They are growing! I know you'd rather they were not, and excuse the harshness of this comment, but they WILL keep growing. If they are growing slowly, it's a sign that they are NOT ehalthy and you need to do something about that. Moving them to a larger tank and/or increasing the frequency of water changes is a start.
How Many Fish Per Gallon, Really?
- Thread starter blfoster
- Start date
The thing is, I will be moving sometime within the next year. Once that happens, I want to set up at least a 50 gallon tank. If the pleco outgrows my current tank before then, I'll upgrade sooner, but I would rather not, because it would be really tricky moving an aquarium that big.
According to the pet store, the pleco is supposed to get 6 to 8 inches long. It's close to the lower end of that now.
The fish all look healthy. They're all colorfull, with no holes or tears in their fins.
I test the water quality regularly, and right now it's fine.
According to the pet store, the pleco is supposed to get 6 to 8 inches long. It's close to the lower end of that now.
The fish all look healthy. They're all colorfull, with no holes or tears in their fins.
I test the water quality regularly, and right now it's fine.
Hi Fishophile
IMHO, the best way to tell if you have room to add additional fish, or if you are already at the maximum carrying capacity for that tank, AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME, is to look at the results of water tests done for nitrates. (Test done for ammonia and nitrites should be at 0, of course.)
If the reading is no more than about 40 ppm, (and you are doing about one good water change a week) your tank is comfortably full. If it is less, you have room for more fish, but if it's higher, you have too many fish and will have to do additional water changes or remove one or more of them.
As time goes by and your fish grow and/or reproduce, the nitrate reading will normally increase and you will have to reevaluate your situation. Perhaps you will then decide to get a larger tank or to give away some of the fish. Knowing the maximum size the fish will grow to will help you guess what you will ultimately be able to care for in the tank you have.
I would like to add, however, that while you might be able to return fish to the lfs, there are some ethical matters to consider. Moving from one water source to another is not easy on any fish and it's next owner will have to deal with any health issues it develops because of it. There is also the matter that by keeping a large fish in a small tank while it is young and small, it might become stunted and never reach its maximum size and health.
My female pearl gouramis were closer to 3" and my male was more like 4" fully grown. I never seem to see the larger strains in my area. My females were very peaceful, but the male was one of the most aggressive fish I've ever had.
Even if you have one of the smaller species of pleco, I suggest you get rid of it soon and replace it with something even smaller. A tank the size of yours would be more suited to otos (a small sucker mouth fish) than plecos.
Well, I can see that the people at the pet store really don't know what they're talking about. Being a female, it's likely that at its current size the pearl gourami is fully grown, but the pleco...
... Not only did they tell me that its maximum size was 6 ti 8 inches, they also told me that it would grow to a size that would fit its surroundings. They never mentioned that that was unhealthy, or hard on the fish in any way.
Don't get my wrong, I don't deliberately get fish that are violent and then return them, it's just that occasionally a fish catches me by surprise. The way I look at it is that it's better to stress 1 fish by moving it than to stress all my fish by alowing them to be constantly harassed.
Forgive my ignorance here, I'm still learning.
... Not only did they tell me that its maximum size was 6 ti 8 inches, they also told me that it would grow to a size that would fit its surroundings. They never mentioned that that was unhealthy, or hard on the fish in any way.
Don't get my wrong, I don't deliberately get fish that are violent and then return them, it's just that occasionally a fish catches me by surprise. The way I look at it is that it's better to stress 1 fish by moving it than to stress all my fish by alowing them to be constantly harassed.
Forgive my ignorance here, I'm still learning.
Miss Wiggle
Practically perfect in every way
it's fine to return fish if it doesn't work out, sure we've all had to do it at some point. No amount of research will stop you getting the odd fish who behaves out of character and won't go with fish that it should be fine with. All any of us can do is research as much as possible before we get them and try to make the best arrangements possible for re-homing, if you know someone with a big enough tank or more suitable inhabitants get them to take it instead of going to an LFS, as you seem to have just learnt a lot of them are lying b@stards and will just sell it on to someone else with an unsuitable tank.
Yes the plec is probably growing slowly because of it's surroundings, as everyone said try to re-home him, sooner you do it the less chance there is of any permanent damage being done
Yes the plec is probably growing slowly because of it's surroundings, as everyone said try to re-home him, sooner you do it the less chance there is of any permanent damage being done
Hi Fishophile,
I agree that it's better to get rid of a fish that is not going to work out in your tank than to keep it and upset all the others.
I always suggest that fishkeepers try to find one or more good independent lfs to buy their fish at. You would be more likely to find sales help that are hobbyists too, rather than just clerks and people who have just been hired to stock shelves. You will not only get better advice, but will often find more unusual and interesting fish there.
It sounds to me like you are having the same problem that many fishkeepers go through. When you first start out, it seems like a smaller tank would be easier to manage than a larger one. But once you get the basic science part of it down pat, you realize that it's just not big enough to be really satisfying. Perhaps there's a bigger and better tank in your future?
I agree that it's better to get rid of a fish that is not going to work out in your tank than to keep it and upset all the others.
I always suggest that fishkeepers try to find one or more good independent lfs to buy their fish at. You would be more likely to find sales help that are hobbyists too, rather than just clerks and people who have just been hired to stock shelves. You will not only get better advice, but will often find more unusual and interesting fish there.
It sounds to me like you are having the same problem that many fishkeepers go through. When you first start out, it seems like a smaller tank would be easier to manage than a larger one. But once you get the basic science part of it down pat, you realize that it's just not big enough to be really satisfying. Perhaps there's a bigger and better tank in your future?
Miss Wiggle
Practically perfect in every way
ha ha you can spot the mts starting a mile off can't you!!
But your right waiting for a bigger tank until after you move if it will be soonish, however carefully you do it, you will cause some stress to the fish, so best waiting and doing it afterwards, me n Ian are supposed to be moving next summer, with 6 tanks, boy that's gonna be fun!!
But your right waiting for a bigger tank until after you move if it will be soonish, however carefully you do it, you will cause some stress to the fish, so best waiting and doing it afterwards, me n Ian are supposed to be moving next summer, with 6 tanks, boy that's gonna be fun!!
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