I have heard that when a fish is kept in an aquarium that is too small for the fish to grow to its full size, it will only grow to a portion of its possible size and its lifespan will be shorter than it would normally be. If this is true, why does having a small tank cause stunted growth in fish?
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
Fish excrete hormones in their waste. In a confined space like an aquarium, these hormones build up and act as growth inhibitors, this is basically an evolutionary mechanism, to prevent fish from dying if they end up in a water system that is cutoff from continuous fresh water. The larger the fish, the more space and continuously replenished clean water they need for survival. Fish do not "grow to the size of their tank", as is often quoted, they are basically poisoned by their own waste which prohibits them from reaching their potential in a poorly sized or cared for environment.
-
17What happens if we have a small tank with costant water flow? Then their hormones can't build up. Does in that case the fish grow the same size as if it was in a lake, for example? Commented May 27, 2020 at 11:48
-
8Water flow like filters does not remove hormones , water must be removed. The same stunting occurs in small natural ponds with high fish populations if there is not water leaving ( with hormones). Commented May 28, 2020 at 0:40
-
7poisoned - is it truly bad for them? Or is it just a convenient mechanism? I know nothing about fish Commented May 28, 2020 at 15:14
-
I change water mostly every day, will my goldfish stop growing?– DiniCommented Feb 23, 2021 at 12:32
Because they die before they reach full size. Either from being poisoned by their own waste, or from complications due to their organs growing while their bodies are stunted.
It's like saying that a puppy grows to the size of the shoebox it's kept in. Keep a puppy in a shoebox, and it isn't going to reach maturity.
-
See Also Bonsai Kittens google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=bonsai+kitten Commented May 28, 2020 at 3:49
-
11