Is it true they wont outgrow their tanks?

lynzmk

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2004
Messages
56
Reaction score
0
hi all
im sure i read when i 1st got my 1st goldfishes years ago, that they only grow to a size that can b accomodated by the container theyre in. So if theyre in a huge tank they will get huge...

but then i know about plecs and clown loach especially which totally outgrow their tanks and hafta b rehomed!
Is there any truth in the above, does it just apply to goldfish or certain fish ??
Just wondering really.
L x
 
Goldfish do outgrow their tank, this usally never happens because the goldfish dies before that age. That's why people should keep goldfish in large tanks. Fish do grow but some just get placed in ridiculously small tanks :angry: so they either die at a young age or stop growing because there isn't enough space. This only happens in the smallest of tanks though so I think your goldfish will still grow. :)
 
This is a tricky thing Lynz,

What you are talking about is stunting and it is very bad for the fish, probably the wrst thing that could happen. People are often told that fish will only grow as big as their environment and it is true but their internal organs still grow and the upshot will be that their organs will be too big for their stunted body causeing them enourmous pain, disease and eventually death.

:sick:
 
Awww such a shame :(
my goldfish only died cos my bloody mother overfed them when i moved out :( which is why im emptying my tank and starting afresh in my own house. Number One as i named him (One Two and Three very original eh) was nearly 5 years old :(

Thanks for the info, you've confirmed what i thought.

L x
 
some fishes may stay stunted and it's not good. Some fishes can even grow larger than in natur! So, no way... If you want to keep large fishes, then you need to buy large tank too. It's the name of game :p (Very good reason to buy larger tanks too :lol: )
 
I read that the size of the tank has little to do with how large fish get. It depends on how much you feed them and even more importantly how often you change the water. Fish put out some type of hormone in the water that prevents the growth of other fish. The more fish you have and the longer you go between water changes the more of it builds up in the water. I can't find the link but someone did a study. Same fish, same food, same size tank the only difference was how often the water was changed. The fish with frequent water changes were much larger than the others. So it's totally false that fish will only grow as large as their tank.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top