A discussion about "monster" fish and their tank size

My only experience with a potential "monster fish" was with the black ghost knife that I inherited when I assumed responsibility for an abandoned 29-gallon cesspool. Finley was about 6 - 7" long and had been in that tank along with some guppies for about a year and a half. After I took over the tank, I had it professionally cleaned (that alone took two months and a minor fortune to fully do -- believe me this tank was like primordial soup) and totally redone with proper substrate and real plants. I also began to feed a varied diet. I kept Finley for about six months more and he really began to grow. I realized he needed to go to a much larger tank, which I couldn't provide at the time, so I had no choice but to rehome him with a friend who had a 55-gallon. He adjusted immediately to his new home and lived for another year or so. Don't know why he died; my friend woke up one morning and he was gone. So, for myself I can say Rach is right. BUT I also know that, FOR ME, I don't want to buy a fish that I cannot "properly" keep longterm. So, if I don't have the room/money/energy/whatever to keep and maintain a properly sized tank that will ultimately be needed for my pet (I think of my fish as my pets), I have no business getting that fish. I love black ghost knifes and Finley was the best, but I inherited him. I'd love to get another, but right now and for the forseeable future, I'm in no position to have the size tank I would ultimately need for such a fish, so I won't get another black ghost knife or any other "monster" fish.
 
I have to side with the op on this one.

I really dislike the way that people are brow beaten because they have obtained a baby fish that will get big and have put it in a 20-40g tank and say they will upgrade when the time comes.

For example most recently I picked up 8 oddball mislabeled fish for $3.5/ and put them in a 65g to grow them a bit before I moved them recently to a 150g. On the thread comes a comment from someone after someone gives me the id on them that he is surprised that I bought 8 of them and did I know that they reach 14 inches in size. It turns out the fish labeled as jack dempsy were actually true red terrors. I posted a response to the person that I have a few tanks that are more than big enough for them should I keep them all.

I really find the way that people tend to come out gunning with disbelief at a person who posts up a thread that they will get a bigger tank a sad comment. For sure there are those who say they will but never do follow through. Yet, I for one think that there are many more who will follow through. I personally like to give people the benefit of doubt and allow them to prove themselves before a conclusion is made. As well I really do not judge another fish keeper by or from and experience with another.

I also have to agree with the thought expressed in the thread so far about baby fish not faring so well with bigger tanks filtration etc.
 
I definitely agree. That's exactly why I started out my SAL in a 20 gallon. When I got him at 2", he would have been completely lost in my 75 (let alone whatever his final tank ends up being). I even started him off with an AC HOB and pretty much immediately switched to a sponge filter because even at the lowest flow setting, it blew him around like a leaf. From my experience, they seem to be pretty slow to find food compared to other fish. Where most fish will see pellets or flakes floating around the tank and be all over them, the lung will after a minute or two start to notice the scent of food and then "sniff" his way around until he finds it.

It isn't that the fish needs the big tank, it's that it will eventually need the tank. It also doesn't necessarily mean that the person even has to have the big tank for it, but they need to be aware when they will need it.
 
Rachel you make a very valid point that you do not need to buy there forever home right away. However there is so many misconceptions in the trade. 1- being that they will grow faster the bigger the tank so even though they are only 5- inches they will grow fine in a 100gal tank better in a 200gal tank and great in a 300gal tank. People get into this hobby with almost no knowledge and under estimate the care that come with owning a tank. Now obviously common sense come into play here in realtion to fish and tank size but I always felt feeding and maintenance in showing the true beauties of our aquatic creatures.
 
Alot depends on the activity level of the fish. Polypterus is a great example of a fish at the lowest end of the activity spectrum. They can be very comfortable in a tank just big enough for them to turn around in as long as maintenance maintains adequate water quality. Putting active fish such as Koi or other large Cyprinids in a tank they can barely turn around in wouldn't be a good idea.
 
I agree and think its best to tell the truth about what is possible as an experienced fish keeper/breeder, then to try and shield the novice with unrealistic prerequisites to guard them against the inevitable learning curve. Example. I have had my healthy Gobi Dragon in my 120 tropical community tank for almost 3 years now in-spite of the outcries of for a large brackish tank and that the Gobi would suffer and die horrible flesh disease death. In fact he has done remarkable well and continues to grow and eat pellets, flake and everything else I feed my fish.

Eventually I will have to move him to the larger 160 or 210 tank but for now he is doing a great job beating all the odds that he would not live long or grow.
 
CWO4GUNNER said:
Eventually I will have to move him to the larger 160 or 210 tank but for now he is doing a great job beating all the odds that he would not live long or grow.
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And this generally the attitude/view that pushing the larger already established setup on people tries to prevent. :uhoh:



The thing is, the response usually isn't meant to force or trick the person into getting the bigger setup right away. It is to make sure the person knows what they are doing/getting into and have them plan accordingly.

Usually when the issue of tank size comes up it is with a newbie that doesn't know they need the bigger tank in the first place. That is why the 'upgrade or return the fish' attitude gets used. The person has no established plan to care for the fish.

Now the proper water issue is an entirely different monster. Especially considering that the 'proper' water conditions for BW fish can be very tricky (considering how much salinity change happens and how much migration occurs for brackish systems). The reason 'proper' salinity is pushed so hard there is that brackish water fish tend to look perfectly healthy in freshwater until they take a rapid turn in health. The 'proper' salinity isn't necessarily what the fish naturally lives in and isn't necessarily the only water it can live in (ie: Green-Spotted Puffers can live happily in marine setups, even though brackish is usually immediately suggest). It is what the fish can live in for it's life without risking that rapid crash in health that usually kills them.
Even in that situation though, the advice is usually that the person will need brackish as soon as possible.
 
I agree with the OP. I'm growing out a 3" Delhezi in a 10g tank now for 2 reasons: It's easier to feed him and if I dump into the monster tank now, he'd be swallowed.

I think it's a great idea to put baby monsters in a growout tank if you already have it's adult tank, but too many people say they're upgrading soon and for whatever reason don't.
 
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