Fish Size

[bigdawg]

Hopefully somebody can clear this up for me. I know certain species of fish, such as Angels and Tangs, can grow quite large in the ocean. Also, with adequate room in the aquarium they will grow large. I always read on the board people giving advice saying that there tank will be too small for that particular fish. If you put a fish, say a French Angel (which can grow more than 2 feet long in the wild), in a 90-120 gallon aquarium, they are not going to grow so large they take up the whole aquarium. Fish will grow accordingly to the available space to which they to live in. Aquariums in essence, stunt the growth of fish. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.

 

[jamos6]

I would have ot disagree. Most of the time the tank size will not stunt their growth and if it does the will more than likely get sick and die. That is why ppl say put this fish in this size tank.

 

[mr . salty]

That is only true with GOLDFISH from what I have read and heard...Marine fish WILL grow large in any tank..IF THEY LIVE...

 

[blutang]

That what I have heard as well.
Later!

 

[flamehawk]

Fish will not grow to their maximum ocean length in an aquarium environment unless it's thousands of gallons with low stock rate. At least that is what the books say. Some even go as far as stating the "length in wild" VS. "length in captivity". The difference between the two categories seems to range from 30-40% less length in captivity. I'm not reall ysure what the implications of this is because many fish have lived up to 25 years in captivity.

 

[von_rahvin]

If a fish does not grow to be the maximum size in a tank, that menas the tank stunts it's growth. Yes fish will out grow small tanks, but in all honestly has anyone ever seen a full grown queen in a tank?? I dive a lot and i see queens regularly greater than 2 feet in lenght closer to 3 feet. These fish are highly intelligent and will follow divers down the reef looking to see what you are doing. Be honest with yourself when you have a tank. You are removing a fish from the wild and getting rid of it's chances to reproduce. Is it right???

 

[bigdawg]

Hey Von, your last statement there was kind of hypocritical. You've got an aquarium but you say taking them out of the wild is not right. You think a fish will be that much more happier being in a 135 gallon aquarium versus a 65 gallon aquarium. Granted its double the size, but in reality you are confining the fish to just about the same volume to live in as I am when you take the fact that the ocean is an enormous body of water.

 

[bigdawg]

Mr. Salty,why would that principle apply to goldfish but not marine fish? Fish are fish. Does anybody have a story about a fish starting out small but growing so big it took up the entire tank. Fish grow so large in the wild b/c they have no limit as too what size they can reach. There is no glass walls to bump into and turn around. I have a Koran Angel and I'll guarantee you he will not take up my whole tank. He is eventually going to stop growing, and I think he is just about a year away from that. The environment that fish live in and just plain physics will influence the growth of a fish.

 

[jamos6]

Well Ido have stories of fish doing that. I havent been in the sw hobby for close to a yr but I have fw fish and oscars will outgrow a tank. If you put 3 in a 55gal you will be buying a new tank real soon. There is a lfs that has a 150 or 180 and it has oscars @ 2ft long. Most are from ppl who had a 100 or less tank but the fish out grew them.

 

[mr.marine]

this is what ive heard from my fish expert at my lfs. he says........
-fish never grow their full length in captivity.
-fish never act the same as they do in the wild.
- fishes bodies will stop growin but their heads always continu to grow. he say "ive seen so many fish come in and the owner thinks they are beautiful but ther head is like 2x the size of their body. i see fish all the time so i know that that is wrong"
hope this helps!
flame

 

[flamehawk]

I found this topic so interesting that I did some additional research. The findings support my earlier post. Two Marine biologist with over 60 years of experience w/ saltwater fish both as hobbiest and professionally concur that a fish can be stunted up to 50% in a captive environment. They also state that their life expectancy is effected but to what extent is still unclear.
I had an earlier post about my emperor and the fact that it had stopped evolving into it's adult coloration. Their opinion is that it will eventually finish it's evolution( it's a long process) but that it will never reach it's maximum ocean length. It's about 7 inches now and it's their opinion that it will be a beautiful adult color specimen in about another 12- 18 months reaching a maximum size of 8-9 inches. Only time will tell if they are correct.

 

[von_rahvin]

no i acknowledge what i am doing to the fish. I like to keep fish and corals, we all do. Does this make it a right thing??

 

[bigdawg]

I don't know if it makes it right or not, I haven't given it much though. To me honest, there is a lot of other things to worry about in this world.

 

[mad reefer]

HEY VON,
If you read up you will see that by us takeing the fish from the wild we become advocates for them whats wrong is all over the world people are destroying reefs every day 100 times greater than us.also the research we do helps to stop that and produce tank raised fish in which we my be sure of nonexstintion of these animals and also stop those stinky

[hr]
from dumping ---- in these beautiful reefs with money we raise.......

 

[von_rahvin]

like i said. I love fish tanks, it is a true addiction. but like anything important, you have to think about what you are doing. True there are more important things in life (i would hope so).
i was not judging or anything like that, it was just an observation. I'm even willing to bet that you are better person than I. Just every once in a while take the second and remember the whole chaos theory. Maybe your one fish the the savior of the species. (also remember that i am writing late. just ignore me)