Sizing Confusion...WARNING ALOT OF QUESTIONS

[eatingleg4peanut]

This is a very basic question, but I’m getting such varying/conflicting info online I’d figured I’d ask you guys since your breeders and hobbyist with a lot more exp then me. I’m looking for more accurate information on minimum and max size of these fish, and if they typically are more towards the max or min.

Firemouth: 4”-7”, most of the info I’ve found have them reaching around 5”-6” when mature.

Green Terror: 8”-12”, do most max around 10” that seems to be what I’m reading.

Severum: 4-12”, this one really has me really confused, I’m reading they get big up to 12”, but then I read stuff from people who have had them for 3+yrs and they are 6” and 4”.

Pearl Cichlid (Geophagus Brasiliensis): 12”?

Oscar: 12”-16” which is more common?

Jack Dempsey: 4”-12”, I think I know this one, I believe usually the females remain smaller if they breed young right? I have an 8” male jack, how often do they really get 12”?

Senegal Bichir: 10”-20”, this is another one really confusing me, a lot of the profile online say 20” but I’ve seen a lot of posts on here saying 10-12” is more common, what makes them stop growing at 12”? Is that usually when they die or do they just stop growing?

BGK: 12”-18”, same as bichir.

Pictus Cat: I know there is a different strain spotted and striped or something like that, but what is the common max size for spotted, this varies so much online.

African Featherfin Cat: 10”?

[FONT=&quot]Striped Raphael Cat: 8”?[/FONT]

 

[MATTCB]

Thats alot of different fish but on the whole your sizes are close. There are alot of variants in what you are asking like size of tank, diet, population, ect...Are you planning on putting all of these together? What size tank?

 

[eatingleg4peanut]

I already have them all in 3 55 growouts, they will go in 125G and 180G in January. I'm trying to do what I can to get them on the bigger side of there min-max scale.

 

[MATTCB]

don't over crowd them, feed good high protien foods and keep excellent water conditions and they will reach full size

 

[eatingleg4peanut]

ok, so its not like...humans, like we range in size from <4ft->7ft? they can always reach there max potential size if the conditions are met?

 

[MATTCB]

Yes as individuals they will reach there max potential size. They are not exact carbon copies of one another. Just treat your fish right and they will grow big, does it matter if your Oscar's are 14" or 16"? Just enjoy your fish, they will get big.

 

[kevinfleming21]

that's not entirely true. Genes (just like in humans and every other living thing) are the main factor in size, coloration ect. The quality of feeding and water conditions ect will determine the extent of what those genes are capable of producing.

 

[eatingleg4peanut]

Yes as individuals they will reach there max potential size. They are not exact carbon copies of one another. Just treat your fish right and they will grow big, does it matter if your Oscar's are 14" or 16"? Just enjoy your fish, they will get big.

I would prefer, it got to 16", but I wouldnt get rid of it if it did not. And if I didnt enjoy my fish I wouldnt keep them. To me it seems a big fish is a healthy fish, and since wild fish tend to get larger than aquarium kept fish I would feel like I was doing a better job as a fish keeper if I was raising them to full potential size.

 

[dbcb314]

Firemouth: 4”-7”, most of the info I’ve found have them reaching around 5”-6” when mature.

5-6, 4-7 is that really a difference? lol. I have seen a few around the 6in mark

Green Terror: 8”-12”, do most max around 10” that seems to be what I’m reading.

never personally seen or heard of a 12" GT

Severum: 4-12”, this one really has me really confused, I’m reading they get big up to 12”, but then I read stuff from people who have had them for 3+yrs and they are 6” and 4”.

severum are weird. but I have never seen one over like 8 inches and that is rare. seem to grow tall and fat instead. most seem to stop in the 6ish range IME

Oscar: 12”-16” which is more common?

there are 16 inchers, btu 12-14 is a hell of a lot more common. 14 in oscars are big oscars.

Jack Dempsey: 4”-12”, I think I know this one, I believe usually the females remain smaller if they breed young right? I have an 8” male jack, how often do they really get 12”?

never seen a 12 in JD. biggest ive personally seen is 8-9inches... most seem to get around 6-8" IME

Senegal Bichir: 10”-20”, this is another one really confusing me, a lot of the profile online say 20” but I’ve seen a lot of posts on here saying 10-12” is more common, what makes them stop growing at 12”? Is that usually when they die or do they just stop growing?

I have seen one 12 in sen every posted online with a ruler near it. most big ones seem to stop in the 8-10" range that I have seen.

and if there were 20 inch sens out there in the wild even I bet someoen like toyin would have found it by chance, caught it, and sold it.

BGK: 12”-18”, same as bichir.

14" is a much more common max size. people claim these 16-24 inch BGK yet you never ever ever ever see a pic of them with any size reference

[FONT=&quot]Striped Raphael Cat: 8”?[/FONT]

never seen one bigger than 4 inches lol




all of this is IME. some of these "wild max sizes" are truly record fish. And a lot of "max sizes" are BS posted on internet forums by people who don't own a camera and if they do, don't own a ruler

 

[kevinfleming21]

I did personally see a BGK in my LFS that was 18+ inches, freakin beast. But they had never seen one that big either.