Paddlefish

[kamikaziechameleon]

I thought I'd way in on the dwarf/stunted whatever debate. You might notice, I breed fish, cichlids etc. I've had experience with occasionally getting a runt fish, typically by no ones fault the fish dies early but these fish can stay insanely small. Back in the day I got a bunch of dwarf channa fry, they all grew up to the prescribed size of 5" except for 2 of them, 1 was stuck at 1 inch for several months before perishing the other stuck at 3 inches. They both showed slight spinal deformities but otherwise functioned fine prior to dying. Runts of fish are nothing new, there are frequently a number of variables that can cause this both genetically and environmentally. I wouldn't attack anyone reporting such a finding, its really not terribly uncommon in any fish where large scale breeding takes place. Odds are the fish were stunted for whatever reason long before being acquired by the hobbiest in most cases, and most result in death but as we've seen with discus and many other fish that stunt very easily it doesn't always mean a shorter life. My brother had an iguanna that only grew to 1 ft in the body, very small for an iguana, lived over 10 years, always had a dramatically larger enclosure than he could use and an exceptional diet compared to those of many other iguana owners. Stuff happens. I mean its not like the fish visibly appear warped.

Typical stunting has very apparent signs.

Most old fish like many sturgeon never really stop growing they just slow down maybe they are prematurely slowing? Maybe they will reach adult size but 20 years later than proposed. Who's to say.

 

[Ozarker]

Thanks for this information Jeroen. It's useful data but i think that optimum tank size is more complicated than a simple formula would suggest.

Research shows that size, age, total biomass (stocking rates, other tankmates, etc), water quality, etc must also be considered. Fry have been stocked at rates as high as 4,000 fish in troughs 10' x 2.5' x 1' deep (125 g) in order to train them to take artificial feeds. At 3" they were thinned to 2,000 fish and at 5" transferred to 5' diameter, 250 g tanks with a stocking rate of approx. 1,700 fish. At the end of the growing season (88 days) these fish were 10".

Broodstock (40-60 lbs) have been kept 4-5 fish per 8' diameter, 2' deep vat.

BUT, the fingerling survival rate was 42% AND these systems were high turnover flow-through systems with very high maintenance.


I mention this not to suggest that it should be done this way (IMO, it shouldn't) but simply to show that Total Length (TL) is only one of many different aspects to consider. One must consider growth rates - how old is an 800 cm Beluga? 20, 40, 60 years? Even a Beluga could be kept in an aquarium at an early life stage. Stocking rates and water quality must also be considered. Labor requirements must be considered - how much attention and maintenance is one prepared to provide?

The TL information Jeroen provides is important so that the culturist knows what to expect and is prepared to provide the appropriate housing as the fish grows. In my case, I plan to begin in aquaria and gradually move the fish into larger quarters as they grow.

Reservoir stocking has been done at rates of 2 fish per acre, which makes even Jeroen's system seem small!

And this to end the discusion about the tank size
If you want to keep them do 3x time lengt of the boddy in a square and than you have the minimum dimensions of the tank for them

 

[jbijl]

Yes your right about this optimum tank size is more complicated than a simple formula
But my paddelfish where only 10 cm when i buy them after 4 years they are almost 1m that is 90 cm in 4 years

and

This one i buy at 15 cm and after 2 years it is alreddy 1m that is 85 cm in 2 years
and this is my one experience whit there growing speed

Yes you can keep them in a aquarium but not for long as you stil have to provide swimming room and this is always at the lowest 3 x their boddy lengt

And yes filtration is for sturgeon importend and a fingerling survival rate of 42% like you mention is also becose of natural selection ,filtration,food

that they keep them ,Broodstock (40-60 lbs) have been kept 4-5 fish per 8' diameter, 2' deep vat.
I dont think that they will keep them for so long like this

Here in Holland a lot of peopel that have pond buy also a sturgeon but after 1 or 2 years they try to sel them becose they will not fit in the pond annymore
and they are in a pond than of 3000 until 5000 gallons not smal pond but sturgeon are fast growing the first 5 years
And i hope that more peopel are going to keep this fish but they have to no that before your going to keep them you have the room when the are big and yes you can keep them in a aquarium for 1 maby 2 years but than you have to go bigger becose paddelfish are always swimming so they get enough oxygen for oter sturgeon they can stay longer in a aquarium becose the are not so active like paddelfish but they wil grow faster most of the time

Whit filtration you can do a lot and a high flow-through systems is a good system but i have also a high flow-through system where I've made large adjustments after try and test entire system for 4 years and i have at the moment a system where i can put smelly sewer water in and returns drinkable

 

[jbijl]

If peopel still want to keep them small that will be their choice but i will not help them And my opinion you all no about keeping them

 

[jbijl]

And did someone recognized the sturgeon in my last picture

 

[Good_Times]

And did someone recognized the sturgeon in my last picture

White sturgeon ?

I found this cool UK site dedicated to keeping sturgeon in ponds.http://www.sturgeon-web.co.uk/species.php
Funny enough under the profile for american paddle fish they have this warning in red "If you ever see this fish for sale DO NOT buy it. It will die!" I guess it has been a long time since they have updated the site.

Here's a vid of a beluga at the Tennessee Aquarium. Apparently they're the fastest growing of all sturgeon species, just hope they don't suffer the same fate as the Chinese paddle fish.
[YT]ChZUzi9y90o[/YT]

 

[jbijl]

Sorry good-times
this is not the white sturgeon
the picture is from a rare sturgeon
Try a gain

nice link did you reed about the paddelfish http://www.sturgeon-web.co.uk/paddle.php

 

[Ozarker]

And did someone recognized the sturgeon in my last picture

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)?

 

[Good_Times]

Sorry good-times
this is not the white sturgeon
the picture is from a rare sturgeon
Try a gain

nice link did you reed about the paddelfish http://www.sturgeon-web.co.uk/paddle.php

Ja ek heeft, not too much info though, but seems like a moeilikje fish to keep.

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)?

+1 looking at pics on web seem's the same.

 

[jbijl]

Your right gordon and good-times here is a link where you can see how nice the will become http://www.pond-life.me.uk/sturgeon/acipenseroxyrinchusoxyrinchus.php

Ja ek heeft, not too much info though, but seems like a moeilikje fish to keep.
Yes if you want to keep them there will be a lot of thinks you have to no about them like

Normal filtration is only good for a few months i been testing a new system for 2 years and making adjustments to it and i can say that this works great whit high or low flow or how mutch your feeding them

Feeding them is also differend becose ther filterfeeders so the food have to sink slow to the bottem and the time when you feed them also importend

The temp 0 until 18c is the best temp to keep them 18c until 22c is also good but from 24c they are going to stop feeding

oxygen is for sturgeon importend and for paddelfish even more so you have to give them a lot of oxygen in the water

And good-times if you realy want to keep them PM me how big you you want to keep them and what the temp of your ponds are so i can mail you the bestway to keep them and how you can keap the temp low (18c)