one of the problems with aqua-cultured fish… they are all smalls…

[Magnum Man25 140]

even a fish that will getter bigger, and more aggressive, is coming in as a baby, and may not survive in an existing tank with larger, similar fish… I’ve gotten several lately, that were destined for existing tanks, with more mature fish, that I’m skeptical the new fish will make it ( and none of my fish would be thought of as really aggressive ) so not only would a “real” quarantine tank be nice, but looks like I could use a couple medium / large tanks just for growing out fish to add to tanks like these, with mature fish in them…

at least with wild caught fish, you have a chance to get medium size fish, or larger, if they need to be added to an existing tank, containing mature fish…

 

[GaryE25 140]

The flip side is that if you prioritize wild caught fish (which I do), you still should request smaller individuals. Larger fish are of indeterminate ages, and are much more seriously harmed by the shipping process.

I have a group of Alestopetersius smykalai tetras, from the Congo region. I haven't seen full sized adults - just photos. My current fish are dull silvery things. but I know that within a year or do, I'll see the species in its glory.

Sometimes our hobby is a conspiracy to get ourselves to run more tanks. You can get tank raised fish and they'll be small, but if you have access to large wilds, the shipping cost will have spiked up the price, and another round of shipping to your place will do damage. It's a no win.

My silvery smykalai are in a 40 gallon, growing. When they get up to speed, they'll fit well in my six foot African tank. That'll be at least six months. Maybe more. Wild or captive bred, it's a similar story.

 

[Magnum Man25 140]

I’m skeptical the Leporinus granti I got yesterday will survive, as they are babies and extremely timid, while the dollars have not even looked at them crossly, they hide all the time, so likely will be out competed for food, so a fish that would likely be tank boss, in a year, has little chance of surviving when going into a tank with mature fish…

I very rarely like to buy large fish, but anything I’ve bought lately ( except my tetras ) have come in way smaller than I like to receive… I know they don’t want to hold the fish any longer than they have to… but it’s nice to get fish at least a little bigger… I got a new variety of dollar the other day, and they were mediums, but are still babies, 1/4 the size of mature fish, small to put in with mature fish, but at least something I can work with…

the butterfly cichlids I got the other day are 1/4 the size of the tetras in that tank… and are hiding from the tetras… ( the tetras have not been aggressive towards them ) another case of a tank boss that may not grow out properly, because the tetras are too big…

 

[Magnum Man25 140]

definitely going to have to increase my feeding frequency…

 

[GaryE25 140]

Size matters in tanks. My QT set ups often last a long time as they are grow outs. Small fish will be eaten by large ones, and if the large ones aren't interested, would you trust them if you were tiny?

My last group of thomasi I ordered were 4 cm long - not bad. They didn't go into their current tank, with some Chromidotilapia kingsleyae, for six months. They wouldn't have been food, but they would have been pushed around. Now they are smaller, but they hold their own. In time, they'll have to move again as the bigger kingsleyae outgrow their company.

And how did I end up with so many tanks, you ask?

 

[bgarthe25 43]

Many places offer specifically labeled different sized fish one can order. I don’t mind getting smaller fish and sometimes prefer it. What matters to me is that the tank they go into is big enough to allow for full growth and has regular WCs. When I ordered my Phenacogrammus aurantiacus (Gold Blue Eyed Congo Tets), I had a choice…..get all males (nearly fully grown) or younger (teenaged) fish that were of mixed sex. I did not want to get a bunch of vapid colored females, so I opted for the adult males. When I order some larger groups of tetras, I sometimes prefer younger fish and watch them grow out…….keeping in mind that WCs are important for diluting any hormones from the adults in the tank.