View Full Version : This is weird
I have a set of convict fry and they were all the same size for about 3 weeks and then i went and visited my dad for two weeks who returned home from overseas and when i came home i checked all my fish tanks were doing ok and they were but one of the convict fry is now 3 inches long why the others are about 1 inch. Has anyone ever seen this happen before??
NatakuTseng
01-04-2004, 6:02 PM
Thats kind of weird that its only one that much larger than the others, generally its just attributed to that one has been nourished better than the others, more aggressive during feeding, thus making a pig of him/herself. Other possibility is that the genetics activated in that one encourage faster growth.
yeah i was thinking it could be just one in a million to do so...i came home and was quite shocked.
NatakuTseng
01-05-2004, 1:00 PM
Not that convicts are worth much, but hang on to that one and use it as a breeder. Must have pretty good genetics
dethjam316
01-05-2004, 1:13 PM
i've had a similar experience with my gourami fry. they are now approaching 4 months old, and the largest couple are much much bigger than the smallest. more than twice their size. quite a few i'd imagine were small enough that they were devoured, as i didn't really attempt to curb this since i don't have space to care for 100 of them!
NatakuTseng
01-05-2004, 1:33 PM
I'm deffinately gonna be interested to see if this will happen with the brood Puma and I have in our 75gal.
LMOUTHBASS
01-05-2004, 2:10 PM
that is doing this - i bought 3 of them as babies one is tripled in size the other two are still much smaller
was anyone doing water changes for you while you were away? One of the reasons frequent water changes are suggested for fry growout tanks is not just for the waste build-up in such nomally crowded tanks, but because fry of many species release hormones which cause stunting in conspecifics - the releaser is immune to its own hormone. This is common in Ciclhids. More frequent changes will help even out growth (another reason commercial breeders do so many or use contstant automatic changers). Size sorting the fry as they grow helps too, as once they get enough difference in size for the larger to cannibalize the smaller, growth rate differences get magnified - all that live food, available when wanted.
Yes my step bro was doing them for me. but he did about 3 in a week.
half of a 20 gallon homemade.
Depending on theloading, that may not be enough dilution. Back in my Cichlid days I did 75% or more daily to maximize and even out growth, but still had to size-sort some fish every couple of weeks.