How To Hasten Fish Growth?

[Scott MacAdam]

well hello again, everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked before, but is there any way to improve fish growth and possibly speed up the cycle?

I just bought a new Jack Dempsey and he is REALLY SMALL! its not that I am impatient or anything but I think the current on my filter may be givving it a little trouble at this size.. (a little under an inch i'd say) it seems really active and healthy as it swims about and eats everything i feed it, but it also seems to go from one end of the tank to the other in the flow of the current side-side, top-bottom. it's a wet dry filter, with out an adjustment for out flow... I may make something to obstruct the flow, but honestly it is just so small that I'd fell better if he was a little larger because i have some work to do on the tank but I don't want to disturb it and stress it out when it is so small.....

maybe its just the fish but does antone else have a JD, how fast do the grow normally? maybe I won't have to bother....
it is now on wardley flake food, at what size should I introduce pellets?
finally, I have heard that oscars will grow CRAZY FAST when they are small for the first year... any chance this is the same case for JD's?

Cheers!

 

[GoldLenny]

I've never owned a JD but I doubt Wardley's flakes are anything close to the best food for him. You should go with a high protein premium food with little or no wheat or fillers in the food. I know they are omnivores but as juvi's I would think they would need more protein. You could also Google for DIY food recipes for JD juveniles. If you don't want to DIY it, look around a few LFS stores for a premium brand of food. Hikari makes a good food product. http/www.hikariusa.com/cichlid_items.htm

 

[PRW1988]

Quick way to increase growth is to amp up the temperature to about 80F (this also helps to prevent Ick), and a type of food I recomend is beefheart... However be sure to feed beefheart VERY sparingly (1 cube-if frozen- a month, if not frozen than one thumb nail sized chunk), I recommend feeding this very sparingly as it can lead to fatty liver disease and the inevetable death of you beloved fish... Hope that helps Also, one of the best brands out there for cichlids is Hikari Bio-Gold, or just Hikari Gold... Great food, and great for the fish

 

[Danno]

Lots and lots of room. This is most important. Fish will grow to the size of the tank (most of the times), but the organs won't. That is why fish need ample room. Also don't try to "feed it big".

 

[Scott MacAdam]

yeah this fish will have lots of room..... or at least if it does grow to 8-10inches.... so I'm not worried about that... but i could defenatley do some DIY, but the problem with the other foods is that i live rather far from an actual pet store.... the ony think even close to me is a walmart and that is still 30min by car. So as for Beefheart.... where do i get this? also i have can of tubiflex worms for my dojos somewhere but I think I may have misplaced it during my move to university so being home now i'm not sure of where it is.....

anyone have a general recipe for me that they use for their fish... possibly high protien...?

 

[Scott MacAdam]

Found this online..... anyone agree? have any changes to make?

"This fish is not usually very picky about what it eats, although it may take some time for them to adjust to a different food they are changing from a consistent diet. It is best to vary their diet, alternating between pellets, guppies, shrimp, lettuce, earthworms, snails, and most other crustaceans. This will provide them with the nutrients they need to become healthy, colorful adults."

 

[Tolak]

Start with a ton of tank space, and water changes every 2 or 3 days. Lots of frequent tiny feedings. Take what you would feed in a day, and divide that between 5 or more feedings. Straight beefheart is real heavy, if you can make your own mix or find a breeder who makes their own you can feed it 2 or 3 times weekly.

There are plenty of beefheart recipes online, most use spinach, spirulina, shrimp, vitamins, and a whole host of other clever additives, sort of how someone makes their favorite home made soup. You will need a grinder to make your own beefheart, don't use the wife's blender, it will burn up in no time.