It isn't a grow out tank...

[dbcb314]

if you don't have any bigger tanks in possession that you are growing out the fish for...

putting a silver aro/jar/pacu/rtc/dat/insert huge fish in a 50 gallon tank and calling that tank a "grow out" tank, when:

a. you have not purchased a tank big enough to house said fish at adult size

b. you know damn well your mom/spouse/gf/whoever will not let you get a 300+ gallon tank

c. you know damn well you can't afford a huge tank

d. you have never had a tank bigger than 50 gallons

sorry, thats not a grow out tank. That is just you being an irresponsible fishkeeper and getting caught up in the rush to get a monster fish when you know you can't house it past a year....

if you don't have a huge tank, you don't get huge fish. yeah it sucks, yeah you want to keep the huge, 3 foot long aro; yeah you see peoples tanks on here and wish you had the money/space/time/ect to do the same.

but constantly buying fish that get too big and hiding it under the "grow out tank" tag like LOTS of people on here do is just an injustice to the fish.

 

[Eupterus]

I understand where you're coming from.
But does that mean everyone who gets baby fish, puts them in a grow out tank needs to also buy a larger tank and store it somewhere?.

 

[BushFishRox]

just get your monster tank and throw in all the babies, taking the adult size into account of course...

 

[dbcb314]

I understand where you're coming from.
But does that mean everyone who gets baby fish, puts them in a grow out tank needs to also buy a larger tank and store it somewhere?.

for people with "real" grow out tanks, they have the tank that they are growing out the fish for.

meaning, you have a 300 for example with some bigger bichirs for example. lets say you buy a smaller... aro i suppose. you know damn well you cant put that aro in that 300 bc it would be eaten in a heart beat. so, you put it in the 75 so it can get some size on it so you can put it in its designed tank.

what you can't do is buy a baby aro and put it in a 75 when you don't have anything else ot put it in when it gets bigger and call it a "grow out".

of course there exceptions. if someone who is deep in this hobby and has multiple HUGE tanks and he buys a baby fish with plans to put it in a new huge tank he will buy later.... that is fine. there is past history of him buying huge tanks, their is really nothing stopping him from doing it again... he has alreay popped his huge tank cherry lol.

how many people on the internet say "well when he out grows this tank I will just buy a new one" and actually do it?

 

[Oddball]

how many people on the internet say "well when he out grows this tank I will just buy a new one" and actually do it?

I do.

 

[Bud8Fan]

Well said db.

Personally I would never put a fish into a so called "grow out tank". Regardless if I had a larger tank on order or not. If I don't have the tank ready to go for the adult size of the fish then that fish will not follow me home.

A grow out tank would be like putting my 18 month old daughter in a closet to sleep until she is bigger, then she can sleep in the bedroom.

It sickens me to see people say they have a fish in a "grow out tank" because I know damn well that 99% of these fish will never see a bigger tank.

Take a chill pill if you are one of the 1% that actually do get a bigger tank.

 

[Onion01]

i have a colony of larger frontosas in my biggest tank, and two little frontosas in a 55. If I put my little guys into the big tank, they will get eaten by my bichir. Sometimes, growout tanks are a must.

 

[courtneem]

You can tell people that a grow out tank is worthless and those fish will not see a larger tank. You can say that they should throw the small fish in a large tank that meets their adult size, or instruct they have the large tank before hand. I think that is pushing it a little bit.

It is not about the tank size in the end. It is about a commitment at the point of purchasing that fish as a pet owner, and a commitment to take care of them. That commitment means that if they need a larger tank you will need to purchase it.I dont see myself as a small 1%. I just see myself as a responsible fish keeper. I bought a few fish that will get large and have them in my 55gl to "grow out" and no tank larger for them. I had a commitment though to my fish when I bought them.

