# just wont grow :l



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

hey everyone i have a little albino oscar thats just not growing! hes in a 140 with 4 super red sevs 2 fire eels tiger oscar and clown knife and a pleco. the knife has all ready grown 1-2inchs my tiger has doubled in size but my albino oscar (wich is older than my tiger )seems like it hasnt grown at all! ive had him for a wile now they get fed mysis shrimp,blood worms and cichlid pellets. i keep up with my water changes and make sure there well fed, i feed them 4 small servings a day switching between foods. so my question is what else could i do? should i put him in a grow out tank or maybe switch up food? soon he'll be to small to fend for himself. 


thanks in advance!!


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

How often are you doing water changes and how often?


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

i do a water changes usaly every couple days.


----------



## snow (Apr 21, 2010)

Feed him some live black worms and shrimp. Cut the shrimp up of course. How big is he now? Baby or sub-adult?


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

hes a baby right now. where would i get my hands on black worm? or maybe even a starting colony? hes been eating shrimp to but ill try real shrimp.


----------



## jay_leask (Apr 22, 2010)

my albino was the same way it seemed like it took longer for him to grow, compared to others that i have kept.


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

hmm ic do you think its a good idea to put it in a grow out tank so i know he's getting enough to eat? i try to make sure it gets some but the other fish are pretty crazy


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

sorry, I meant to say how much water change and how often?


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

i usaly do a 15% Water change every second day. my readings are good my sump working really good. should i maybe do a little more water %?


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Pheremones accumulate in your water slowing fishes growth. Frequent but also larger water changes will help dramatically. Diet is only a small factor.


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

ok thanks ill maybe go 25% water changes?


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Have you checked your Nitrates?


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

i only have nitrites and ammonia testers and there good. :S i should probably invest in one


----------



## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I'd recommend having one despite doing frequent water changes. Get one as soon as possible.


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

ok i definitely will grab one!


----------



## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

A nitrate reading is the only way to know if you are doing enough water changes for your aquarium.


----------



## -DC- (Apr 21, 2010)

Ya , i'd try doing like 50% water change or more at the end of every week, in my mbuna tank as well as with my snakehead's i get twice the growth in my fish when i do 60-80% once a week, Vs 10-20% several time's, a week. 

I dont know the science behind it , just a trick i picked up when trying to grow fry out quickly for the display tank, if you wanna do a 75% change twice a week, you'd also be able to feed heavily since you can vacume more often


----------



## BubbaGump_59 (Jul 23, 2010)

ok thanks i think ill go bigger changes like 50% once or twice a week


----------



## BigFatLyre (Apr 22, 2010)

*Genetics are Genetics*



BubbaGump_59 said:


> hey everyone i have a little albino oscar thats just not growing! hes in a 140 with 4 super red sevs 2 fire eels tiger oscar and clown knife and a pleco. the knife has all ready grown 1-2inchs my tiger has doubled in size but my albino oscar (wich is older than my tiger )seems like it hasnt grown at all! ive had him for a wile now they get fed mysis shrimp,blood worms and cichlid pellets. i keep up with my water changes and make sure there well fed, i feed them 4 small servings a day switching between foods. so my question is what else could i do? should i put him in a grow out tank or maybe switch up food? soon he'll be to small to fend for himself.
> 
> thanks in advance!!


Frame size is highly heritable. Albino's in particular have been selected just for that, and to the exclusion of almost anything else, including "structural correctness", one of the keys to a long life. 
Example: I have two cichlids from the same spawn. One is already over three inches and the other, moved to a larger tank, cleaner water, better food availability, and less competition is not going to break an inch yet. And I don't think he's going to. Conformation wise, he's fine. Attitude wise, he's fine. And he doesn't bite the scales off of the other fish, like "Mr. Bad Attitude", his bigger brother. 
"Growthiness" is also highly heritable. Almost every cichlid I have shows a different appetite attitude. Switching up food? Changing water? It's all things you can try. 
On the good side size doesn't have too much to do with survivability. Unless the mouth of the other fish are larger than his body size. Then I'd worry


----------



## jakesebastin (Jun 18, 2012)

The nutrient and the fertilizers cause the main step to the grow. With that in the indoor kind of grow the grow lights also play a big part. The watering should be as frequent as possible.


----------



## jay_leask (Apr 22, 2010)

the OP was talking about his oscar.


----------



## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

huh?
what does this have to do with oscars?


jakesebastin said:


> The nutrient and the fertilizers cause the main step to the grow. With that in the indoor kind of grow the grow lights also play a big part. The watering should be as frequent as possible.


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

macframalama said:


> huh?
> what does this have to do with oscars?


forum spambot


----------

