About a week ago I decided to take a big leap with my 35-gallon saltwater tank and buy a juvenile emperor snapper. I did some research and was well aware of their growth potential. There was much discussion in the house before buying the fish and we decided we are ready to commit to buying something that may, in time, need a fairly huge tank to accomodate a 36" fish.
However, how FAST do they grow?
I spoke at length with the owner of the [wonderful] fish store I frequent and he said if we underfed him that we would not have to worry about buying a larger tank for a few months. I feed him every 2-3 days, 1-2 very small pieces of scallop that have been soaked overnight in garlic extract and other supplements. He seems happy and healthy and does not antagonize the dameslfish and coral shrimp that also live in the tank. However, I know as he grows this will not always be the case and I will eventually have a larger tank standing by ready for him when he outgrows the 35-gallon setup.
Has anyone ever dealt with an emperor snapper and may possibly have some information beyond what's available online and in books? I would like to hear straight from experience what to expect as far as growth rates and what is the best way to handle moving him to another tank (or possibly a smaller one, say 70 gallons, then eventually up to 120+ gallons).
Thanks!
However, how FAST do they grow?
I spoke at length with the owner of the [wonderful] fish store I frequent and he said if we underfed him that we would not have to worry about buying a larger tank for a few months. I feed him every 2-3 days, 1-2 very small pieces of scallop that have been soaked overnight in garlic extract and other supplements. He seems happy and healthy and does not antagonize the dameslfish and coral shrimp that also live in the tank. However, I know as he grows this will not always be the case and I will eventually have a larger tank standing by ready for him when he outgrows the 35-gallon setup.
Has anyone ever dealt with an emperor snapper and may possibly have some information beyond what's available online and in books? I would like to hear straight from experience what to expect as far as growth rates and what is the best way to handle moving him to another tank (or possibly a smaller one, say 70 gallons, then eventually up to 120+ gallons).
Thanks!
