What's more important for a fish's growth rate -- more water changes or more food?

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Might be something to the tank space point.I have a few growouts in my 55 that seem to have reached a growth plateau lol.
 
I think main factor is good genetics, tank size, water quality and ( for some species) flow.
 
have you ever heard of fish put in 1.1 lb for every lb of food they eat when they are kept in good water?
 
Interesting discussion, I agree it has to be a balance of both food and water conditions, but ultimately IMO it is tank space that will give good growth, over both nutrition and water conditions. The increase in growth and appetite I have seen in my fish (plecs, black aro, geophagus) since moving from a 400L tank to a 2000L tank is huge. The water in the 400L was always good with regular large water changes (far higher percentage than they get in the big tank), and the water temp/parameters and diet haven't changed at all since moving tanks.

I am 100% convinced and would be willing to put money on there being considerable difference in growth rate and size of two identical groups of fish being raised in identical conditions with the one difference being tank size, as I have seen it with my own eyes with a wide range of species from cichlids to loaches, polypterus to plecs. Big tanks = big fish.

+1, while good quality food and clean, regularly changed water is important, space is the most important factor by far.
 
I would say environment (water parameters, tank size, temp) are more important than food provided it's a 'normal' situation. Water quality doesn't mean much if you're feeding mostly filler, and high quality food won't do much if the fish lives in a cramped, filthy tank. But we have a tendency to over feed and you can only increase the amount of nutrients before you're doing more harm than good (imbalanced nutrition, fatty liver disease, and decreased water quality). I assume fish in nature have adapted to grow fast on adequate or less than adequate nutrition to avoid predation. Poor water quality is like swimming in a soup of toxins; it impacts a fishes health which makes them spend more energy trying to fight off infection or heal compromised systems. So I'd say given an adequate, average diet water quality is mute important

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Interesting discussion, I agree it has to be a balance of both food and water conditions, but ultimately IMO it is tank space that will give good growth, over both nutrition and water conditions. The increase in growth and appetite I have seen in my fish (plecs, black aro, geophagus) since moving from a 400L tank to a 2000L tank is huge. The water in the 400L was always good with regular large water changes (far higher percentage than they get in the big tank), and the water temp/parameters and diet haven't changed at all since moving tanks.

I am 100% convinced and would be willing to put money on there being considerable difference in growth rate and size of two identical groups of fish being raised in identical conditions with the one difference being tank size, as I have seen it with my own eyes with a wide range of species from cichlids to loaches, polypterus to plecs. Big tanks = big fish.

Definitely a major factor
 
If we are gonna throw all factors in than I'd have to say beyond the things we can't control (genetics)......

Space. Hasn't failed me yet either. Bigger tank equals less stress, more dilution meaning healthier fish.





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Of course genetics is a factor but big parents don't necessarily = fry that will all grow big (just as colorful parents doesn't necessarily mean colorful offspring).

Matt

If we are gonna throw all factors in than I'd have to say beyond the things we can't control (genetics)......

Space. Hasn't failed me yet either. Bigger tank equals less stress, more dilution meaning healthier fish.





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