i am doing a science fair project on the affects of tank size on a fishes growth.?

A

Abby

New member
i am testing if a larger tank encourages growth and if a smaller tank stunts growth. do u have any tips or suggestions on how to make this a successful experiment and maybe even worth a blue ribbon. please, i need help. this is my first science fair, any info or tips are greatly appreciated.
 
Unfortunately, if you are going to intentionally stunt the growth of a fish I can not help you and I hope no one else does either.

However, you can note that it is not necessarily the tank size that causes a stunted growth, but high Nitrates. When there is a large fish in a small tank, people don't realize that there is a higher demand for more frequent water changes (dilution of Nitrates in a CYCLED tank). If a fish is kept in a small tank and is kept in very clean water, you will see that fish grow, but you still have to consider the species, how long it takes for them to grow, nutrition, etc.
 
Hard to test in a short time, but I can tell you that my Sucking Catfish who was bought as a tiny baby grew rapidly to about 7cm long (18 months) then stopped growing for about 8 months in a 38 litre tank. I recently upgraded to a 130 litre tank and he grew a further 2cm or so quite quickly (6 months), and has now seemed to stop again. I noticed a similar pattern of growth on my Silver Shark. Smaller fish such as tetras and barbs seem to grow at the same rate no matter what tank they are in.

Good luck with your project, but unless you are prepared to have it last a couple of years you might have to rely on anecdotal evidence.
 
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