My fish is a runt?

[wills40litreaqu]

I was watching my aquarium 8O after I added a new set of fish (threadfin rainbowfish). I noticed one of the fish was incredibly smaller than the rest I shook it off and concluded that he was gunna grow. HE HASN'T! :x . I was wonderin' wat is up with him. He eats frozen bloodworm, live brine shrimp, live daphnia and flake not including the dried foods I provide. My aquarium has two 10percent changes in a week has no diseases and is very healthy. Is he just a 'runt' and is that a bad thing? Or is there anything wrong with him? (bearing in mind he isn't gettin' smaller and he isn't 'bullied' by any fish either)

 

[Wowzers]

He could be a runt, and it's even possible that he's a different species, though I'd have to see him to be sure, of course. There's nothing really wrong with runts, they just aren't as big (of course ) and sometimes don't live quite as long.

 

[JurassicRIP]

Hmmm... Sounds like a runt to me,but i adore a little variety in my fish (who wants the same boring stuff all the time?) I value the little differences in my 3 boys,( Most of them are x breeds) and i love them all the more for it!! Just enjoy the fish for what it is, you never know you might become quite attached!!

 

[jasonit]

I have a school of neons and noticed that one of them was somewhat smaller and thinner than the rest. he ate and interacted normally, but always seemed to be the runt. He died last week from unknown causes. No other deaths before or since, so I chalk it up to being a runt. Kinda sad, but I am sure he was much happier and lived much longer in my tank than he would have at the lfs.

 

[Grant R]

I agree with JurassicRIP, the ' runt ' variety adds a different personality the tank and it's always nice to be different.
It's the same with humans really, some are small, others are much bigger !

 

[Toomanyfish]

Sometimes being smaller is a sign of sexual dimorphism (sp?). Like with neon tetras, the females are larger and plumper than the males which are smaller and longer. Another tetra, the black skirt (aka black widow), the females are one and a half times bigger than the males. I know that the neon rainbows the males are larger than the females, their colors are more intense and they have a much taller "profile".

Take a good look at this runt and check out it's color, finnage, etc...and compare it to the other fish. If the color is faded or lacking, or the finnage is not as long, it's quite possible that you have a female. Of course you could always wait to see if they spawn!