Keepers of oscars in 55's

[pdbrady]

So are you suggesting if I had a 10 gal tank... with a 200 gal sump... with one Oscar in the 10 gal tank... and no fish with and lots of plants in the sump...

The Oscar would not be stunted?

Of course this is an extreme example, but I have smaller tanks as part of a larger system... small tanks with fresh clean water can and will stunt the growth of a Cichlid... I've seen it happen...

Yes. This is the reason so many people (including myself) preach clean water to people looking for ways to get their fish to grow. I pulled about an 18" ck from a 20 that a guy had in with a community! It was just too big to go after any of the others, and literally could not turn around. He said he got it at a few inches, and he just kept growing and growing . A fish will grow until it's body just physically can't grow anymore, which is when they usually die shortly after. But if the water quality is sub par, as it usually is in MOST 55 gallon oscar tanks, they WILL be stunted.

 

[dzb912]

honestly if you get it small
theyre is no reason why a 3 inch fish should need a 100g
but when it gets about 10 inches
i would def move it

 

[Toby_H]

Yes. This is the reason so many people (including myself) preach clean water to people looking for ways to get their fish to grow. I pulled about an 18" ck from a 20 that a guy had in with a community! It was just too big to go after any of the others, and literally could not turn around. He said he got it at a few inches, and he just kept growing and growing . A fish will grow until it's body just physically can't grow anymore, which is when they usually die shortly after. But if the water quality is sub par, as it usually is in MOST 55 gallon oscar tanks, they WILL be stunted.

On one hand I'm not calling anyone a liar... but on the other hand I don't believe this story one bit...

I've been doing experiements using slight/brief stunting in the grow out process of Dempseys lately... This includes heavily overstocking tanks that have near perfect water quality as part of a much larger system... which does drastically slow (aka stunt) their growth...

 

[Red Devil]

My personal opinion is that all conditions should and must be right for a fish to grow properly... they are not going to grow properly with out exercise... it stands to reason a fish pondering in the same small spot will grow but not to his potential... he will also die young because he is literly out of shape..heart, muscles and brain... all deterioriate with out stimulation..no matter how great the water condition is...you need high quality water, good food and plenty of room.... to be healthy and live their natural life span... if they are in a small tank with great water and good food it just takes longer to kill them..

 

[Arthur]

where's that pic of the arapaima that is about as long as the tank it's in when I need it....

 

[pdbrady]

On one hand I'm not calling anyone a liar... but on the other hand I don't believe this story one bit...

I've been doing experiements using slight/brief stunting in the grow out process of Dempseys lately... This includes heavily overstocking tanks that have near perfect water quality as part of a much larger system... which does drastically slow (aka stunt) their growth...

In one hand I'm not calling you a liar, but in the other I am. You seriously think I care whether you believe me or not? I saw the fish with my own two eyes, I used the big ass net to get him out, I put him in the cooler that was the only thing I had big enough to fit him in......call me a liar. You can "experiment" all you want, you're not going evolve evolution.

*I'm going to have to start taking a camera with me just to take a dump, just so everyone believes I did......

 

[pdbrady]

I wish I could remember who on here had the 14' tank that had as much fish in the tank than water.....with a sump behind the wall that evened everything out....no stunting there I guarantee you. I'm going to find this pic........

 

[pdbrady]

Screw it, I can't find it....I'm finally going to bed....

 

[dogofwar]

I grow out fry in 10-12g rubbermaids fed from water in a much larger (125g) tank and the fish in the rubbermaids grown ALMOST (but not quite) as fast as fish left in the main tank.

Fish in either the rubbermaids or the main tank grow MUCH FASTER than fish kept in their own 10-20g tanks (with frequent water changes).

I would have no qualms whatsoever raising an oscar in a 55g with a really big sump or otherwise connected to lots of water outside of the tank that it's in (e.g. a big central system).

 

[Toby_H]

I remove Dempsey fry from their parents the first day free swimming and move them into 2 gallon Jars which are part of a central system… a month later I move them to 10 gal tanks that are part of a central system… a month or two later I move them to 30 gal tanks that are part of a central system… etc, etc…

I have Blue Dempsey fry that were born on July 4th that are double the size of Blue Gene Dempseys that were born on May 1st because the Blues were allowed to grow out without restriction…