I.D. Shark

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R

rodneybur

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2005
17
0
0
50
Newport, KY
I have had two of these in a 55 gallon tank for about a year. I usually feed them flake food and have tried other things such as pellets, frozen shrimp, and algae discs (I have snails). They only seem to eat the flakes. They have only grown 2-3 inches in the year that I've had them and I'm starting to think that they are not growing like they should. They are about 5-6 inches long now. I regularly clean my water every couple weeks and they seem to be healthy and eating fine.

Can someone that keeps these give me some pointers on things to feed them. I was also wondering if they should be growing any faster.

I really like these fish, but want to see them grow a little faster.
 
THey are bottom feeders... They grow slow. Getting them to size is stunted by the tank size. As the can reach 39 inches. Chances of them living to see that is rare. But not as rare as it could be. Mine are 12 and 13" I bought them that big.

Mine will eat Cichlid pellets Brine shrimp,Blood worms or most anything that gets in the mid to lower tank level. As that is where they hang... If you wan them to grow faster double or triple your tank size as I read that small enclosures stunt their growth.. Read this several times.. That seems actually like a good growth rate for these..

You are asking about irridescents Right?
 
They actually are said to grow up to 52". You may not want to encourage too much growth if they are in a 55g. I have 2 that are in my 750g and they seem to be putting on about 3/4" per month or so. Mine love pellets of all sorts and like to catch them as they hit the current.
KNH
 
OH GREAT!!! Another person that thinks putting a fish in a smaller tank actually stunts it!! If that's all it took we'd have designer asian aros in nano tanks, breeder pairs of oscars in brandy snifters, and RTCs that could be housed in 55s for life.
 
very well put oddball. unfortunatly i've seen it with way too many fish and reptiles to even begin to comment on it here. too bad i see LFSs still saying "they only grow to the size of their tank" even though they know better, they say it to sell people RTCs for 55 gallon tanks....
 
Cool.. Thanks for the info. It seems my are growing a little slower than they should be. A rate of 3/4 inch a month would put mine at 9 inches but they are only at around 5-6. I'm gonna try and change their diet a little.
 
Oddball said:
OH GREAT!!! Another person that thinks putting a fish in a smaller tank actually stunts it!! If that's all it took we'd have designer asian aros in nano tanks, breeder pairs of oscars in brandy snifters, and RTCs that could be housed in 55s for life.
Click to expand...

Oh great another person that thinks someone has read anything ... Oh well. I know a little bit about what fish will be stunted and what one won't... But hey go haed and read it for your self.

This fish grows slow especially in a tank I have some... But hey personal experience and reading don't mean much to you now do they. Remember not all fish are the same. If you read you will find that an aquarium actually does stuvnt some fishes growth. I didn't say stop[ it Jack. I said stunt. And this fish in particular is one of them.

You didn't even know what he was talking about mr. educated.. LOL
 
And they will reach 30" in a tank most any tank or die trying..
 
Sorry man, didn't mean to go low with you, but I don't just shoot off at the lip on things like this i do quite a bit of research before some things. I know somethings about some fish and this is one of them. I own 2. The growth rate is slow and in smaller tanks it's slower not stopped just slower.

I apologies for being a jerk.
 
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