Grow to their environment...

I'm sure you've all heard this idea before, that fish of various kinds will
grow to fit their environment, and then stop growing.

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.
TIA

--
http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=moosespet

"Jon Pike" wrote in message
. 159...
I'm sure you've all heard this idea before, that fish of various kinds
will
grow to fit their environment, and then stop growing.

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.
TIA username=moosespet

AIUI fish release a hormone that in high concentrations stops them growing.
Therefore if you change lots of water you get rid of it from the water - if
you don't then it builds up over time and slows their growth. Big fish in a
small tank will release more of it hence why they might be observed to only
be growing to their environment.

I.

"Iain Miller" wrote

AIUI fish release a hormone that in high concentrations stops them
growing.
Therefore if you change lots of water you get rid of it from the water -
if
you don't then it builds up over time and slows their growth. Big fish in
a
small tank will release more of it hence why they might be observed to
only
be growing to their environment.


True, to a certain extent.

But that's not a good reason to crowd fish into a tank too small, or ignore
water quality either.

Would you be happy living in a bathroom that nobody ever cleaned ? You may
survive it, but that doesn't mean it's a great idea....

Limnophile

On Wed, 08 Dec, Jon Pike wrote:

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.

Facts, not opinions? Newsgroups?

regards, Ian SMith
--
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|o o|
|/ \|

Subject: Grow to their environment...
From: "Iain Miller"
Date: 12/8/2004 11:26 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:


"Jon Pike" wrote in message
.159...
I'm sure you've all heard this idea before, that fish of various kinds
will
grow to fit their environment, and then stop growing.

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.
TIA username=moosespet

AIUI fish release a hormone that in high concentrations stops them growing.
Therefore if you change lots of water you get rid of it from the water - if
you don't then it builds up over time and slows their growth. Big fish in a
small tank will release more of it hence why they might be observed to only
be growing to their environment.

I.

What you left out is that this is stunting.
By stunting their growth, it affects their internal organs as well and the fish
die sooner.
They just don't stop growing and all is fine.

In article ,
says...
fish release a hormone that in high concentrations stops them growing.
Therefore if you change lots of water you get rid of it from the water - if
you don't then it builds up over time and slows their growth.

What you left out is that this is stunting.
By stunting their growth, it affects their internal organs as well and the fish
die sooner.
They just don't stop growing and all is fine.

Could be. I have no personal experience. But I do remember at least
one poster to some aquarium group who claimed if you put the "stunted"
fish into a larger aquarium they then started growing again. Who knows
:-).

One thing I do know, I can find an "expert" almost anywhere who'll tell
me how much and how often to feed my bettas - trouble is, they're all
saying something different.

Sometimes I wonder how much we know about raising any kind of animal.

Not picking on you, TYNK, but how is a relative newbie like me to know
what's right and what's wrong?

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

Larry Blanchard wrote in news:31pk74F3d2dqbU1
@individual.net:

Not picking on you, TYNK, but how is a relative newbie like me to know
what's right and what's wrong?

That's why I made a point of asking for links to reputable sites with good
-facts- on them, not just people's opinions.

--
http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=moosespet

"Jon Pike" wrote in message
. 159...
I'm sure you've all heard this idea before, that fish of various kinds
will
grow to fit their environment, and then stop growing.

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a
handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.
TIA

--
http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=moosespet


There has been much discussion and research on the rate of fish growth.
There are several factors, which if I recall correctly, are in the
following priority : water quality, diet (total quantity, number of meals
and quality), temperature and genetics. The leading constraint is water
quality (the other factors will differ in priority based on types of fish
and opinions, but the number #1 is easily water quality). The next topic
is exactly what water parameters act to constrain growth. Here there is
still much discussion, from high nitrate levels and/or DOCs to growth
hormones released and read back by the fish. Regardless of the exact
cause, small tanks are all prone to all the suspected growth constraints,
so it does not really matter. The bottom line is that small tanks will
more obviously constrain fish growth, and the solution is to keep their
water fresh and upgrade their housing as required by their growth, imho
of course ;~).

If you have more interest in the topic, mine the newsgroup archives for
discussions. There was one in particular about 2 years ago in r.a.f.m.
which included biologists, scientists and a couple of fish-farm employees
which was quite instructive.
--
www.NetMax.tk

Subject: Grow to their environment...
From: Larry Blanchard
Date: 12/8/2004 6:26 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
says...
fish release a hormone that in high concentrations stops them growing.
Therefore if you change lots of water you get rid of it from the water -
if
you don't then it builds up over time and slows their growth.

What you left out is that this is stunting.
By stunting their growth, it affects their internal organs as well and the
fish
die sooner.
They just don't stop growing and all is fine.

Could be. I have no personal experience. But I do remember at least
one poster to some aquarium group who claimed if you put the "stunted"
fish into a larger aquarium they then started growing again. Who knows
:-).

One thing I do know, I can find an "expert" almost anywhere who'll tell
me how much and how often to feed my bettas - trouble is, they're all
saying something different.

Sometimes I wonder how much we know about raising any kind of animal.

Not picking on you, TYNK, but how is a relative newbie like me to know
what's right and what's wrong?

You ask a gazzilion Q's in a place where there are folks who know what they're
doing. This is a great place to be. = )
Read many books.
Trial and error.
You mentioned feeding your Betta.
I'm a fancier for nearly 27 yrs and a breeder for 19. What would you like to
know. = )
I recommend feeding twice daily, small amounts.
I prefer feeding flake at one feeding and then either Bloodworms or Brine
Shrimp (frozen not freeze dried) for the other feeding.
I keep some live bearers in the main tank with my females and a resident male.
This way they can have lovely snacks.

All species of fish have a normal size which they will grow to be around,
but when confined in small tanks their growth is slowed and stunted. In
proper sized tanks, fish should grow to their full potential size which
should not be dependent on tank size.

If their growth is stunted, they will also become more prone to disease and
may die earlier than they otherwise would.

"Jon Pike" wrote in message
. 159...
I'm sure you've all heard this idea before, that fish of various kinds
will
grow to fit their environment, and then stop growing.

Does anyone have good -reliable- information on the matter? I'm sure
everyone has opinions, and links to opinions, but I'd like to get a handle
on some facts if it were at all possible.
TIA

--
http://www.neopets.com/refer.phtml?username=moosespet