I cant believe how many times ive guessed a fishes size and then took them out of the tank to realize there usually 3-4 inches bigger and more girth then what you see through the glass. Anyone know why this is?
tanks do not do fish justice
- Thread starter fishguts
- Start date
The distance from the glass front of the tank to the fish combined with refraction has a lot to do with that. Measuring fish without taking them out of the tank is definatly a hit or miss affair. the best tip I have for doing so is to run a cloth seamstriss measure along the bottom of the tank...either along the frame on glass tanks or just under the substrait/seam of an acryllic tank and then watch. It gives you a good referance...(think of the 'suspect' tape by the doors of conveniance stores)...to guage the approximate size of the fish when they get close to the front glass.
well my black line pike was in a 180 and i think he was the culprit of biting my motoro stingray. Its a glass tank and i figured he was around 12 inches but after pulling him ouf of the tank i now realize he is around 15 inches and i put him in my 75 gallon with my cariba pirahna. Im not worried at all that the ps will eat the pike cause i keep them fed and they havent harmed a short beak gar thats been in there for 4 mos now but the pike is too big for the 75 so im hoping i can keep him in there for a week or 2 and then reintroduce him back to the 180 hoping he settes down and if not i will have to take him in cause im not losing my ray over him. but wow what a diff between looking through a glass and actually holding them. 
ya I pulled out my goldfish one time, thought 5" for the smaller and 8" for the bigger. man was I way off. Im afriad to grab my pleco which measures inside the tank over 10" and my tin foils!
Yes you don't realize how big that monster is really until he get in that netandyou see the size the thicknest and sometimes you may get wet and then you say thats a monster.