Snook000;4489321; said:
When I was little I had two snakes and the person that gave them to me said to keep them in a small tank and not feed them a lot and they would grow to the size of their enviorment. When I got a fish tank I basically took that same consept and applied it to fish. I thought that if a fish was in a small pondh without a lot of food it would not get very big and a fish in a big pond with a lot of food would get very big and I didn't think that their was any thing wrong with that. Now I see that purposely stunting a fish is wrong. It's by far and away not the worst thing I've done to a fish but it's certainly not the best. But saying that that I can't take care of anything is narrow minded. I have the happyest most spoiled dog in the world. I am fix the problem but I still don't think that it should be consitered animal abuse.
This is a very intersting point. Many monster fish keepers, or even regular enthusiasts struggle with the notion of proportional feeding.
Many fish, cat fish included never really stop growing, they just slow down (frequently because they can't properly consume and break down enough food to fuel further growth). One of the larger contributing factors to growth speed and potential is consumption rates. In the wild fish fall into two catagories of consumers, grazors and gorgers. Can we accurately replicate the diet of grazing fish in the aquarium (Ie Herbivors and scavengers) NO! Grazors don't have steady growth rates as frequently suggested in these forums. They are seasonal as with most fish. When food is in supply they grow faster and when it isn't they don't.
Considering this is a 12 month cycle one could make the argument that these fish shouldn't be fead at anything near full copacity. Rather you want to feed them just enough that they do grow but not enough that they ever develope thos guts frequently viewable on these forums. Those guts on grazing fish almost never occur in the wild. Many grazers such as TSN will turn into Predators and forsake the grazing/scavaging habits for predatory/gorging consumption.
At any rate my point is that I more often see fish over fed than under fed(especially on this forum) this contributing to the explosive growth rate reported on here.
Snook is probably feeding adequitely seeing as his fish don't appear sick and no deaths have been reported. I would expect if the chemicals where as proposed on here his G. tile would be long dead or atleast on a hunger strike from stress. His Nitrate ammonia Nitrite levels are probably all under control from not over feeding as alot of you guys probably do to your cat fish. They don't need stomachs like ballons ok. They don't need to grow 12 inches a month either. The snake to fish comparison is perfect (referencing growth/feeding) and if you look at his JD and G. tile (the fish that will show in color and behaviour before the others any stress) He is doing a Darn fine job of keeping this Over stocked tank.
Yes it is a time bomb but it isn't Torture and it isn't neglected.
I've only read about half the posts so far as I make my way through this but all I see is a concerned fish lover, lover of fishing and fish keeping vs a bunch of snobs and arm chair generals who lack critical think skills. The tank exists, ok deal with it don't just name call. Lets help him make things better. He has a life to so don't get so uptight when he says he has school and other responsibilities.
Snook make time every week, sunday mornig or saturday monring to do a water change, its a 55 gallon shouldn't take more than 30 mins. I have tons of tanks, a job and a small buisness I'm trying to start, plus chores at home and I change water in all my tanks, over 300 gallons accross all my tanks currently and increasing ever saturday morning, and it takes 2 hours or more with my water pressure. You can do it man.
