What's this fish
- Thread starter dash
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
pip walters
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Posts are only informative if they are factual. Many people claim on here that others' tanks are too small, but can't back it up with any scientific reason as to why. I am yet to get an answer to the following question....
When a site recommends that a fish ' needs' 55 gallons, does that mean you can only keep that one fish in a 55 gallon tank and no other fish with it?
Very vague info. If you are going to berrate a fishkeeper for keeping certain fish or numbers of fish, give encouraging back up information and make it accurate. It is one thing thinking a tank is too small, but tell us why. As I have said before, there are many well documented instances of fish rowing very large in a tank most on here would cry at.
As for stunting, research the facts if you can find them. This is another phenomenon badly misunderstood in the hobby, with people forming their opinions from the opinions of others that have little or no understanding of the actual causes.
When a site recommends that a fish ' needs' 55 gallons, does that mean you can only keep that one fish in a 55 gallon tank and no other fish with it?
Very vague info. If you are going to berrate a fishkeeper for keeping certain fish or numbers of fish, give encouraging back up information and make it accurate. It is one thing thinking a tank is too small, but tell us why. As I have said before, there are many well documented instances of fish rowing very large in a tank most on here would cry at.
As for stunting, research the facts if you can find them. This is another phenomenon badly misunderstood in the hobby, with people forming their opinions from the opinions of others that have little or no understanding of the actual causes.
jaketetra28
Aquarium Advice Activist
Deleted
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi dash
I'd just like to apologise on behalf of AA. This thread is a joke and precisely the reason we are losing some of our long standing members who's knowledge and experience I value and trust.
They seem to be being replaced by very recent members who lack tact and respect to fellow members of our community forum.
While I agree that this tank is not healthy for the well being of it's inhabitants I also realise and understand that you did not ask for this opinion nor is it even your tank. May be best to address these points first in future.
As much as I love my fish. I would put the feelings of others in this forum before them and address inexperience or unknowing mistakes with a certain respect and tactful manner.
Everyone has suffered mistakes in this hobby at one time or another but a lot of people seem to forget this and are happy to attack others who make the same mistakes.
Even if there was somebody who was blatantly ignoring advice and knowingly putting their fish in danger or harms way. I would offer all the advice I could and move on.
This is a friendly forum with some members have have some very invaluable experience and knowledge. Pip being one of them. Don't let this one thread put you off staying with this forum or stop you recommending it to others.
I'd just like to apologise on behalf of AA. This thread is a joke and precisely the reason we are losing some of our long standing members who's knowledge and experience I value and trust.
They seem to be being replaced by very recent members who lack tact and respect to fellow members of our community forum.
While I agree that this tank is not healthy for the well being of it's inhabitants I also realise and understand that you did not ask for this opinion nor is it even your tank. May be best to address these points first in future.
As much as I love my fish. I would put the feelings of others in this forum before them and address inexperience or unknowing mistakes with a certain respect and tactful manner.
Everyone has suffered mistakes in this hobby at one time or another but a lot of people seem to forget this and are happy to attack others who make the same mistakes.
Even if there was somebody who was blatantly ignoring advice and knowingly putting their fish in danger or harms way. I would offer all the advice I could and move on.
This is a friendly forum with some members have have some very invaluable experience and knowledge. Pip being one of them. Don't let this one thread put you off staying with this forum or stop you recommending it to others.
jaketetra28
Aquarium Advice Activist
I'd like to apologize also, it truly was not the right choice to comment again. It was established that the tank was not right early on and we should have left it at that. 
Caliban07
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'd like to apologize also, it truly was not the right choice to comment again. It was established that the tank was not right early on and we should have left it at that.
Good man
Oops, hope that isn't referring to me!
~For the one debatable thing I said-
Stunting- 1 theory, which I feel is logical, is that fish excrete a chemical- which is a defined amount. In a large enough body of water, it will be diluted and the fish will not be affected. However, in a environment too small, the chemical will be very thick and concentrated, which may give the fish various signals which results in stunted growth. I am not, however, a scientist, and I am welcome to criticism.
pip walters
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Oops, hope that isn't referring to me!
For the one debatable thing I said-
Stunting- 1 theory, which I feel is logical, is that fish excrete a chemical- which is a defined amount. In a large enough body of water, it will be diluted and the fish will not be affected. However, in a environment too small, the chemical will be very thick and concentrated, which may give the fish various signals which results in stunted growth. I am not, however, a scientist, and I am welcome to criticism.
This theory is derived from misunderstanding of the function of growth hormone in fish.
The hormone that regulates fish growth (as well as being involved in other biological processes such as release of gonadotrophic hormones) can be inhibited during periods of high stress. The theory also suggests hormones or pheromones are released into the water and affect the growth of fish in the surrounding environment.... this hormone, to the best of my knowledge, has yet to be isolated from the water of such environments.
This doesn't necessarily mean a fish in a small environment will stop growing - it has been shown many, many times that in conditions of optimum water quality, correct water temp and correct feeding (and sometimes not so great conditions), that many fish will continue to grow normally, regardless of the size of their environment. If so called 'stunting' due to lack of space was anything more than a theory, there would be no intensive fish farming going on, as it wouldn't be commercially viable.
I have said it before - 'enough space' for our fish as hobbyists is down to our human morality - what we feel is right for the other animals in our care. The simple answer is, the more space, the better - always!
elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
It is true when a fish is in a larger tank it grows faster. So in a smaller tank the fish's growth will be slowed but it's insides will still grow faster than the fishes body. I've been lied to so many times from people telling me a turtle will grow to the size of its tank and no bigger. I'm not a scientist in no way. But I know there is some truth in stunting and that it's not healthy for any fish to be in too small of a tank. I could be wrong and I will accept that. Just my 2 cents
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Plecolover18
Aquarium Advice Freak
Is that a bala Shark? They need a school of around six in a 100 gallon tank. I would get ride of the fish and give them to someone who will give them a larger home or upgrade to around 100 gallons.
Don't want those fish... I'm open!
They need a school of around six in a 100 gallon tank. I would get ride of the fish and give them to someone who will give them a larger home or upgrade to around 100 gallons.Don't want those fish... I'm open!
Meh, as I said, I'm no expert, and this subject is highly debatable anyways. Bottom line is, when you buy fish, you have just bought a life. The fish is helpless to help itself, so you MUST provide a sufficient environment.
TrueEnvy
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2013
- Messages
- 289
He asked what kind of fish he had... Not if his take is the appropriate size for the fish. So why argue about tank size?
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elephantnose
Aquarium Advice Addict
Haha yeah the original question was answered in the second reply. And we tried to help but he just doesn't want to listen so continuing is pointless.
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pip walters
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yeah, I'd heard that rubbish too. As I said, it is limitations on the growth hormone that stops a fish from growing. Those limitations work on the whole fish - its insides DO NOT continue to grow!
IMO most -stunting' in aquarium fish is due to underfeeding.
pip walters
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It is only debatable in the absence of scientific fact
Sufficient environment? I think thats what I said in my last sentence
