Where's the Line Between Grow-Out and Stunting?

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spitz006

spitz006

Piranha
MFK Member
Dec 25, 2010
565
122
76
Allegan, MI
growout.jpg

I'd like to keep these 3 discus in this 29 gallon for the next 4 or 5 months. They're about 4 or 5 inches. How do I know how fast they grow? Am I cramping their style or are they fine?

Maybe this belongs in the discus section but I just thought given the nature of the title maybe there's a general rule of thumb for this sort of thing.

I also have a 4 inch senegal polypterus I'd like to put in there for the next 4 or 5 months.. but I know they can get up to 14 inches or so...

growout.jpg
 
As for the discus part of it I have no clue.

If you growing out a fish in a smaller tank you do more water changes to compensate for it. You could grow an oscar to full size in a 10 gallon as long as you keep the water clean enough (not that this should ever be attempted).
 
Oh I see that's very interesting. So fish can only be "stunted" because of poor water quality and not because of being cramped? That's good to know. I'm pretty religious about water changes.
 
I know of several discus breeders that raise in 20g up to full size with no problems but daily or really frequent water changes are performed.

one of the reasons why I think the whole tank size thing everyone has a problem with is a bit bias.
 
Chrisplosion said:
Fish release hormones into the water and as it builds up it tells the body to stop growing but the organs keep growing eventually killing it.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense... Thanks! I guess I just need to talk to a polypterus expert on if they are particularly fast-growers or not. Even if they're quite fast I'm sure a 4 incher would be fine in there for a couple months, but 5 months may be pushing it if they're particularly fast.


eklikewhoa said:
I know of several discus breeders that raise in 20g up to full size with no problems but daily or really frequent water changes are performed.

one of the reasons why I think the whole tank size thing everyone has a problem with is a bit bias.
Click to expand...

You're first sentence was a big help thank you! As for the second sentence.. I keep reading it again and again but I can't figure out what you mean.
 
Sens grow fairly slow ime.. i raised 2... took them about a year to get 9"... so they should be fine... imo its always a fine line between stunting and grow out.. and some species are better suited then others... all it can take is a few weeks of neglecting water changes to stunt a fish in a grow out tank. which is why its generally frowned upon. I'm not afraid to admit my fish are in grow outs to certain extents... and I also do ALOT of water changes... most my tanks get 50% 2x a week or more.... it will be nice to get a few into their final tanks when we move.. so I can enjoy them more... but saying I raised them from 1" or so is very satisfying for me.
 
Cool thanks. And Spiny eels are sweet I have 3 peacocks in my community tank.
 
Breeders keep them in small tanks for grow out and with good diet and clean water they have no problems growing their full potential without having growth problems. There will be a lot of people that will disagree but the truth is not all breeders have giant tanks or the space to use large tanks for growout but yet they supply by the masses great looking discus.
 
I do agree about the hormones part, but also, for arguments sake, if you put say a baby Aro in a 10G grow out and keep religious water changes and feeding it may not get stunted, but will get deformed...


Also, i think when breeders do it you know they keep up with water changes etc coz thats their lively hood, their "money"... Where as with regular keepers, we have work, life and everything else to deal with and can at times easily neglect water changes with busy schedules...


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