runt senegalus

[Cecropia]

I know it's common for a few runts to be in every spawn but a have a sen that has me worried. I bought 3 sens, one first and then 2 more a month later. Time passed and the first shot up to about 7", the last 2 were a diff story. The first of the last 2 is nipping at the heels of my biggest bichir at 6.5". The other has remained at about 4"! The last two were 3" when I purchased them but the one rocketed to 6.5 while the other grew barely an inch in that time.

I've thought bullying was the reason and started targeting the runt when I feed to no avail. What could be wrong or is this guy just a dwarf?

 

[smpage]

Just like there are short people and tall people in the world, so too with fish.

 

[devder1]

irresponsible breeding in asia has led to very poor blood lines in sengalus, and there are now commonly sens topping out at 6"

 

[Cecropia]

That's awfully depressing. He's got quite an appetitte just no growth. Your breeding comment may have some merit as his scales contained some malformations that have diminished with age. (his scale rows weren't as neatly lined up as my other twos were)

 

[ryeguy28]

Sad


I've never heard that Asia breeders are like having like inbreed fish that's stunting growth

 

[uwe]

Hello,

there maybe several reasons for that retarded growing rate of your sens ....
First - as said here before - the farm breeding is able to cause unexpected genetic mutations on some individuals. The circumstances of farm breeding are predestinated to cause this - in nature these specimens will not survive.
Another reason may be the depression of these retarded sens - in the sense of: We will eat it all and you nothing .... Bichirs are able to be spare eaters, some of them tend also to be very slow eaters. In the case of community this is a unfortunate situation.
What to do? I would seperate those dwarfs and keep them in another little tank (they do not need much place, it's just better for them to find their food!). This is no garantee but a chance. Bichirs always have a good growing rate when healthy (except the case of genetical dysfunction) and these dwarfs will catch up growing ....

Greetings
Uwe