Fahaka growth rate after 1 ft.

[Charney]

After these guys hit a foot how fast should they grow? I have had mine for a year and half now. For about the first year he was growing around an inch per month. Once he hit about a foot his growth has slowed down tremendously. Is this normal? He is housed alone in a 120g no ammonia, nitrate below 12.5 mg/l, nitrite ~.3 mg/L pH = 7.0; mixed diet of shrimp, crays, smelt, muscles, krill, vit supplement. Thanks

 

[Pufferpunk]

Really slow growwth after a foot. You shouldn't be showing any nitrite at all. What's your WC schedule?

 

[Charney]

Yeah I know the nitrites are high at the moment. They fluctuate with my exam schedule and break schedule at school. I got back from break about two weeks ago and I still trying to control some of my damage on the tanks from when I was gone. It is easy to pay some one to feed the fish, but none is ever willing to clean the tank (plus I think people are afraid of the puffer). Normally there is none. When I am not cramming for an exam and being tested I do ~25% weekly changes. When its time to really study that slides. I think I need to cut back on feeding. I have been trying to feed him a lot to get some growth, but I guess thats pointless? Thanks

 

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't do less that 50% weekly (I actually do 75-80%). If you haven't done one in 2 weeks, then 25%, 2x/week, when you're around.

 

[Charney]

I have tried larger changes with him and it seems to extremely stress him out. The water going back into the is from the tap, but very close in temp. He does much better with the 25% change.

 

[catfishlover106]

well to not stress him out that much you could try adding Stress Coat in the Tap water if you can in a bucket and swish it around to be fully mixed into the tap water so it becomes declorinated...or just get aquarium salt and mix it until it dissolves into the whole bucket then pour it all in....if you want you can add the aquarium salt in the bucket and put some Stress Coat in after you add the Salt added water.Its not sea salt so dont worry

 

[Pufferpunk]

Unless you do large WC all the time, it will stress him out because the water in the tank has become so different from your tap. Because of the large, weekly WC I do on all my tanks, the water there is just as clean & fresh as the water from my tap. No need to add extra chemicals to de-stress my fish. Just Prime.

 

[OscarRobinson]

Unless you do large WC all the time, it will stress him out because the water in the tank has become so different from your tap. Because of the large, weekly WC I do on all my tanks, the water there is just as clean & fresh as the water from my tap. No need to add extra chemicals to de-stress my fish. Just Prime.

I agree. I do about 75% every week.