The reason those fish will stunted is by wrong tank dimensions or improper tankmates causing stress. Obviously if the tank is a decent size, tankmates are selected carefully and water conditions are good, in THEORY, fish should get bigger in aquaria because they are fed regularly and have steady conditions.
Wild Size vs. Aquarium Size
- Thread starter benzjamin13
- Start date
Well if your saying replicating there enviroment I doubt most of us could do this since some of these fish hold larger territories then we can house. For Example if you own a Dovii or Umbee suggested tank sizes range from 180 to 360 depending on who you are talking to but in the wild there terretories are much larger then these tanks so basically we cannot replicate there wild lifes unless we go beyond monster.
and how many of fish in the wild die smaller than that as well... just because they have found them to get 5' does not mean that everyone will get that big... just that they have been found that large... who knows what abnormal situation could have lead to the over growth... I see carp in michigan that three times the size of ones in ponds... of course they are feed all day by tourists...it is all relative...
Do you guys think that books are misleading you when they tell you that a fish can get large but then state that it usually gets only half the size in aquariums?
The "relativity" is the point....
Most books are written by non-professionals generalizing individual experiences...
There are many factors affecting growth...
Stress causes energy loss, a fish without stress growths better....imported fishes could even be latently distressed never recovering completely again....
The nutrition is very important...
Waterchanges are very important....there have been studies on Carps that growed out of their tanks because of great waterchanging, physiologist also claim that loads of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate decrease fishgrowth causing stress...
Genetic Basis....not each fish got the precondition to get big...
So apart from the genetics you can grow each fish with the optimum circumstances as big as natural, but nearly none of us can offer them...100%ly
Most books are written by non-professionals generalizing individual experiences...
There are many factors affecting growth...
Stress causes energy loss, a fish without stress growths better....imported fishes could even be latently distressed never recovering completely again....
The nutrition is very important...
Waterchanges are very important....there have been studies on Carps that growed out of their tanks because of great waterchanging, physiologist also claim that loads of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate decrease fishgrowth causing stress...
Genetic Basis....not each fish got the precondition to get big...
So apart from the genetics you can grow each fish with the optimum circumstances as big as natural, but nearly none of us can offer them...100%ly
I see a LOT of growth stunting in the hobby. People don't relize how much it really effects fish in a negative way. However, I'm of the school of thought saying not all fish reach the 'max size'. However, most don't even hit what would be an 'average adult size' when it comes to monsters.
Pacu, some of the bigger catfish and gar are some of the most common ones I see. If you have a three year old pacu that isn't over 30", you screwed up.
Pacu, some of the bigger catfish and gar are some of the most common ones I see. If you have a three year old pacu that isn't over 30", you screwed up.
In nature, each fish has thousands, if not 10s of thousands of gallons of water to live in, no way any of us aquarists can get close. Just as an example, I work for a drinking water facility on Lake Michigan, we take in at least 100 million gallons from the lake over 24 hours, it doesn't make dent. And if I go out and look at the lake and notice 4 fish in 10 nminutes, thats a good day. I've been watching a pair of bass guard a territory aproximately 5' deep by 50' square, they don't allow any other fish in, unless they are going to eat it. Grant it, Lake Michigan is a cold oligotrophic lake and most of our fish come from tropical eutrophic and more densely populated areas, but the surrounding water exchange per fish is beyond aquarists ability, unless we have continuous new water in, old water out.
By the way, as long as I'm getting anal, that 50 X 50 X 5 ft area the bass are defending is about 93,000 gallons, if my calculations are correct.
Angel51087;999103; said:
mike dunagan;999419; said:
I think the part we are forgetting is max size. The biggest fish someone could have documented was about 5 foot. So if the person who documented the 5 footer doesnt know anyone with a 5 footer does that mean it doesnt exist? Nope just means he hasant found it yet. I dont think max size is a general or average size of these wild fish.
I stand to believe that under the right circumstances a fish would actually exceed its potential max growth in an aquarium. Again if the circumstances are correct.
