Is there something about being outside that makes guppies grow faster?

[Hybridfish7]

I have 2 guppy fry in a 10 gallon, they're about 6 months old and look like cm long adults with still-growing fins. I feed them a decent fry food and keep their water clean. Meanwhile, their parents are in a tub. The fry they dropped in the last month or two are almost as big as the ones in the 10 gallon. Is it just the surplus of live food and algae to graze off of and or sunlight that makes them grow faster? perhaps the heavy planting that's influencing the water quality, or both?

 

[krichardson]

I would say that the reason for the fast is a combination of all of the things you've mentioned with a lot of the credit going to the sun's rays.

 

[Hybridfish7]

Ah so I did guess correctly. Their coloration is definitely benefiting from the sunlight too, I wish I saved more windows for fish that would actually benefit from sunlight as far as their coloration goes.

 

[kzimmerman]

Ah so I did guess correctly. Their coloration is definitely benefiting from the sunlight too, I wish I saved more windows for fish that would actually benefit from sunlight as far as their coloration goes.

It might not have the same effect after being filtered through 2 or 3 sheets of glass. I believe that the results can be duplicated in aquaria with lots of plants, expensive lighting , and a very diverse diet. Live and guttloaded if possible. Let it mature with some leaf litter or something to encourage micro critters and stuff to get established. Basically recreate the out side environment before you add fish. Dirt and all. It’s inspired by the fella at aquarium coop and the reef tankers.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Re lighting, imo CRI is the answer. Color Rendering Index, Have a read here https://www.lumens.com/how-tos-and-advice/color-rendering-index.html

I have a bunch of the old Zoo-Med T-8 fluors because they have a CRi in the high 90s. Basically, in terms of our hobby a high CRI bulb should render colors pretty close to how they appear in midday or afternoon sunlight.

The Ultra Sun is a 6500K high intensity trichromatic full spectrum daylight lamp. With a CRI rating of 98, it provides excellent color reduction for optimum viewing of your freshwater or marine fish and live corals with a balanced full spectrum of visible light and UVA. Promotes photosynthetic processes in plants and marine algae. Ideal for all freshwater and marine fish as well as reef tanks. Zoo Meds line of fluorescent aquarium lamps are made in Europe for ultra high quality, color, and longer burn life.

Live matters as mentioned.

 

[duanes]

I have found all fish (including cichlids) grow better and faster when they are able to graze of sunlit gown more nutrient packed algae.
Even with all the predators in my pond that eat cichlid fry, the spawns I would bring in in fall would be larger in numbers and in size than those reared in tanks.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/Ceibal/pond%20ceibals/.highres/006_zps6e2b7a84.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Above are Australoheros fry spawned in summer, brought inside in fall
Below, their parents also brought in, in fall from the pond

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/Ceibal/pond%20ceibals/.highres/005_zps659a985f.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/Ceibal/pond%20ceibals/.highres/086_zpsc137dd46.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Below notice the predatory insect larvae with the fry, that I'm sure took their toll, in culling out the weak and less fit fry for me.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/Ceibal/pond%20ceibals/.highres/003_zps5518978c.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Below Australoheros parents in breeding color (outside) with lots of free floating algae, I never bothered with supplemental feeding at anytime when they were outside in the pond

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/Ceibal/pond%20ceibals/.highres/002-1.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

Below the pond they were raised in

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/i97/dstuer/pond/.highres/013_zps82686d3f.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The biggest difference between having fish breed indoors in tanks as opposed to outdoors in ponds comes down to diet. Not only is there a difference in what we are able to feed and what is available "naturally" (so to speak), but the food outdoors also tends to available whenever the fish want/need to eat. Algae is effectively a plant and it takes a great effort to make plants more productive/nutritious indoors than out.

I could never do a pond here. I live in the woods surrounded by bird sanctuaries. They had to blast to put in an in-ground pool. A pond or container water gardening is really not an option. All I would raise would be food for the wildlife. The one year I grew corn I noted one afternoon it wpould be ready to hearvest very soon. The racoons ate it all that night, they got it the nanosecond it was ripe.

 

[fishdance]

For those with fish rooms or central filters, it is very easy to culture green water/natural live food and flood feed your indoor tanks periodically.

I have 3 outdoor green water tanks (2000L each) on rotation and feed once a week by turning on a tap to add into indoor tanks (several hundred). Broodstock as well as growout benefit and the natural colour is hard to beat.