opinion about fish + tank size

[m3rcury]

ok, so every LFS i've ever talked to has said some variation on the following: "no, don't worry about how big that fish will ultimately get. right now it is just a juvinelle. when it gets to big for the tank, just catch it and sell it back."

i actually did that with some FW angels. i both them as babies and then when they got bigger, i took them back.

can some people chime in on the pros and cons of this? for example, i have a 40 breeder and had asked my LFS about a trigger. his response was that since it was small now, enjoy it for a while and when it got too big, bring it back.

i have a feeling this is a bad idea, but there is also part of me that seems to think it might be ok. could some folks with more experience post here?

thanks in advance !!!!

 

[Danster]

I've had some fish for over 6 years in my 125. When I bought them they were very small and they had no problems swimming around. But as the years went by, they begin to grow very big and I wasn't sure what to do. Many people told me to do the same thing you were told. Just send them back to the LFS. But I didn't want to do that so I upgraded to a 225 and every thing is ok for now. What am I to do in six more years when these fish may double in size? I'm not sure. I guess i'll deal with it then.

 

[Scuba Oz]

If you can stick to your guns and pull that fish out when it does get too big it would not be that big a deal, it will add a lot of stress to the fish, remember he will go from your 40 back to a 20 or worse when you sell him back. I would suggest you do not do this and rely on your gut instint you already have. Let the fish you place in their new home enjoy and grow into it so they can make it their permenent home.

 

[Sk8r]

Remember that it's not just the physical size of the fish, it's the---for want of a better word---mental size. Some fish have a space requirement in their little heads that says: "enough room to run and hide" or "enough room to escape," that means that, even with enough physical space to contain their juvenile bodies, their fishy minds are in a state of panic. They're jumpy, hide a lot, and don't act naturally. A life of this, and they're a fishy basket case. Anthias and tangs are two extreme examples. Anthias stay small and yet require a 6 foot run to feel confident. Tangs start small, but already the desire for space is there. The behavior of a tang who thinks he has enough room is grand and graceful; the tang who feels cramped, even as a juvenile, is jerky, darty, and full of aggression and fight-response. If you under-size the fish in your tank, giving them even excess room for their adult demands, you'll see them more often, they won't carpet-surf, and they'll show you what they're really like.

 

[jedi31]

I grow attach to my fish so bringing a fish back to the LFS after 6 months will be hard for me and I think it is a lot of stress on the fish but people do it. Some fish grow quickly so in 40 I'm not sure how long you can keep a fish that will out grow that tank. I would just go with smaller fish clowns, Royal gramma small wrasse etc. in that tank.

 

[m3rcury]

thanks for everyon's thoughts. this is very helpful. maybe the real punchline of this thread is that i'll just have to upgrade to that 90 gallon