It isn't a grow out tank...

[Oddball]

I remember oddball had some tarpon he talked about bar-b-que'ing when they got too big(real big) and you should know that alot of your favorite moster fish are raised for food anyways only to be killed when they get a certain size.

Oscars are good too but, a little bony. Silver arowana has large delicate tasting fillets. Giant gouramy tasted a little too musky for my pallet but improved with a light vinegrette and chopped walnuts. PBass was less fishy than largemouth bass. TSN meat gave me gas but was otherwise unremarkable as a fish dinner. Piranha is outstanding in orange zest, chive, and butter on the BBQ. Pacu has a delicate tasting unfishy meat that's great in the dozen ways we've prepared them. The list goes on but, you get the idea.
BTW, my first taste of all these species was in their native countries. But, now that I've sampled them, it's no big deal to enjoy them again once they've outgrown my 450s, 650, and whatever.

 

[Bud8Fan]

Oscars are good too but, a little bony. Silver arowana has large delicate tasting fillets. Giant gouramy tasted a little too musky for my pallet but improved with a light vinegrette and chopped walnuts. PBass was less fishy than largemouth bass. TSN meat gave me gas but was otherwise unremarkable as a fish dinner. Piranha is outstanding in orange zest, chive, and butter on the BBQ. Pacu has a delicate tasting unfishy meat that's great in the dozen ways we've prepared them. The list goes on but, you get the idea.
BTW, my first taste of all these species was in their native countries. But, now that I've sampled them, it's no big deal to enjoy them again once they've outgrown my 450s, 650, and whatever.

 

[Greenaveli]

yay... focus on the 5% of the people that do actually get bigger tanks and ignore the other 95%....


I take everything back, grow out tanks rule.

No I definitely agree with you dont buy the fish if you dont have the space. My example is different because I bought the fish without the space then made it(or bought it). I have never owned a silver Aro, RTC, etc because I know their potential size, accommedation requirements and pallets and decided against putting myself or the fish through the pain getting to the point where I needed a new tank and it might not be in the cards at that moment.

 

[cichlid savage]

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 too.

 

[Onion01]

Oscars are good too but, a little bony. Silver arowana has large delicate tasting fillets. Giant gouramy tasted a little too musky for my pallet but improved with a light vinegrette and chopped walnuts. PBass was less fishy than largemouth bass. TSN meat gave me gas but was otherwise unremarkable as a fish dinner. Piranha is outstanding in orange zest, chive, and butter on the BBQ. Pacu has a delicate tasting unfishy meat that's great in the dozen ways we've prepared them. The list goes on but, you get the idea.
BTW, my first taste of all these species was in their native countries. But, now that I've sampled them, it's no big deal to enjoy them again once they've outgrown my 450s, 650, and whatever.

you should try piranha soup. It was a specialty where I used to live

 

[David R]

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.

So you'd never keep a clown loach in anything less than a 180g because some day it'll get to 12" and need all that space?

This post isn't a bash on true grow out tanks... they DEFINITELY have their place.

This post isn't about the people who go to the petstore and buy an oscar for a 20 gallon tank. those people don't know enough or don't care at all, they don't post on forums... they just aren't true fish keepers.


This post IS about some people on this site who love monster fish but can't house a monster fish. The people who know if they posted they had a monster fish in a 50 gallon tank that they would be ridiculed, so they just add the word "grow out" to 50 gallons and its a-ok now.

These people want to be able to be in the "I keep huge fish club" on here but... they just can't. They don't have the resources or space or whatever. And instead of accepting that fact and moving on to fish that can fit in their tanks and that have monster personalities instead of monster size... they just get a baby monster, run to post it in their sig (with the word "grow out" of course) and run to post it in the pictures section.

oh and what happens when the fish gets too big? oh its easy... take it back to the petstore and get another baby monster fish and just say you were "bored" with it.

Thats cool, but really, whats your point? These kind of people will always exist. The "nah it'll only grow to the size of the tank" people, or the "I'll just flush it and get a smaller one", or the "yeah I'll save my allowence and beg mum to let me get a bigger tank". But so what? Are you planning a big moral crusade to rid the aquarium hobby of these people, or more an 'I'm better than you because I've got big tanks, or just venting a bit of frustration?

 

[Bderick67]

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.

These rules brought to you by the almighty self proclaimed "grow out tank" judge , jury and executioner.

I probably should be hung by the neck until dead. I am an offender I had a a silver aro in a 55g and my largest tank was a 75g

 

[Nova 8]

These rules brought to you by the almighty self proclaimed "grow out tank" judge , jury and executioner.

I probably should be hung by the neck until dead. I am an offender I had a a silver aro in a 55g and my largest tank was a 75g

Im guilty too, I had 2 Oscars in a 55 along with some other fish aswell. Nothing is over 3" but I am still breaking the rules, the 55 broke though so now they are in a 65 (60x14x18h) that I had laying around empty, luckily. They will stay there until they are atleast 6" if not alittle bigger as I worry my other oscar will bully them if they are too small.

My saratoga isn't in a tank big enough for it right now, he is in a 4x2x2 for now. Do I have his final tank, no, do I care, no. I have the means both finacially and space for the tank and will buy it when he gets a bigger. Every week I wait adds $100 to my funds so the longer I wait the bigger his tank will be, makes sense to me to wait instead of just buying a 6x2x2 (which is only 2' longer, not that much extra space really esp when he gets 2' long).

 

[ShadowBass]

These rules brought to you by the almighty self proclaimed "grow out tank" judge , jury and executioner.

I probably should be hung by the neck until dead. I am an offender I had a a silver aro in a 55g and my largest tank was a 75g

Me too. I have my silver arow in a 55g, the next tank he'll go in is my 125g, but I don't have a tank large enough to house him as an adult yet. However, I've never left in a fish in a tank that's too small for them and I never will.
Just because I don't have a 375g tank yet, which would merely be taking up space in my garage, space I don't have out there, doesn't mean I won't get one when necessary.
Besides, I really don't WANT to set up that tank here, we'll probably be moving within the next year, and he won't need the tank within that time, so I don't see the point of buying it then moving it again to the house we buy. I have enough tanks to move as is.

 

[ewurm]

You need one of two things: equipment or resources. If you don't have either, don't buy the fish.