I just purchased a 120gl and I do not plan to keep my common pleco that can reach 24" in that tank either for life. When all is said and done I will have a few tanks that will be useful. My commitment are to the fish I already have, when they grow to a bigger tank, their smaller home will become home to smaller fish that can call it home for life.

There is no need for a 120gl tank to run with such tiny fish. It is a waste IMO. Plus I am looking at buying a home and will have more room to set up tanks compared to my apartment I am in now.

This relates to this...

There is a large group of people that get into fish keeping and do not have the financial means to be in the hobby to start with. Those are a majority of the ones that never upgrade.

I just want to scream when I read the posts over and over again about those people who cant even just go out and buy a heater. A HEATER! They are NOT that expensive! Those that struggle at buying a water test kit! What if your filter dies? Do you have the money to go buy one TODAY? They risk the health of their fish over their bank account! I see this with monster fish, what cheaper garbage can be fed to the fish to save a few dollars. You buy the fish, you know they eat a lot, you feed it a good diet like it deserves. If it becomes a $$ issue you probably should rethink the ownership of it.

What if a tank breaks? We see it happen! You should have money on hand to rush out and get a tank or have a backup. Those fish have no other home and you gotta do something.

My 55gl tank could start to leak right now and I have two plans. 1) a 120gl I can get up running if I have to 2) I can rush out and afford to drop the $80 for a 55gl tank.

My filter can die right now and I can go buy a new one. I am not rich by any means but pets to me are like my child. I care for them at any cost and always prepared to make sure they have what they need.

That is why I can have a "grow out" tank and nothing bigger. I did buy my "bigger" tank and I will buy even "bigger" because I am responsible.

 

[KenyanSandBoa]

Well said courtneem...I agree with you 100%.

I live in an apartment and keeping a couple of spare 240s kickiing around isn't a possibility...but if one of my tanks break, you can bet your *** I'll be out there getting another one right away, regardless of cost.

Being prepared is the key to successful fishkeeping. I have a half a dozen dats in a 55 right now. Is that good for them long term? Hell no!!...but I know that and have already factored in when the upgrade will occur and have started buying parts now, so it's not as much of financial burden when the time comes.

 

[courtneem]

Well said db.

Personally I would never put a fish into a so called "grow out tank". Regardless if I had a larger tank on order or not. If I don't have the tank ready to go for the adult size of the fish then that fish will not follow me home.

A grow out tank would be like putting my 18 month old daughter in a closet to sleep until she is bigger, then she can sleep in the bedroom.

I dont think you can relate a fish tank to a bedroom. yet you know if that closet was very large in size compared to the size of your daughter, it would basically be a bedroom correct? Kind of like a tiny fish in a 55gl tank? A very large space for a small fish.

I can see that relation of yours to putting a large fish in a small tank that they can not move around in. That wouldnt be a grow out issue, that would just be neglect. A fish tank is their entire living space, such as a house would be for us. We buy small and move up as family grows etc for a reason. We need more space. I do know many kids that had to use a closet for a bedroom btw. They survived because it is only for sleeping. Now if a person lived in a closet their entire life that would suck.

Would you put a newborn in a full bed just because as an adult she needs that size? A crib only serves as a bed for so long for a baby before they OUTGROW it.

I guess one could try and force their child to sleep in a crib for life but eventually it would break and be uncomfortable. A priority is to upgrade that crib to a bed and upgrade as the child ages.

Hmm kind of like fish tanks.

I guess that means, if you buy a crib, you better buy a full bed to put in storage for later on, OR just put the newborn in the full bed they will grow into it.

Those baby bikes? yeah if you buy one of those make sure to buy a large adult bike for storage too, or hey put your 4yr old on an adult bike because she or he will need it.

I just still can not see why a 1" fish that can grow to 24" for example needs to be in a 4ft long tank to start with, or why a person needs to purchase a large tank to just sit around and collect dust as that 1" fish grows.

We buy as we grow, fish are the same way. It all boils down to you as the owner purchasing and funding the proper care and housing.

This is fun