Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so small?)

I am asking this question here as there are so many experienced people
here that perhaps a relatively unimportant yet vexing beginner issue
keeps gnawing at my brain. Firstly, two fish horror stories for
comparison. (No fair slamming me as I am now on the Fish Neglector 12
Step Program.)

Just shy of a year ago, a friend bought a one gallon tank with two
feeder goldfish. I bought a one gallon tank and three months later
(after some sad fishy departures) ended up with 2 fancy goldfish. Her
fish are about the same size now as when purchased while my goldfish
won't stop growing and will need tank # 3 by the new year. After (I
wish BEFORE) buying tank #2 I realized that the clerks the retailer I
had been trusting for fishy information had no idea what they were
talking about. After doing some reading I realize my fish are growing
normally (despite my previously poor care). So why are hers still so
small?

As far as I can tell, we both did everything wrong with our fish,
though differently. She fed hers once a day or every other day and I
fed mine according to the directions on the flake (twice per day at
least or more because the poor little dears looked like they were
starving.) She did not clean her tank often. Once per month I took
all the fish out of my tank (including the pleco -- don't ask), put
them in another bowl and cleaned out ALL of the water and rinsed the
gravel. Declorinated new water, waited long enough for it to reach
room temperature and plopped my fishies in.

So, why are her older fish not growing at all? How can this be
possible? By rights, at this point they should be pushing the tank
top off and walking to the loo to run a bath.

Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so
small?)
From: (asginpg)
Date: 12/1/2003 11:59 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

I am asking this question here as there are so many experienced people
here that perhaps a relatively unimportant yet vexing beginner issue
keeps gnawing at my brain. Firstly, two fish horror stories for
comparison. (No fair slamming me as I am now on the Fish Neglector 12
Step Program.)

Just shy of a year ago, a friend bought a one gallon tank with two
feeder goldfish. I bought a one gallon tank and three months later
(after some sad fishy departures) ended up with 2 fancy goldfish. Her
fish are about the same size now as when purchased while my goldfish
won't stop growing and will need tank # 3 by the new year. After (I
wish BEFORE) buying tank #2 I realized that the clerks the retailer I
had been trusting for fishy information had no idea what they were
talking about. After doing some reading I realize my fish are growing
normally (despite my previously poor care). So why are hers still so
small?

As far as I can tell, we both did everything wrong with our fish,
though differently. She fed hers once a day or every other day and I
fed mine according to the directions on the flake (twice per day at
least or more because the poor little dears looked like they were
starving.) She did not clean her tank often. Once per month I took
all the fish out of my tank (including the pleco -- don't ask), put
them in another bowl and cleaned out ALL of the water and rinsed the
gravel. Declorinated new water, waited long enough for it to reach
room temperature and plopped my fishies in.

So, why are her older fish not growing at all? How can this be
possible? By rights, at this point they should be pushing the tank
top off and walking to the loo to run a bath.


Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1 gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)

"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do nicely.

Rick

10 gallon is only suitable for 1 goldfish as they are very messy fish,
creating a lot of waste. They do also grow extremely large and 5 gallons
just wouldn't be enough space.
asginpg - I expect that the reason your fish grew unlike your friends,
despite being in such such a small bowl is that you kept your water slightly
better than her. When in good water, goldfish release a hormone which makes
them grow. In bad water they don't.
Mel.


"Rick" wrote in message
news:hMNyb.537926$pl3.108032@pd7tw3no...

"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do nicely.

Rick

Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so
small?)
From: "Rick"
Date: 12/1/2003 2:46 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id: hMNyb.537926$pl3.108032@pd7tw3no


"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do nicely.

Ri

A 5g for a fancy Goldfish?No way.
Even the minimum 10g per Goldie "rule" is too small.
The amount of waste they put out will pollute a small tank like that in no
time.
Researching a bit will better inform you.

"Rick" wrote in message
news:hMNyb.537926$pl3.108032@pd7tw3no...

"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do nicely.

Rick

Tell that to the 8-10 inch goldfish in my pond, I'm pretty sure that
they would find that interesting...

Bob


--
Check out my webpage:
Http://trains99.tripod.com

wrote in message
...

"Rick" wrote in message
news:hMNyb.537926$pl3.108032@pd7tw3no...

"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends
fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a
1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on
the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g
tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do
nicely.

Rick

Tell that to the 8-10 inch goldfish in my pond, I'm pretty sure
that
they would find that interesting...

Bob


ARe those fancy gold fish or Comet goldfish? I think the Fancy ones
only get about 6 inches..

AFAIK, the fancy ones (Orandas, Ryukins, Moors etc) still get to 8", but
there are many years between 6" and 8". I take the size in inches (not
including the tail) and multiply by 3. That gives me the filtration
required. If the formula says that they need a 50g, then they get
filtration for at least 50g, though a 33g might be the right size tank.
At some point, a 5g is big enough, then a 10, a 20 etc etc. I have three
6" Ryukins in a 108g right now. They look quite comfortable and I could
probably add a couple more, 3 or 4 if I cleared out some of the rocks &
driftwood, you need to use your discretion.

I think the water quality would have been the biggest constraint in
growth, followed by the food itself, and the tank temperature. Warmer
water gets you bigger and hungrier fish.

NetMax

10G is typically enough for fancies, if you are willing to put the
time in to do regular maintenance (25% water change once a week which
includes substrate vacuuming).

Also never feed your goldfish just because they look hungry.
Goldfish are scavengers. once or twice a day is enough. Goldfish always
look(pretend) hungry

Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so
small?)
From:
Date: 12/1/2003 8:21 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:


"Rick" wrote in message
news:hMNyb.537926$pl3.108032@pd7tw3no...

"TYNK 7" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so

Sounds like they've been severly stunted.
This will cause an early death, as well as keeping 2 goldfish in a 1
gallon
tank?
That's simply terrible.
If this person is your "friends", why not better educate them on the
requirements of Goldfish.
Tell them to get a minimum 30g tank (for only those 2)


these are fancy gold fish not huge Koi, why would anyone want a 30 g tank
for two gold fish?. A 10 gallon, ( 1 gold fish per 5 g) will do nicely.

Rick

Tell that to the 8-10 inch goldfish in my pond, I'm pretty sure that
they would find that interesting...

Bob


ARe those fancy gold fish or Comet goldfish? I think the Fancy ones only get
about 6 inches..

And a 6 inch Goldie would be fine ina 5g tank?
No way.

Subject: Can tank size limit fish size? (Or why are my friends fish so
small?)
From: Larry Blanchard
Date: 12/2/2003 11:38 AM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

In article ,
says...
A 5g for a fancy Goldfish?No way.
Even the minimum 10g per Goldie "rule" is too small.


Sigh. Another "holier than thou" goldfish fanatic. That fish will be
fine in a 5 gallon tank for years if partial water changes are done
regularly.

You may want the Hilton for your fish, but they'll do just fine in a
motel 6 :-).

"Holier than thou Goldfish fanatic"?
That's so funny, as I don't even care for them at all. I think they're ugly,
filthy fish. However, that doesn't mean they don't deserve proper treatment.
Every fish in this hobby does.
You want to tell me how an 6-8 inch Fancy Goldfish will do fine for years?
Even if there were daily water changes, the poor thing wouldn't be able to turn
around.
Research folks. Research!