassing tank mates, or somehow else.

There could be exceptions. What I am arguing against is that this thread conveys an impression that there are two large groups of IDS - small growing and large growing - in like 50-50 ratio, which may not be the case.