Tank size vs total growth!

[airborne82]

I was just wondering to what extent tank size affected a fishes ability to reach its maximum size. I had always assumed a larger tank ment better water quality therefore healther fish and better growth. I have heard from someone at my lfs that a fish sends out a chemical or a hormone into the water and detects how deluted that chemical is and can sence the size of the body of water in wich it lives. I would love to know more about this chemical and what it is called if you know? I was told that you can trick a fish to grow larger in a smaller tank if you do lots of water changes because it would dilute the chemical and the fish would grow as if it lived in a large body of water.

 

[12 Volt Man]

basically, a larger tank means you can feed your fish more without compromizing water quality, so your fish get larger. if you could find a way to keep a pacu non-stressed and in clean water in a 20g tank he should reach full size.

of course this can't happen in reality, but if you eliminate the variables that stunt (water quality, physical stress etc) it could happen in theory.

some fish apprarently secrete a hormone in the water that is said to 'stunt' growth.

however, regular water changes in an aquarium make this a non issue most of the time..

I have grown two fish to almost 20" long in only a 90 gallon tank, so I can speak from experience about clean water and lots of food: the fish will grow no matter what

 

[airborne82]

what fish secrete the horemone is it all fish or just some.

 

[12 Volt Man]

the most talked about is discus, but I can't see how they would be unique..

they all probably do..

 

[airborne82]

the most talked about is discus, but I can't see how they would be unique..

they all probably do..

thanks! and nice tanks by the way

 

[12 Volt Man]

thanks those are my old tanks. check the link in my sig for my new tanks. I have 4 of those monsters I am growing up in a much bigger tank this time

 

[Sab_Fan]

my brother keeps two very large datnoids in a 55G tank . . . to me, these two fish look like they are in prison; the have just enough room to swim back-and-forth, barely enough room to turn around when they do

BUT, they are clearly very healthy, they eat regularly, and they don't show any signs of aggression or stress . . .

the tank is well filtered, and he does regular and frequent water changes . . . it's not someting I would do, but he seems to be making it work

so, yes, you can maintain healthy fish even under less-than-ideal circumstances, and any "hormone" element can be mitigated by water changes and good filtration