Fish Growth being Stunted

mr. limpid

Active Member
This topic hasn't been talked about for awhile. I was in the LFS buy my house, the owner of this shop is a nut, I have only bought an emerald crab from him never fish. But go in to see fish, he packs all his tanks with fish, it doesn't matter what kind they are and they are all 30 gal tanks. So he made a comment about angels, he loves angels and has own person tanks of angels (probably all 30 gal tanks) his comment was "he'd put a queen in a 135 because it will never grow to its full size". So I've been looking up fish growth being stunted and found 3 main reasons for this.
1. Poor nutrition
2. Poor environment
3. cramped space
It's seams 1 and 2 are important factors in the stunted growth, no. 3 is up in the air. The conclusion I have come up with is why fish do not reach there full size is, we must not be feeding the proper diet or cramped spaces, because we all check are pram's. Unless the fish dies before it reaches a rip old age then all bets are off.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Ok Jack lets throw this around. A fish has its genetically programed size. Now if we believe in survival of the fittest that means that the alphas of each species would most likely grow to their full potential to insure that they have the best chance for survival. Now in our tanks we basically provide them with an environment where being an alpha is not that important. We provide food regularly make sure there is not great competition for it and stock our tanks with compatible fish again no need to be the biggest fish in the tank. So it may not be a case of the fish being stunted but more of a case that the fish need not have to try to growth to a size that makes them more competitive. I have never read this and may be totally off base but I think it is something to think about
 

mr. limpid

Active Member
Good stuff I believe we can add a 4th to the list.
4. alpha survival
Makes perfectly good sense to me, I'm going to have wait 10 more years to see what size my Facula gets to right now its about a little over 6". So Joe you are believer of just the 4th reason or multitude of them?
 
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