How is this possible ??

Question

I go to my L(saltwater)FS a lot. I was there one day and they got this huge clown trigger i would say about 9 or 10 inches. They put him in a 20g LONG!!!! I would come back to the store a whole lot for 2 months and it was still living healthy and i asked them if it was the same one and they said yes. I told them to put him in a much larger tank but they insisted he was fine, they never listen to the 15 year old kids lol. Finally some idiot bought it for 550$ (Stores a rip off but i sometimes get free stuff). HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT LIVED THAT LONG IN THAT TANK???

I know they overstock tanks almost every fish store does.

I wanna know how it lived so long and healthy in that tank

Lol i wanted to buy it but i dont have 600 dollars for a fish and a fully established 175g

I have a sump on my 55 but would never put a clown trigger that big in there.

Answer 1

It probably wasn't happy in the tank from a size standpoint, but depending on how the store is set up, many stores use a sump by which many tanks are connected through an overflow filtration system. This is where water at a certain level in the tank flows over a barrier or through a screened pipe and if plumbed through a common filter (carbon & p[ad media, biowheel, UV, etc.). The sump may also contain several dozen to humdred gallons of "extra" water, and these are usually on an automatic replacement system. For freshwater, this means a few gallons per hour are replaced by fresh tapwater (the rate is low enough that chlorine isn't in a high enough concentration to kill) or in saltwater, a 100 gallon or more storage tank which feeds X number of gallons to the tanks per hour. That's why store tanks always seem to be overstocked - there's a small volume you see, but a much larger volume and state of the art filtration system most aquarists would die to have on their own tanks. There are some disadvantages though, as disease/parasites can spread between tanks more easily through the water, since all tanks (of the same water type) are connected.

I know, it's not the ideal situation to put a large fish in a small tank, but too many pet stores just get in fish that they think will "sell" and figure they'll be out of the "temporary" holding tank in no time. They never consider what happens to the fish if it doesn't sell for months.

Answer 2

Fish can live in a tank that is 'too small' for a long time IF the tank is kept scrupulously clean and the fish isn't fed enough to 'grow' or be very active. I have a 20 gallon long tank that has ONLY ten 'red eye tetras' in it ... I think that's really 'too many fish' for the tank, since red eyes can measure three inches long when full grown (mine are still growing, though). I have two Oscars and nine 'silver dollar' tetras, plus to 7" plecos in a 45 gallon tank ... again, I think my tank is 'too small' for the population, since a silver dollar can grow to 6" and the oscars can grow to 15" and the plecos can get to be two feet long or more. What am I going to do ... let them grow and then move them to a larger tank! For reasons of 'space' most stores keep the fish for sale in tanks that are too small ... I saw a 20" long pleco in a 20 gallon regular tank WITH OTHER FISH ... I wanted to buy it and bring it home, but I don't have a 200 gallon tank ... yet.
The fish 'lived' because it had 'good care' ... but if the person who bought it doesn't give it the same sort of good care, the fish will die, even if it is put into a 'tank' of the proper size. That's part of the 'fun and agony' of raising fish.

Answer 3

It must of either been really healthy or they either knew that they could get some money off that fish and they took care of the fish tank very well.I just think it all depends on the fishes health. Lol wow that is a big fish though good question. =)

Answer 4

its probably the filter -- the water is constantly cycled so its more like being in a 40 or more gallon tank than a 20 gallon tank -- i am just assuming but they probably use sump filters -- its like having separate tank that works just to filter the water and deliver clean water back to the tank the fish are in.

if its a good petstore i would ask about their filtering.

Answer 5

Pet stores always overstock tanks. It is ridiculous because it causes stress in the fish and more illness.

Answer 6

It has majical powers.

Answer 7

is that a fish?