# Fry growth rate??



## DCEyeBiter (Sep 7, 2008)

I have a group of C. borleyi Kandango kids that just turned a year old a few days ago. I'm wondering how big they should be at this age??? Their sizes range from 1/2 inch to 1 3/4 inches long. I'm thinking they're kind of small for their age??? The biggest one of the bunch is actully starting to color up a bit (I can see some blue coming in on his face....)
:fish:


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

1 yr and they're only .5"? Seems really stunted, to me, even for haps...


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

I would agree, but I don't know Cyno's.

My mbuna grow pretty fast (to 1" in 3 months)


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## DCEyeBiter (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't understand it myself. They are very voracious eaters and I do a 10-20% water change once a week. Does the size of the tank have anything to do with it? They are in a 20G Long...

The first set of fry I ever had (O. Lithobates) had interesting size ranges at a yr old too, but they were bigger than this....


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Fry will grow faster doing daily/every other day changes. (doing 40-50%)

I noticed quite rapid growth doing every other day changes vs the once / week I did with my first batch of fry.


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## DCEyeBiter (Sep 7, 2008)

So I should do that then? It's not too late is it? lol


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

shouldn't hurt, but by nature, growth is fastest when they're smallest.

ie, going from 1/4" to 1/2" - in 3 weeks is double in size, yet still only a growth of 1/4".

don't be surprised if you don't see results right away.

You could go to 20-30% every other day, whatever is easiest - no reason for this to be a pain in the rear - it's supposed to be a fun hobby


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

I'd say it was the minimal water changes. Cichlid fry release hormones into the water that, once they reach a certain level, inhibit growth because the habitat isn't large enough to sustain that biomass. Doing half the tank every day or two might still be a fix.


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## DCEyeBiter (Sep 7, 2008)

Does that go for fish in general? bcuz a couple of the fish in my big tank that are adults have been the same size (under average size that is) for a while now.


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

dielikemoviestars said:


> I'd say it was the minimal water changes. Cichlid fry release hormones into the water that, once they reach a certain level, inhibit growth because the habitat isn't large enough to sustain that biomass. Doing half the tank every day or two might still be a fix.


A moderator indicated that [fishy chem-warfare] has been debunked - not to mention never proven.


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

DCEyeBiter said:


> Does that go for fish in general? bcuz a couple of the fish in my big tank that are adults have been the same size (under average size that is) for a while now.


In order for an average to be average, some will be smaller than others 

(Keep in mind, nearly half of the world's population is below-average intelligence)


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