It grows quickly to 18 inches.
Some aquarists say they plan to keep a particular fish until it outgrows their home aquarium and then donate it to a public aquarium. While this sounds reasonable, it shouldn't be assumed that the local public aquarium will accept your donation. Most public aquariums are inundated with donations of fish and simply don't have the room or need for many fish. And of course, the health of your environment, no matter how good, is an unknown to public aquaria.
I've often seen the statement, "œI'll get a bigger aquarium when it grows." While this is honorable, it rarely materializes. My estimate of upgrades that NEVER happen is about 90%. The fish frequently suffers and dies long before a new and appropriate habitat is obtained.
Then there is the attitude that you're not going to keep the fish alive long enough for it to outgrow your aquarium anyway. While this is rarely said aloud, we all know it's out there. Aquarists with this mentality should find another hobby.
The other side of the argument is illustrated by these statements: "œSo what if we purchase a fish that will outgrow its cage." "œAfter all, we're not obliged to recreate a natural habitat for a fish to live out its natural lifespan." "œIt's already been taken from its "œhome" and placed in a glass box, so what difference does it make how long it lives?" "œLet's not kid ourselves; we're not coming close to creating a natural reef in our homes anyway." "œAssuming it's not an endangered species, there's no harm done." "œAfter all, we capture many species of fish to eat and no one complains about that." There is some validity to these arguments. After all, what is the point of our home aquariums? Guilty pleasures, a home decoration, an educational instrument. In any case, the goal is rarely to see how close we can come to keeping a fish alive for its natural lifespan.
