Small fish vs medium fish vs large

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

What has higher success rate at keeping and adapting to a new tank?

Same species, just different lifecycle.

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

@monkeyCmonkeyDo yo you up? What you think?

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 11, 2021

Meaning fish and coral? Inverts?
D

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

monkeyCmonkeyDo said:
Meaning fish and coral? Inverts?
D

Fish. Example what has higher success. A small clown, medium clown or a full adult clown.

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

I’ll tell you why. I want a Mandarin Goby. It’s not a easy fish, I know all about their diet. But I want to have the highest success at acclimating it to the tank. But honestly... I go through this thought process every time I buy a fish and I don’t know which one to pick.

Suohhen · May 11, 2021

It really depends on the tank. If anything in the tank like a Hawkfish could fit the small fish in it's mouth I'd say the scales are tilted. Same goes for if there is a fish that will actively harass the small fish, but if neither of those are true I'd give the small guy a bit of an edge as they can fly under the radar and have that youthful spirit.
With respect to mandarin, they are such timid fish it all comes down to whether they will be left alone. I haven't had one in many years so I can't offer much more insight than that.

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

Suohhen said:
It really depends on the tank. If anything in the tank like a Hawkfish could fit the small fish in it's mouth I'd say the scales are tilted. Same goes for if there is a fish that will actively harass the small fish, but if neither of those are true I'd give the small guy a bit of an edge as they can fly under the radar and have that youthful spirit.
With respect to mandarin, they are such timid fish it all comes down to whether they will be left alone. I haven't had one in many years so I can't offer much more insight than that.

So perfect environment. No aggressive fish. A small fish may acclimate better than an older fish?

Suohhen · May 11, 2021

A aquacultured fish is always going to be small so it is hard to untangle the two but from my experience at least I find smaller fish to be good at evading and enduring but they are obviously not a good fit at all for the other two situations I mentioned and experience is experience and I have never read anything on the matter.

LgTas · May 11, 2021

Interesting question. My immediate thought is that a juvenile would be more adaptable but I have no empirical evidence to back that up. Your other question should also be captive bred vs wild caught. In terms of the Mandarin I'd be doing my bred to get captive ones which hopefully have been transitioned to frozen or prepared food.

o2manyfish · May 11, 2021

I love tiny fish. But the ultra tiny juvenile angels have a been mostly impossible for me. Juvenile Goldflakes no problem, but the tiny ones are just too timid. Sml Imperators, Korans, Navarachus, Cortez, Flameback, Beluss all with ease. Tiny Regals - Impossible.

Dave B

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

LgTas said:
Your other question should also be captive bred vs wild caught.

Will this matter?

Wild caught which will acclimate to a tank easier?
Young fish,
medium fish or full adult

captive bred: Same question.... is there two different answers?

LgTas said:
In terms of the Mandarin I'd be doing my bred to get captive ones which hopefully have been transitioned to frozen or prepared food.

This is the plan.

Brady4000 · May 11, 2021

o2manyfish said:
ultra tiny juvenile

That’s a good point. Was more or less talking about a “normally” small fish at the LFS. Not just right out of the egg lol

monkeyCmonkeyDo · May 11, 2021

My initial response was to say anything aquacultured or tank raised...
I will say any fish that has reached adulthood is gonna be less likely to stress. They will acclimate better. They will tolerate more. This is all opinion. I would read more what fish breeders have to say. Surely theres a cpl on here. I love baby fish but they are fragile and need little hiding places. Lower flow. Ect. They get sucked into pumps and overflows.
D