debate

Doc

Doc

I don't work for anybody
here is a question for all of you who have knowledge about his subject. I have been wondering this question: Do our fish reach the same lengths in our tanks as they do in the wild?

My question comes from multiple books I have read that label the maximum length of fish differently. I have seen Queen angels ranging from a foot to almost two feet. I cannot imagine there is such a discrepency between authors that 12 inches of leaway exists, but still. I wonder. I have seen MASSIVE Regal Tangs taken from the ocean and delivered to the aquarium at Ceasar's Palace in Vegas (make sure you check that out, Biff, there is an adult Koran that is just breathtaking). Those fish are so much bigger than any 6 year old fish I have seen in any display tank. SO....what do you guys think? I have my opinion, but I want yours.

-Dr Marco :sfish:
 
hmm i think they grow bigger in the wild becuase they have more space but if a angel was alone in a 420Gal it would grow just as big
 
I agree with hibye.

I had fresh water tanks and the same kind of fish got bigger in 55 gallon tank vurses a 10 gallon tank. I had a Plecosomus (sp) in the 55 gallong tank that grew in a couple years from the 3 inches when bought to over a foot long. And in a 10 gallon tank I have never seen one grow larger than 5 inches tops.

Brian
 
Hmmm,does a fish growth/size determined by there environment.I just don't know about that theory Doc.The better question is how long do fish live.Do they live as long as the environment is right or do they die of old age?Who knows,maybe its the diet that limits there growth compare to the wild.

My wife's cats never goes outside since kittens(unless going to the vet) and they are normal size.Rabbits,birds and other pets are keep in cages and it doesn't effect there growth.Zoos keep animals in small environments compared to the wild and I never seen any small tigers or giraffes.Well,I guess I'm saying is I don't buy into the theory.
 
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Well, since I am a biologist, I will answer this biology question. YES, size of the environment does restrict the size that CERTAIN animals can get. Not mammals like Freak's cat. But it is well known that reptiles, amphibians and fish can be limited by their captive environment. I've been scuba diving and seen one foot long striped and domino damsels in the wild. WHOA!

But Freak also has a good point in that, maybe it takes them 20 years to get to that size. But I do know for sure that cold-blooded critters will usually grow as big as their tank will let them.
 
Dr Marco said:
I have seen MASSIVE Regal Tangs taken from the ocean and delivered to the aquarium at Ceasar's Palace in Vegas (make sure you check that out, Biff, there is an adult Koran that is just breathtaking).
Click to expand...

Thanks! I was just thinking about this the other day, and couldn't for the life of me remember which hotel had the big tank. Caesar's Palace. Check. We'll hit that one up for sure. Also the Mandalay Bay aquarium, of course.
 
fish will grow different depending on food and environment and type of fish. a fish will not stop growing to its environment it will just grow at a different rate.

when I transfered my fish from the 240 to the 850 some of them hit a growth spurt, essentially this is my opinion on the matter. The fishes metabolism runs faster when they have more space to swim therefore they eat more and grow faster.....

I use my blue tang for a good example, I put one in my 12 gallon nano (I no he is to big for this tank) he was about the size of a nickle, we also put 4 blue tangs that were the same size into the 240, I added the one from my nano about 3 months later and he caught up to the others size in about 2 months.. they stayed about 3 to 4 inches for over a year, when they moved to the 850 they grew about 2 inches more in less then a year.
 
I don't necessarily have a theory. I just like to post a question and wait to see you guys argue. My thinking is a little different. I think that when their environment is too small, they get stressed and die when their length outreaches their tank. I know that is true of sharks and snakes I have kept in the past. I just don't know how long it takes those fish to get SO HUGE. IMO.

-Dr Marco :sfish::sfish:
 
Dr Marco said:
I don't necessarily have a theory. I just like to post a question and wait to see you guys argue. My thinking is a little different. I think that when their environment is too small, they get stressed and die when their length outreaches their tank. I know that is true of sharks and snakes I have kept in the past. I just don't know how long it takes those fish to get SO HUGE. IMO.

-Dr Marco :sfish::sfish:
Click to expand...

i agree with that Doc, stress from a small tank will kill a fish that should reach a large size, but is restricted in its glass box.
 
I would have to disagree, it would depend on the fish and the size the fish is before you put it in the tank. I am looking at my clown in my nano and he is very happy, but if I put a sailfin that was the same size in there it would sad.

there doc some debate for ya. :)
 
the tang was sad in the nano because there was not enough room in there for him to swim around and graze. tangs cover hundreds of miles every day in the wild. just my $.02 though.
 
I would have to agree with you on that. which brings us back to it would depend on the type of fish rather it was happy or not. and rather it would grow faster or not...
 
Winy,

I don't disagree with you for a smaller fish in a smaller tank. But I was thinking of a fish that normally gets a foot or larger to be stuck in a 20 gallon tank, even when it was small enough to initially fit, would die prematurely rather than live a happy life, smaller than it would normally be. I don't think you can turn a large angelfish into a "pygmy" angel just because you added it to a tank that was too small to begin with. Debate?

-Dr Marco :sfish:
 
I still go back to it would depend on the species, with that yes I would agree with you that it would be unhappy in a smaller tank. I definatly noticed my fish were much happier once they moved into a bigger home, and swim much more.

I will have to agree with you.
 
that is why you are wonderful. If only my first wife saw things like you do. :bounce:

-Dr Marco :sfish:
 
Bifferwine said:
Well, since I am a biologist, I will answer this biology question. YES, size of the environment does restrict the size that CERTAIN animals can get. Not mammals like Freak's cat. But it is well known that reptiles, amphibians and fish can be limited by their captive environment. I've been scuba diving and seen one foot long striped and domino damsels in the wild. WHOA!

But Freak also has a good point in that, maybe it takes them 20 years to get to that size. But I do know for sure that cold-blooded critters will usually grow as big as their tank will let them.
Click to expand...

While on the commode I had an epiphany.(took me forever to fine the correct spelling)

I thought evolution took millions of years not weeks from fish being captured to the home.I believe you that environmental stress may limit there growth but the actual size of the environment plays a much smaller part.Oh hell,nevermind,I forgot where I was going with this.I'll get back with you the next time I get out of the bathroom.
 
I am glad you got a chuckle out of my divorce. I know I did. I ended up buying her a house and a car. It was great. Kinda like getting a stiff, cold pair of scissors shoved straight up your how-do-you-say, covered in salt and E. Coli. thanks for the memories. I still feel bad about your day. I hate to hear things like that.

-Dr Marco :sfish:
 

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