Stunted Goldfish and Color Changes

[Remdant]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

[shakaho]

Yes.

[Kulukan]

I can't imagine that they wouldn't. I would bet if you threw a stunted fish into a sunny pond that the sun would cause the same color chagnes that it would on any other fish.

[dnalex]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

I wanted to point out that goldfish kept in bowls and vases are not automatically stunted, if they are at all.

[shakaho]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

I wanted to point out that goldfish kept in bowls and vases are not automatically stunted, if they are at all.

Here's a comment from a guy who has been breeding goldfish for more than half a century in response to the idea of stunting in small containers.

Years ago ... , there was a story in England of a man who raised a goldfish in a milk jug with daily water changes. The fish grew to almost the size of the jug.

I consider this quite possible, but I've read enough of this guy's comments to know that he's not above stretching the truth a bit to make a point.

[*Amanda*]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

I wanted to point out that goldfish kept in bowls and vases are not automatically stunted, if they are at all.

Here's a comment from a guy who has been breeding goldfish for more than half a century in response to the idea of stunting in small containers.

Years ago ... , there was a story in England of a man who raised a goldfish in a milk jug with daily water changes. The fish grew to almost the size of the jug.

I consider this quite possible, but I've read enough of this guy's comments to know that he's not above stretching the truth a bit to make a point.

I would think a goldfish's growth in a small container would be inhibited, as evidenced by my friend who kept a goldfish in a bowl for 6 years([emoji26]) with a fresh bowl of water each day, until the fish died a few years ago. She didn't say how much the fish grew, but obviously it stayed small enough to remain in the bowl.

However, the tale about the organs continuing to grow while the body remains small, eventually causing the fish to explode - that I don't believe. I know it's told to prevent people from keeping goldfish in bowls, but myths like this can do more harm than good as the bowl-keeper will wonder what else is an exaggeration. [emoji53]

[dnalex]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

I wanted to point out that goldfish kept in bowls and vases are not automatically stunted, if they are at all.

Here's a comment from a guy who has been breeding goldfish for more than half a century in response to the idea of stunting in small containers.

Years ago ... , there was a story in England of a man who raised a goldfish in a milk jug with daily water changes. The fish grew to almost the size of the jug.

I consider this quite possible, but I've read enough of this guy's comments to know that he's not above stretching the truth a bit to make a point.

I would think a goldfish's growth in a small container would be inhibited, as evidenced by my friend who kept a goldfish in a bowl for 6 years([emoji26]) with a fresh bowl of water each day, until the fish died a few years ago. She didn't say how much the fish grew, but obviously it stayed small enough to remain in the bowl.

However, the tale about the organs continuing to grow while the body remains small, eventually causing the fish to explode - that I don't believe. I know it's told to prevent people from keeping goldfish in bowls, but myths like this can do more harm than good as the bowl-keeper will wonder what else is an exaggeration. [emoji53]

Amanda,

It's not that stunted fish don't exist. They do.

It's this idea that goldfish have this magical power to limit themselves to their sizes of their containers, but their inner organs don't. None of this even begins makes sense, and the dearth of actual biochemical evidence puts this squarely in the realm of urban mythology.

There are many reasons why your friend's fish never grew big, with the biggest reason being feeding. You remember how not long ago, you were also limiting the intake of your own fish. So, that would be my first guess.

Having said that, a goldfish that is on the smaller side will likely live much longer than a very well-fed one.

[*Amanda*]

Do stunted goldfish (kept in bowls, vases, ect) still undergo the same color changes as properly kept goldfish?

I wanted to point out that goldfish kept in bowls and vases are not automatically stunted, if they are at all.

Here's a comment from a guy who has been breeding goldfish for more than half a century in response to the idea of stunting in small containers.

Years ago ... , there was a story in England of a man who raised a goldfish in a milk jug with daily water changes. The fish grew to almost the size of the jug.

I consider this quite possible, but I've read enough of this guy's comments to know that he's not above stretching the truth a bit to make a point.

I would think a goldfish's growth in a small container would be inhibited, as evidenced by my friend who kept a goldfish in a bowl for 6 years([emoji26]) with a fresh bowl of water each day, until the fish died a few years ago. She didn't say how much the fish grew, but obviously it stayed small enough to remain in the bowl.

However, the tale about the organs continuing to grow while the body remains small, eventually causing the fish to explode - that I don't believe. I know it's told to prevent people from keeping goldfish in bowls, but myths like this can do more harm than good as the bowl-keeper will wonder what else is an exaggeration. [emoji53]

Amanda,

It's not that stunted fish don't exist. They do.

It's this idea that goldfish have this magical power to limit themselves to their sizes of their containers, but their inner organs don't. None of this even begins makes sense, and the dearth of actual biochemical evidence puts this squarely in the realm of urban mythology.

There are many reasons why your friend's fish never grew big, with the biggest reason being feeding. You remember how not long ago, you were also limiting the intake of your own fish. So, that would be my first guess.

Having said that, a goldfish that is on the smaller side will likely live much longer than a very well-fed one.

Oh yes - I do agree about stunting as far as limiting the growth of the fish, whether by food intake or by tank size. It's only the story about the "exploding fish/internal organs growing but the body staying small" that I don't believe.

By the way, I moved Adele (my telescope) over to my new tank a few months ago. She had a growth spurt and seems really healthy! I'm not sure if it's the variety of food I'm feeding, the increased frequency of feedings (3X as opposed to once daily) or what, but she looks awesome! I am also thinking she may have had parasites; I treated her with TPG and then Prazi before adding her to my tank and noticed it was after that that she started to really grow. This makes me wonder if the rest of Mario's fish could have parasites, though ... they have all been treated with Prazi but never with TPG or anything similar.

I am very grateful to you and the rest of this community for helping me to become a better fish keeper. [emoji1]

Edited July 29, 2014 by *Amanda*

[DieselPlower]

I think the question leaves room for debate. If the fish stays in the bowl it may stay same color all its life. If you take that same fish and throw it into a pond where it has access to algae, bugs, sunlight etc it could color. Im not saying this as fact, just saying that when you change a fishes entire environment, the fish could change as well..

[Linzi Glitter]

Colour has both genetic and environmental influences. The colour will vary from faded to vibrant depending on light exposure and diet, but the base colour and pattern are genetically determined. So I infer that a genetically orange goldfish kept in bad conditions would still change from the olive fry colour to orange, but the specific shade of orange would depend on the environmental conditions. But I'm not prepared to test my hypothesis, too unethical