Bonzai Convicts

[Ludwig Venter]

On the odd occassions, I have members from the public buying fish from my stocks, and in December (last year - a year ago) a guy bought some Convicts. In January, (this year - 2009) I saw him at work, and he announced that the Convicts have spawned. A week later, he said he did a water change and both parents died.

However, I saw him yesterday at the Supermarket, and he said he is giving up his fish, I can buy his Convicts back, (has about 30 of them) at the half the price I charged him for it. So I collected them this morning (not because I need more Convicts - I have them in abundance, but to do him a favour - no-one else would take them).

Considering that they were hatched in January 2009, they look like my fry would look after about 40 days..... not one exceeding 1/4" (quarter inch) in length.

I put 4 of them in my display tank with my neons and Rio Tetras (amoungst others)... and actually worry that they will be attacked by those.

I just wonder, now that they are in a decent tank, will they attain their full size?.... I'll have to watch and remove them if they do... (they're currently hiding behind the decor)

 

[star4]

If they are in a bigger tank I am sure they will grow. My first batch of Ellioti fry were in a small tank, once they got bigger I moved them to a bigger tank, over a few weeks they have doubled in size, they now need an even bigger tank (or get sold lol)

 

[Ludwig Venter]

If they are in a bigger tank I am sure they will grow. My first batch of Ellioti fry were in a small tank, once they got bigger I moved them to a bigger tank, over a few weeks they have doubled in size, they now need an even bigger tank (or get sold lol)

Yes!.. they have progressed through tank sizes as they grow and are not stunted... will a stunted fish revert to normal growth?

 

[star4]

My 2 rescued plecs were in a 3ft tank (had been for 10 years) they were 12" long, now they are in a bigger tank they have grown, so I think they would grow in a better environment, it just depands on what damage has been caused to the internal organs being stunted, they may not live as long as normal.

 

[GShorty1981]

Just a bit of info..Convicts are very veryyyy slow growing, so chances are...they are just takign there time.

I had a 1" male in my 4ftx2ftx2ft community tank for a year and he only gained about a cm in the whole year i had him....and he would eat like a pig.

I bought a female @ less than 1" to go with him and they spawned immediately and i had about 50 fry out of it.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

well, Mine grows to over an inch in less than 2 months....Remember, these were hatched in January 2009 already....

Actually, having observed them in the tank this afternoon...., they are quite cute. Acting like adults and looking like fry... maybe one should (deliberately) rear some Oscars in this way and put them in with the Guppies.... .. Only joking of course!

 

[GShorty1981]

Hey if they stay stunted for life, you could keep them with the Neons ...that would be awesome.

Pygmy Convicts

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Hey if they stay stunted for life, you could keep them with the Neons ...that would be awesome.

Pygmy Convicts

Exactly what I'm doing, if you read from the start!

 

[GShorty1981]

LMAO mah bad...xmas + excess alcohol = Shorty not reading properly

 

[Joller]

i read somehwere a long time ago that fish produce a chemical, and if that chemical builds up in the water they will not grow, its their way of recognising that a space is not big enough for them if they grow. i've read its immoral to have a stunted fish is a space that wouldn't be big ebough for it once it reached adult size. but i wonder if its actually immoral or if its just a natural thing that happens.

i knew someone who kept an oscar in a 1ft tank. when i told them the tank was too small for an oscar they told me it wasn't because the oscar just won't grow

 

[holidayinn]

I've read that a fish will physically stunt on the outside in terms of size, but their internal organs will continue to grow inside and lead to a shorter life. Their age I think is the main factor as to if they have the ability to continue to grow or not in the right conditions.