Fish Shrinking??

[ddavis1979]

Have any of you ever witnessed fish getting smaller in your tank. I dont mean empty tummies, but the size of the fish both length and girth shrinking.

I feel like I have witnessed this twice now, but I dont have actual measurements to prove it. I may get a little wordy here, but I want to explain what i have seen and compared.

Example #1:
Back in September, I bought 2 chinese algae eaters for my home tank (55 gallon). One of them grew quickly and was aggressive. I removed him in the November time frame and took him to a friends tank at work. This was a smaller 10 gallon tank that had a major algae problem, so I hoped he would eat a lot and help out. Now in March, he continues to survive in that small tank but I swear he has gotten much smaller. The second CAE which was smaller at the time of removal was twice his size in February. I thought it was odd, but I also thought it could have just been my imagination.

Example #2:
I also bought 1 rainbow shark back in September. He grew slowly but was a decent size but also had some minor aggression issues. I changed the aquascaping in the tank, and overnight the RS went through a total personality change. He was lethargic and timid and hid most of the time. I have had multiple re-scaping ventures since then and his activity has slightly improved, but he has never returned to being and active patroller of the tank. I rarely see him eating. I got another rainbow shark for my work tank (20 Long), and in just a few weeks he has out grown the RS at home, and I see him eating the omega one veggie rounds all the time. I took a good look at the rainbow shark tonight and I really think he looks smaller. I will try to get some pics to compare soon.

Anyone else experience this?

[Honey Badger 1]

Can't say I have ever seen a fish shrink. I think it's a matter of perspective and the fish is not shrinking but not growing/thriving, either. The other fish out grow the fish in question, and as the plants and tank matures it seems like the fish is shrinking.

[ddavis1979]

Here are some pictures, what do you think?
OCT 2012:


NOV 2012:


MARCH 2013




Same fish, same tank, time has passed.

[Honey Badger 1]

Again, I think it's a matter of perspective, and since with each picture the fish seems to be further away from the camera it makes it difficult to get an accurate perspective. In the last two pictures it seems to be about the same size.

[ddavis1979]

I understand, its been difficult to capture a picture of him lately. its the best I could do.

if it helps, the base of the plant on the right in th NOV pic is the same plant base thats i nthe upper left of the 1st march pic.

[funkman262]

It would be impossible to tell from pictures without a real scale marker. As mommy1 said, the size of the fish really changes with perspective and the sizes of everything around it. You would need something like a ruler up against the glass when you take the pictures but the fish would also have to be the same distance from the ruler/glass every time you take them. I've never heard of fish shrinking. I don't see how their bone structure can actually get smaller.

[ddavis1979]

It happened to my grandmother haha!

[funkman262]

It happened to my grandmother haha!

Some people may "shrink" in old age due to loss of muscle, fat, and bone density. When the spine begins to degenerate, the vertebrae begin to collapse together under the weight of their own body (due to gravity), causing a person to lose height and typically hunch over as the spine becomes distorted. If this were happening to a fish, I'd believe it would be pretty noticeable by simply looking at it.

[Indian Woods Angels]

I really don't think it's growing though. The colors are really nice. Looks healthy. I dunno.

[~firefly~]

It looks less bulky in the last two shots. I cannot see that it has reduced in length.

Is it getting enough food?