Think about it. If it was as easy as what you're suggesting, there would be a huge market for miniature tank-busters. Breeding farms, with much better resources, would be tripping over each other in efforts of producing enough designer miniatures to offer to customers all over the world.
Keeping Big Fish Small
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There have been some cases of stunted fish living long lives. I have to question the quality of life with some of them when they look deformed. MN_Rebel is correct, stunted fish are not simply going to be scaled down versions of fish with normal growth.
IHO, it's unethical to aquire pet fish with the plans to stunt them intentionally.
If you want to experiment with this issue, you could rescue fish that have already been stunted and provide them with better housing then they came from.
Another issue to think about is that some fish will litterly become tank-busters if they are improperly housed. They will actually break out of your tank.
IHO, it's unethical to aquire pet fish with the plans to stunt them intentionally.
If you want to experiment with this issue, you could rescue fish that have already been stunted and provide them with better housing then they came from.
Another issue to think about is that some fish will litterly become tank-busters if they are improperly housed. They will actually break out of your tank.
Would you purposely starve your kid just so that he won't grow as fast as other kids and can use the same clothings for a longer time?
A 10" silver aro won't looks like a scaled down verison of mature adult silver aro. I am sure that most fish keepers want to see their adult form and their excellent prime condition. Starving a fish, you will ended up with a skinny fish which won't function properly.
Capt Dave;5055334; said:
+1
Not to be rude but this is kind of idiotic. "limited resources?" Really????
That's like saying "I have two 55 gallon tanks and can't afford my water bill can I just do bi-monthly wc instead of weekly?
Common... Jesus...
Stunting a fish will produce deformities as it's body tries to take necessary nutrients from it's own body to support the health of the brain and heart. Other organs will eventually shut down. In moderate to severe stunting you will notice deformity of the head most often. The body will be skinny and gaunt while the head will look almost bulbous. Not having enough nutrition for the head to grow as genetically designed it will look nothing like a miniature version of the adult.
I have this happening in my tank right now. I rescued a channel catfish about 4 months ago. This fish I know for a fact is over 2 1/2 years old. Before I continue with this you should know that I have raised a channel catfish to nearly 28" in just two years time before weighing nearly 20 lbs after his untimely death. Back to the current channel that I have. When I resuced him 4 months ago he was just 6" long. I purchased this fish myself 2 1/2 years ago at 1". I gave him to a friend when I moved out of town several months later. The fish was 5" when I left. that means that in a 2 year period the fish only grew 1" when it should have grown that much or more in just a month or two. When I went to pick up the tank I was told that it was empty with no fish in it. When I looked inside there was about 1" of water and what appeared to be a dead 6" channel catfish. When I touched it, it breathed. I couldn't believe it. It's fins were all gone, and whiskers. The head was bulbous and the body looked like a skeleton with skin on it. After 4 month period the fish is now nearly 10" long and very thick. I feed this fish 2x per day. I feed floating cichlid pellets in the morning, and cut shrimp at night. The head is still deformed, but the fish is very healthy now. I'm namming him Lucky.
I have this happening in my tank right now. I rescued a channel catfish about 4 months ago. This fish I know for a fact is over 2 1/2 years old. Before I continue with this you should know that I have raised a channel catfish to nearly 28" in just two years time before weighing nearly 20 lbs after his untimely death. Back to the current channel that I have. When I resuced him 4 months ago he was just 6" long. I purchased this fish myself 2 1/2 years ago at 1". I gave him to a friend when I moved out of town several months later. The fish was 5" when I left. that means that in a 2 year period the fish only grew 1" when it should have grown that much or more in just a month or two. When I went to pick up the tank I was told that it was empty with no fish in it. When I looked inside there was about 1" of water and what appeared to be a dead 6" channel catfish. When I touched it, it breathed. I couldn't believe it. It's fins were all gone, and whiskers. The head was bulbous and the body looked like a skeleton with skin on it. After 4 month period the fish is now nearly 10" long and very thick. I feed this fish 2x per day. I feed floating cichlid pellets in the morning, and cut shrimp at night. The head is still deformed, but the fish is very healthy now. I'm namming him Lucky.
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