Avg. growth of Rhom
- Thread starter Malawi-
- Start date
Malawi-;2373799; said:
Because each fish is different. One will grow faster in a aquarium then another.
On average it will take a year to a year and a half to grow a juvenile rhombeus to 6" total length. But I've heard more then one account of them being less then 6" and over two years old. But then again I've read of one rhom making it to 7.5" or so in the first year which is extrordinary growth.
I believe finding an active, good eater is the key to choosing a good young rhombeus. His growth will be determined by how good of a hobbyist his owner is.
After 6" the whole "one inch a year" thing is a decent but very general guild line and definitely shouldn't be counted on. Their growth is very speratic. A particular fish might grow 1" one year, 1.25" the second year and nothing the third.
Its still not completely understood why Rhombeus' grow so incredibly slow in aquariums when studies show that in the wild, they grow to large sizes very quickly.
Now that doesn't mean that I recommend getting one for a small tank with plans on growing it out and upgrading. To a point.
I've tried this with a 29 and did not have very good results.
A 40 gallon breeder is as small of a tank as I can recommend for a juvenile rhombeus. The footprint is perfect and gives ample growing room for a small one until a few years down the road a 75 (preferably a 90) can be purchased. A standard 55 is decent but the width is horrible.
I've tried this with a 29 and did not have very good results.
A 40 gallon breeder is as small of a tank as I can recommend for a juvenile rhombeus. The footprint is perfect and gives ample growing room for a small one until a few years down the road a 75 (preferably a 90) can be purchased. A standard 55 is decent but the width is horrible.
Ive seen rhoms go from 2-6" in under a year. But after that its literally 1-2" per year.
Thats why all the big rhom about are wild imports.
They seem to stunt in the home aquaria.
Thats why all the big rhom about are wild imports.
They seem to stunt in the home aquaria.
In my opinion, the lack of growth seen in captive rhombeus piranha is due to the keeper.. take for instance one of our members, Joedizzle had grown his rhoms out more then 2 inches in about a month.. One thing to take into account is most wild rhoms are caught with some type of intestinal parasite. in the wild these fish are eating constantly and it probably doesnt hinder the growth of these fish much.. in captivity, on the other hand, most piranha keepers tend to feed their piranha just enough to keep them hungry. Maybe not on purpose but through my research i find piranha, especially those from the serrasalmus genus like to eat less more often, rather then alot all at once.. another thing to take into account is the fact that the fish roam constantly and are eating all sorts of diverse foods. Including but not limited to whole fish, fish fins, scales, nuts, and fruit. Which most keepers cannot replicate in the aquarium. One more thing that comes into play here is the fact of space and water quality. In the wild if a fish encounters a toxin in the water they can just swim away and not have to deal with any reprocussions, but in captivity the fish cannot swim out of his little glass box and is relying on us to keep their water in pristine condition..
JMO though, you dont have to listen to me
JMO though, you dont have to listen to me