Age Vs Size

[starrynightxxi]

anyone know the approximate age of a VT female that is only half an inch in size? My guess is too young to be at the LFS... she is quite wee. I will post pics when her tank is finished setting up, right now she's in a round bowl that'll just distort the image.

 

[BettaBum873]

1/2 inch? gosh 2 possibly 3 months.

 

[ILM]

Wow, that is a young fish. Unless it's been raised in cool water with limited food, it probably isn't more than about 3 months as BettaBum said. That's old enough to give away to a new home as long as the new home is kept warm and the fish gets fed well with very nutritious food, water is kept clean, etc.--all the things that allow a baby to grow up healthy. Otherwise, that poor little thing isn't going to make it. Probably can't even tell yet whether it's male or female.

 

[starrynightxxi]

i should edit that statement. I finally got her close enough to take a sort of measurement (round bowls distort too much) and she's not half an inch, but not over an inch from nose to the end of her tail fin. maybe not as young as 3 months, but still very small. i've seen plenty of VT females in stores and they have never been this little. but maybe she came form the breeder that sends in the crowntails, that would explain the smaller size, wouldn't it? In any case, i bought her i'm a sucker for a tiny fish. Still don't know what color she is, besides grey and stripey mystery fish...

*edit* hmm... also seems to be doing the "i want to float with my nose pointed down" deal...but it may just be temporary because it seems to be happening less and less. her color comes in whenever she sees the double tail (BIG) girl. she's green! mystery solved.