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L204 growing time
Posted: 07 May 2006, 19:57
by Zohar
Hi,
I have five L204 at the sizes of 8cm - 10cm. How long it will take them to reach breeding age/size? Is 11cm is a breeding size?
Zohar
Posted: 07 May 2006, 20:40
by Janne
9-10 cm SL, around that size they will be mature so dont count the caudalfin when you meassure the lenght.
Janne
Posted: 07 May 2006, 21:57
by Zohar
so i need another one or two centimeters, how long it could take?
Zohar
Posted: 08 May 2006, 10:52
by MatsP
Depends on lots of things:
- Food.
This is a pretty obvious one, but if the fish doesn't have much food, it won't grow...
Adding a little extra meat in the feeding may help - but beware that they can easily get intestinal problems with too much meat and not enough fibre. Being a panaque species, they do absolutely need wood in the tank. If possible, have a couple of different kinds...
Having food available most of the time will also help keeping them growing.
- Temperature.
This is often not considered. The fish are cold-blooded creatures, meaning that their temperature is the same as the surrounding temperature (water temperature). The metabolic rate in the fish is related to the body-temperature. So for ideal growth, you want it warm - but not TOO warm, because that will increase the rate so much that the fish can't fee quickly enough.
- Water quality.
Clean water is critical for most fish's growth. Frequent water changes is the key here, obviously.
- Oxygen levels.
Dissolved oxygen is needed for the fish to metabolize the food and build cells for growth.
If you keep all of the above good, the fish should grow as quickly as it can.
--
Mats