Max Size fish, pics please

limak

limak

Member
How often the max size of a given fish cited? All the time. How often does one actually see a fully grown fish? Hardly ever. For instance, I have seen some pretty big volitans but none that was 1' 3". Likewise, I've never seen a blue tang that was a foot long. There are countless other popular species that might be cited.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an advocate of keeping large fish in small tanks. I strongly believe in only purchasing a fish that will not outgrow the tank. That being said, in all the pics posted on this forum and others, I rarely see a fish that is fully grown.
Why is that? Maybe I am just blind to all of the huge fishes that are being kept but I don't think this is the case. It seems more likely that most aquarists can't keep their fish through to maximum growth. If you do have large, fully grown fish prove me wrong and post some pics.
Please no personal attacks, my intention was not to offend.
 
cap'n pete

cap'n pete

Member
I would contribute that to the same reasons freshwater fish stay small. When fish are in a closed container they release certain chemicals into the water. These chemicals build up over time and keep the fish from growing, almost like a safety mechanism. My local zoo has a large tank with some Domino Damsels you wouldn't believe! They're about 6" and fat! It's kinda like the bonsai effect. You snip off roots and place it in a small container, it stays small.
 
superman

superman

Member
personally as far as the size of my fish, I buy small. That's because I like to see the fish grow. It's more fun that way to raise them from young. Also more challenging and personal. Another reason other people keep small fish is because A: that's how most lfs sell them. And B: a lot of people dont have the capacity of aquarium to keep fully grown fish. One of the lfs in my area has a giant store aquarium with foot long hippo tangs, huge look down fish and a lot of other full grown species. It's all about capacity.
 
musipilot

musipilot

Member
Here's Eli, he's 4 1/2, chainlink eel. The published maximum size is about 28 inches, Eli doesn't read, he's about 32".
He's full grown.
 
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