Fish only grow to the size of their environment.

[BakerLikesFish]

marwhateverthehellyournameis wtf man seriously like have you ever had a fish for more than a month???? and like do you tell your self this stuff so when you "mouth sh!$" all over your customers you don't feel as bad i mean what is up with u guy????????

 

[kusojijii]

No wait, just think, if this is true then is it also true that fish grow to the size of their enclosure? Like, could I put a beta in a 300 gallon tank and get a 6 foot beta?!?!?!

 

[Lizardking]

I may not have been too clear, but the 10" Oscar in a 10 gallon tank story (a true story, I might add) was meant to illustrate the point that a fish WILL NOT stop growing if kept in a small tank. In my experience one thing stops a fish's growth completely: Death. Keeping a fish in too small of a tank will hasten its demise, so in that way tank size will limit growth!

I maybe wrong here but doesn´t it depends on wich specie who is kept in too small tanks. I´ve seen bala sharks that have been kept in too small tanks that had a big head and a skinny body. I have heard that its the same in the nature, if its hard to get nutrition the body stop growing, but the head continues to grow.I recently was told that a paroonshark will certainly outgrow most tanks available but a pangasiuscat stop growing when theres no room left no matter if its a 55 or a 90 its living in.

Also I strongly disagree that it is good fishkeeping to keep fish in small tanks just because can.

 

[BIGgourami]

finally someone agreeds. As long as ur water perimeter is good, clear water and healthy. They should do fine. The only draw back is stunted growth. Just like how i stated in my email. It not a "required" to buy a big tank. If u grow it from fry to large then it okay.

But if u buy it big big from lfs store, then that a different story. That all i am saying. They will grow base on living space. Do ur experientment and u see if i am wrong.

Example: small oscar in 10g, will not grow as big as an oscar in a 150?

best test subject is peco,

but that set back is lethal.... hence inhumane and shouldn't EVER be reccomended otherwise...

it won't grow as long as an O ina 150 but'll die way faster



also anne, i havew a 4yo betta so.. there are a few innaccuracies in your list but only too short none so far have been too long

 

[BIGgourami]

The trouble is that such an experiment can't be done without delving into the area of animal cruelty. Do us all a favor and read up on the subject of brown-blood disease/nitrite poisoning. Add to this the maintenance schedule/regimen required to maintain a large-growing species in a 10 gal to achieve clean clear water and 'healthy parameters'. What you're proposing is simply not a sage idea or any kind of ideal to strive for due to the added maintenance costs/requirements and for the overall health of the fish.

if oddball's against you you pretty much KNOW you're wrong

 

[djdlemma]

WOW im amazed at the number of complete idiots that have joined MFK recently!!

I'm still laughing at this!!

 

[channarox]

so if i buy a foot long pima and stuff it in my 20g it wont outgrow the tank?
yay!
now i have an excuse to get a pima!

 

[Bderick67]

I would agree, a fish can never outgrow the tank it is kept in.

This oscar in the pic below will never outgrow this biorb as long as it is kept in the biorb.

It will DIE first

This is why so many LFS will support this "fish will grow to tank size". The fish does exactly that and the customer is back in a few months buying more fish to replace the ones that die.

 

[Zoodiver]

Wow at this thread. I'm shocked that people still argue it's ok to growth stunt fish. Preventing a fish from growing to it's full size by improper care. What next, putting marine life in freshwater tanks because salt mix is too expensive? Sure, you have to restock every three days, but they are pretty.

 

[BushFishRox]

Thats it I'm leaving and I am taking my stickers with me...