Haven't changed water during JD's growth spurt

[TheTerminutter]

I've been away for a month in rehab, and when I came back my 3.5 in JD became almost 4.5 in. The water was also 30 ppm nitrates, (my parents were feeding him but not changing the water) which was the highest it has ever been. I usually do 95% water changes weekly on my 75 gal so that the nitrates stay under 5 ppm.
And I had to be away RIGHT when his growth spurt happened. I know it was a growth spurt because my JD is swimming so carefully and keeps accidentally pushing his head through holes that he can't fit through because he forgot they're too small for him now, meaning he himself hadn't gotten used to his new size.

Is it too late for me to grow him to 10 inches?

 

[tlindsey]

Is it too late for me to grow him to 10 inches?

Not to late at all just go back to your wc routine.

 

[Deadeye]

Mine stayed around 3 inches for well over a year. Once I got my act together and increased the water changes, he started growing like a weed.
Never too late to grow them to a monster size!

 

[duanes]

Below is some scientific research on elevated nitrates in water, that might be relevant to this thread.


What is the optimal amount of nitrate in a watershed?
1. Nitrates in river water often ranges from 0.01-3.0 mg/L.
2. A nitrate-nitrogen reading that is less than 1.0 mg/L is considered excellent.
3. A nitrate-nitrogen reading that is 1.1-3.0 mg/L is considered good.
4. A nitrate-nitrogen reading that is 3.1-5.0 mg/L is considered fair.
5. A nitrate-nitrogen reading that is greater than 5.0 mg/L is considered poor and unsafe for drinking water. Some sewage treatment plants may have levels in excess of 20 mg/L.
6. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations that exceed 10.0 mg/L (44 mg/L nitrogen) may cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) in bottle-fed infants. Nitrite affects the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.

 

[abominus]

fish growth is very random like humans. averaage human height is 6 feet so show me that the entire population is 6 feet tall. Not possible, right! You made a mistake don't stress on it . Just keep doing the water changes , keep the water warm (belive me, it plays a even greater role in promoting growth than space) and feed it well. It might reach it's average size, maybe greater than that or smaller than that. But you have to try your best