Deep Blue Sea;4720700; said:
I have a few questions on the growth rate of these fish will since it seems saltwater fish have a slower growth rate than fresh:
1. I have a Miniatus Grouper that is roughly 6.5" how long will it take before he's 12" and what is their usual growth rate. I feed mine a mix of squid, NLS, and frozen lance fish about 5 days out of the week.
2. I will be getting a 7"-8" Harlequin Tusk Wrasse and I was wondering how long it would take to get him to 10". I will be feeding him NLS, squid, and crabs.
It is going to vary based on a bunch of stuff.
1. Temperature of the tank-It affects metabolism greatly and can make a big difference in growth rate. The higher the temperature the faster he will grow.
2. How much he eats-Depending on how often he is fed and how big the portions are? You say 5 days out of the week? That is a lot. They generally only need to be fed 2-3 times a week. So he is going to grow considerable faster with extra feedings.
3.Vitamins and Supplements-These will also play a role. I don't know if you currently soak the food in anything, but it would be a great idea. Something like Selcon or Zoecon with help keep the fish in optimal health, improving growth.
4. Water Quality-Better the water, better the growth.
So everyones cases will be different because of these factors. You will be lucky to ever have the grouper reach a foot. I bet he settles in around 10 inches or so tops. With the feeding schedule you have he may get a little longer, but most likely just wider. Not a bad thing at all, I am sure he will love it. Just watch water quality with frequent feedings.
I used to have a Blueline Grouper. I bought him at about 4-5 inches and had him for a year and a half. When I sold him(he was super aggressive and I couldn't put anything else into the tank without him attacking it, so he had to leave) he was at least 8 inches. I fed him 2 times a week, sometimes slightly less. He also was kept in poorer quality water than I would ever do now(pretty high nitrates, poor o2 concentration). I fed him no vitamin soaks or anything like that either.
With the Tusk you most likely will not see him grow much at all. 7-8 inches is a very big Tusk. Pretty much the same as the grouper. It is possible it would grow, however, the sizes you see listed are MAX sizes and most fish won't reach that size.
Are you buying it from a dealer, so straight from the ocean? Or did it grow up in someones tank?
I am suprised you are even able to find them imported that big, if you are buying from a store.
