The "Fish Grow To The Size Of Their Tank" Myth.
- Thread starter THD
- Start date
This was started for Live Bearers and Tetra's going into 10g's. Now it is applied for larger fish just like the other famous wise tale " 1 inch of fish per gallon". For small fish you can get away with this if you have enough filtration. For larger fish, more aggressive fish, ect this just isen't the case. When I worked at Petsmart and still today you hear the same BS over and over. My Oscar/golfish lived to be 3yrs old in my 10-29g tank and he was happy.
Its because no one looks up and studies their future pets before getting them. Also has to do with the fact they expect the people working at the shops to know their stuff. Obviously 80% of the time that is not true in big chain stores like Petco/Petsmart and at the Mom and Pop stores ussually its about a 50/50 hit and miss that they know their stuff. I can't tell you how many times my wife gets upset with me because we go to one of the chains and/or most rescently walmart and I am surrounded by people asking questions. It always starts by the employee netting fish, being asked questions, and saying "I don't know" or giving false information. I can't help myself. Last week I educated a walmart pet department on puffers and helped a guy with getting a 10g set up for his daughters B-day. Maybe when I retire I will open my own store.
Its because no one looks up and studies their future pets before getting them. Also has to do with the fact they expect the people working at the shops to know their stuff. Obviously 80% of the time that is not true in big chain stores like Petco/Petsmart and at the Mom and Pop stores ussually its about a 50/50 hit and miss that they know their stuff. I can't tell you how many times my wife gets upset with me because we go to one of the chains and/or most rescently walmart and I am surrounded by people asking questions. It always starts by the employee netting fish, being asked questions, and saying "I don't know" or giving false information. I can't help myself. Last week I educated a walmart pet department on puffers and helped a guy with getting a 10g set up for his daughters B-day. Maybe when I retire I will open my own store.
This is one of the myths that causes my eye to start twitching when I hear a customer say it at work. My coworker and myself have started asking them if a human baby would outgrow a fish tank if kept in there.
and as much as I love my job, there is no way I could open a store of my own, because I would end up going crazy from all the idiot customers. Not the ignorant ones that just don't have the knowledge yet, but the ones that refuse to listen and learn about the animals they want.
and as much as I love my job, there is no way I could open a store of my own, because I would end up going crazy from all the idiot customers. Not the ignorant ones that just don't have the knowledge yet, but the ones that refuse to listen and learn about the animals they want.
It's sad but most people seem to believe it's true a few friends of mine were horrified when I upgraded my four foot to an eight foot and encouraged me to keep my jar in the smaller tank (four foot was only 18 inches wide so he was running out of turning room) most people also arnt aware that a fish can live beyond a few years
kdrun76;4558363; said:
My fiance has a common goldfish that is pushing 7 years old now. She has it in a 75g with 2 shubunkins and a chinese algae eater. It completely lost all it's color 2 years ago and is now a pearl white. Even as a noob to fish keeping she knew that it would outgrow that 10g eventually. She kept buying a bigger tank through the years until she decided the 75g was good enough.
B.Ho;4559133; said:That's really his fish, i've seen it in person
Wow...I really thought it was photoshopped. Thats the cruelest thing I've seen in a long time. Makes one wonder what his other hobbies are....
Ok so I take the fish room nickle tour and see not one crippled aro in a tiny bowl but several beautiful, healthy, aro's in a fairly good size tank. I am so gullible.
Click his tank links in his sig Izzy...
I always get surprized sounds from people when I explaine to them that this "truth" is false. I explaine it from top to bottom. Where in instances it does work ( for small fish as a general idea of what amount can be stocked) to the hormones, to the water quality issues, to what the stunting physically does. Most people when you explaine it to them, not just expect them to blindly follow my advise, do take it. Not all.. But at least I tried. They are also shocked at the needs of a goldfish, and the life expectancy for cichlids and even live bearers. Some just think I'm crazy, and others stop and think about what I say.
I always get surprized sounds from people when I explaine to them that this "truth" is false. I explaine it from top to bottom. Where in instances it does work ( for small fish as a general idea of what amount can be stocked) to the hormones, to the water quality issues, to what the stunting physically does. Most people when you explaine it to them, not just expect them to blindly follow my advise, do take it. Not all.. But at least I tried. They are also shocked at the needs of a goldfish, and the life expectancy for cichlids and even live bearers. Some just think I'm crazy, and others stop and think about what I say.
