A question to Oscar owners regarding growth...

[duanes]

Brick's currrently in a 225 with one other fish. His biggest "bursts" do seem to be after water changes. He'll get new growth edges on his fins every 2-4 days .

I believe in general, water changes are the biggest contributor to growth in any fish relegated to an aquarium, more so than food, or anything else (unless one would purposefully starve them).
Each time you do water changes you remove the growth inhibiting hormones and metabolism by products the fish are constantly giving off themselves.
In nature most riverine fish are in a constant 100% water change every second, so nitrate is normally 0 ppm.

 

[FINWIN]

I definitely believe its a lot about the water now. I used to think it was about equal with quality food / space / lack of stress...that seemed to be the case with cold water fish I had but maybe its a specie thing too.

And maybe Brick has great dna, too...he looks like a 'red' with leopard patterns, almost tiger like. Started off looking like a classic copper O but then the 'maize pattern' showed up on his sides.

 

[DawnMichele]

Hello. My Big Boy grew fast!!! He's almost 5 and a little over 12 inches.

 

[FINWIN]

Hello. My Big Boy grew fast!!! He's almost 5 and a little over 12 inches.

I remember seeing pics, I think! Didn't you post elsewhere?

 

[Mitchell The Monster]

Brick's currrently in a 225 with one other fish. His biggest "bursts" do seem to be after water changes. He'll get new growth edges on his fins every 2-4 days .

Then keep on doing those water changes!!!

 

[DawnMichele]

I remember seeing pics, I think! Didn't you post elsewhere?

I did post elsewhere. I have lot's of video's of Big Boy on You Tube.

 

[LBDave]

Wow, that's fast growing. Must be the tank size and water changes. What's the ph?

 

[FINWIN]

Wow, that's fast growing. Must be the tank size and water changes. What's the ph?

PH is 8.4 here. I will be posting pics today in the TANK UPDATE thread.

 

[FINWIN]

Then keep on doing those water changes!!!

I sure will! Got one to do tomorrow...Tuesdays and Saturdays are "Wet Days". 40 percent each.

 

[fishdance]

If you do a google search you will find correlation in many scientific articles that fast growth rates reduces life span for many species including fish.