stunting

[tankbusterlover]

Got a id sharks that was in a 27 gallon tall aquarium about 22" long by 18" deep. I believe one is 8" or more another 6" then are two other ones also. What are my chances that they are not stunted ?.

Going to put them in a 75 gallon for a while before going into a 200 gallon and up as they grow.

 

[Hawkfish3.0]

A common misconception in the hobby is that a fish's growth will be stunted if kept in a tank that's too small for them. This is not true. A fish, kept in clean water, with a good diet, will continue to grow despite the size of tank in which it is being kept. That's not to say that the fish will not develop deformities if kept in a grossly undersized tank. What will usually stunt a fish's growth is lack of proper diet and poor water conditions.

 

[cichlaguapote]

Well you need to know how long the other person had them and water changes since that tank and them being that size wouldn't cause any growth deformaties because of tank size.

But I'm gonna go with if they had some regular water changes you have a good chance they're not stunted.

 

[mostlycichlids]

A common misconception in the hobby is that a fish's growth will be stunted if kept in a tank that's too small for them. This is not true. A fish, kept in clean water, with a good diet, will continue to grow despite the size of tank in which it is being kept. That's not to say that the fish will not develop deformities if kept in a grossly undersized tank. What will usually stunt a fish's growth is lack of proper diet and poor water conditions.

so what you are saying is if you keep an Oscar for instance in a 10 gallon tank and keep pristine water and a good diet it will live a long healthy life? It will grow to its full potential?

Stunting fish by keeping them in too small of containers is not a misconception. I'd like to see you prove it is not true.You got it right on the water and feeding but the stunting part is just bad info.

 

[ChileRelleno]

so what you are saying is if you keep an Oscar for instance in a 10 gallon tank and keep pristine water and a good diet it will live a long healthy life? It will grow to its full potential?

Stunting fish by keeping them in too small of containers is not a misconception. I'd like to see you prove it is not true.You got it right on the water and feeding but the stunting part is just bad info.

What is being said, and correctly so, is that there is a difference between deformity and stunting...
I'll see if I can find the study involving trout raised from small juvie to adult in glass tubes with a constant flow of fresh pristine water and fed a healthy diet.
The fish grew normally until the point that they filled the tubes and then external deformities started to occur from constant contact/abrasion with tubes.
In stunting the primary cause is poor water quality.
In stunting there is often slight external problems beyond general shape/size, but major internal problems as the organs continue to grow into a limited organ cavity.

 

[mostlycichlids]

What is being said, and correctly so, is that there is a difference between deformity and stunting...
I'll see if I can find the study involving trout raised from small juvie to adult in glass tubes with a constant flow of fresh pristine water and fed a healthy diet.
The fish grew normally until the point that they filled the tubes and then external deformities started to occur from constant contact/abrasion with tubes.
In stunting the primary cause is poor water quality.
In stunting there is often slight external problems beyond general shape/size, but major internal problems as the organs continue to grow into a limited organ cavity.

Ok That may be so. On the other hand why try to advise someone this is ok? Keeping fish in too small of containers may not physically "Stunt" the fish. It will in a sense cause the fish to be "stunted, or be deformed runts" of their more properly cared for cousins

When fish are kept in small containers they will have problems no matter what you want to call it.
What happens to a fish is not healthy size "stunting". They do not have some sort of sensor in their bodies that says "do not grow larger than the environment". Instead, what happens is that the fish lacks what it needs to grow to its healthy potential. The stronger ones live, yet live poorly. The weaker die young.

Stunting, or what have you also causes other issues, including:
1 or more organs will burst open inside the fish causing a massively painful death for the fish
2 organs will grow too large for the body to be able to supply energy to and the fish will die of some sort of organ failure, usually a slow death over a day or to
3 scoliosis, which can cause severe pain to the fish.
4 prevention of full growth potential
5 shortened life span

The point here I'm trying to make is no matter how clean the water and how good the diet is it is moraly wrong to keep fish in something that is to small. It will eventually cause problems.

There may be a difference between stunting and deformity, but stunting causes deformity. Basically their is a extremely thin line between both and neither is right.

 

[Peanut_Power]

Get them either way, given time, proper diet, and clean conditions they should start growing again unless they are already at their max size.

 

[mostlycichlids]

Get them either way, given time, proper diet, and clean conditions they should start growing again unless they are already at their max size.

I agree with that! Although extra care will be necessary. On the other hand dont wait too long, deformities cant be fixed.