Harlequin Sweetlips, pics and desicions

[mistylab]

I've had my harlequin sweetlips for a little while now, and he hasn't grown any, but he is a pig.i hope he'll stay like that for a while. Anywayz, he is completly catered to, and is king of the palace. He has a good diet of mysis shrimp, brine and squid blend, and, unbelievably, flake food. Actually, it's a blend of flakes, pellets, and freeze dried plankton. It's not for him, but he still eats it with relish. The water is pristine, or close to it. He has his own cave to go to at bedtime, and plenty of other hiding places. He has sand that he loves to sift as if he were a sleeper goby, probably looking for shrimp.
His tank is perfect in every sense, even size, well, for now. I know he will probably end up pushing two feet, that's half as long as my current tank though! I will eventually have a large enough tank for him, but if he has a growth spurt I bought him with plenty of reassurance from the lfs and even the internet that they grow slowly. No, I didn't take my lfs's words true until i did research.
But does anyone know exactly how long it will take before he outgrows a 4ft. tank?
Here's a picture of my beloved Enchanter

 

[mistylab]

before, he wouldn't let me get a clear pic, but now he owns the tank, i can even hand feed him, sometimes he creeps me out though, SHARP PEARLY WHITES!

 

[mistylab]

don't try to buy one w/o knowledge though, they are on many websites as restricted species.

 

[mistylab]

Thanks, DVSKiN, and no I'm not asking to get flamed, but I'm just trying to ask a question for his well being, if they must flame me for it, then so be it, I just hope I get one good answer out of this, then it'll be fine with me

 

[nm reef]

Its my understanding that they can be fairly quick growers...but my knowledge about them is very limited. I would guess that growth rate will depend on diet and environment...a happy well fed speciman would grow quicker than one in a poor environment with a poor diet.
I agree that they are very impressive fish...but in all honesty I don't see many of them kept by folks. Tells me they are either very difficult to maintain or they have requirements most folks can't meet(or a combination of both!)...best of luck and I hope yours lives a long and full life.

 

[bdhough]

My guess is they get too darn big like the emperor snaper and panther grouper to name a few. Why are they restricted? Is it because they are poor acclimators?

 

[ophiura]

Because very very few survive, even in tanks designed for them with very experienced hobbyists. Often they eat well and then....

 

[mistylab]

I can finish that one for ya: they die for mysterious and unexpected causes.
I asked my lfs owners if they were surprised he was still alive, I got two VERY different responses
The guy said:"Yes, I thought he would have died by now, our other one died mysteriously."
The woman said:"Everything you have bought from us does very well in your tank, it doesn't surprise me at all."
So, in other words, they are very hard to keep almost as bad as, possibly, the Moorish Idol.
But does anyone know for sure how long it will take, because he is the ruler of the tank, and his conditions are almost unbeatable, except by the ocean, but anyone's conditions can be beat by that. Unless you dedicate 1,000's of gallons to a school of percula's, that would be better, no predators. Plus his diet is totally natural, mysis, YUM, w/vitamins