Big boys, tank v wild

[dan518]

Now days with a suitable size tank, decent food, heavy waterchange, low stress, most ca/sa cichlids kept in our tanks will grow larger then there wild counterparts. From what I have seen the exception to this is dovii and umbees. If you look at some of the umbee or rainbow bass fishing videos or pics while not common there is alot of examples of huge males out there. I have only really seen one captive dovii getting close to those sizes.
Just wondering what other peoples thoughts are on this.
My own opinion is people don't realise how much bigger they get, people look at length of a fish and think a 26 inch dovii is twice as big as a 13 inch midas. A 26 inch dovii weighs 15 lbs a 13 inch midas about 2.5 lbs, that's six times bigger. So if a solo male midas needs say a 5 ft 120 gal, a solo male dovii would need a 700+ gal. Or as the dovii get bigger people aren't feeding enough, feeding six times more food then you would a big male midas feels extreme to me.

 

[Gourami Swami]

one thing that probably plays a part too is that most wild fish won't get to live to the age that tank kept fish can due to predation, hardships etc. in the wild. I'm sure there are some exceptions, and I have seen plenty of huge wild and feral cichlids caught online as well. So like anything it will vary, but I think you are right fish kept in tanks will have it much easier, get more access to food, and live longer, all if kept responsibly. Will have have more of a chance of growing to the species' potential.

 

[dan518]

one thing that probably plays a part too is that most wild fish won't get to live to the age that tank kept fish can due to predation, hardships etc. in the wild. I'm sure there are some exceptions, and I have seen plenty of huge wild and feral cichlids caught online as well. So like anything it will vary, but I think you are right fish kept in tanks will have it much easier, get more access to food, and live longer, all if kept responsibly. Will have have more of a chance of growing to the species' potential.

I agree our fish will out live wild fish. Ferals we don't know the size they were when released and alot of invasive spp can out compete native spp. Our fish are much better fed than wild counterparts, I was reading a paper that was saying about jags seemed to nearly all starve to death between 5 to 8 inch mark, lots of prey items for juvis lots for big adults, a shortage of suitable size prey items for the mid size ones. It seems obvious that our fish would get bigger, but to me dovii, umbee don't just wondering why.

 

[mrrobxc]

I agree our fish will out live wild fish. Ferals we don't know the size they were when released and alot of invasive spp can out compete native spp. Our fish are much better fed than wild counterparts, I was reading a paper that was saying about jags seemed to nearly all starve to death between 5 to 8 inch mark, lots of prey items for juvis lots for big adults, a shortage of suitable size prey items for the mid size ones. It seems obvious that our fish would get bigger, but to me dovii, umbee don't just wondering why.

I think nutrition plays a role here. Many Cichla get much larger in the wild than in aquariums as well. I think the pristine wTer quality in the wild coupled with superior nutrition for these apex predators is the difference. tcav88 has been feeding live to his Cichla and they have been exploding in growth compared to mine which are pellet fed.

 

[krichardson]

I think it was Duanes who recently posted that in the wild,dovii cichlids become mostly insectivores when they become adults.I am not sure if dovii keepers mimic this diet specialty in their tanks but perhaps there is some correlation between the large size of wild adults and their particular nutrition requirement.

 

[tcav88]

I think nutrition plays a role here. Many Cichla get much larger in the wild than in aquariums as well. I think the pristine wTer quality in the wild coupled with superior nutrition for these apex predators is the difference. tcav88 has been feeding live to his Cichla and they have been exploding in growth compared to mine which are pellet fed.

I've fed my cichla massivore, shrimp and tilapia coated in seachem vitachem, now I feed gutloaded golden shiners and fathead minnows and my bass have grown 1.5" in 3 weeks.

 

[tcav88]

Lol could also be the 50% waterchanges daily on their 450 gallon tank as well... But I've seen threads in the past such as dieselmack that have had success with feeding live, doesn't hurt that I seine net and have hatcheries near me to buy shiners and fatheads in bulk per say 1500 a batch.

 

[krichardson]

Fifty percent daily on a 450.....my goodness!

 

[dan518]

I think nutrition plays a role here. Many Cichla get much larger in the wild than in aquariums as well. I think the pristine wTer quality in the wild coupled with superior nutrition for these apex predators is the difference. tcav88 has been feeding live to his Cichla and they have been exploding in growth compared to mine which are pellet fed.

Interesting, I have heard a few people say similar things with the big piscivores but not heard the same with smaller spp, eg parachromis motaguensis seem to do better on pellets .

 

[tcav88]

Getting my permit to buy fish from Anderson minnows tommorow, they apparently have disease inspections regularly and cut deals for big orders. To each their own I guess you'll have people say their worried about parasites which are a risk and also qt them which takes time and is a hassle to most, dieselmack has always been my inspiration in the cichla game and his bass were the most gorgeous cichla I have ever seen. I will say in terms of feeding live besides qt and gutloading it does increase their aggression a lot.