Stunted Goldfish...

mcdanielnc89 said:
The thing I'm not sure I'm understanding about the stunted growth is it looks normal. Of course he's not as big as he SHOULD be, but he's not having any effects to being stunted.
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Lupin said:
What effects? Normally, in stunted fish, their body organs such as eyes become disproportionately larger than their body size. You cannot observe the internal organs growing but in some cases, they suffer distended abdomens which is also associated with other health issues instead of actual stunting. If you have noticed stunted discus, their eyes grow larger than their body size. This is a sign of stunting.
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mcdanielnc89 said:
Yea, that's what I mean. I don't see any causes of stunting. Like his eyes are normal.
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Mcdaniel, the fish looks normal to you because that's what you're used to seeing. You will have to compare the appearance of this comet to others that aren't stunted to get a better "eye" for estimating what "normal" is supposed to look like. That might take a while for you to be able to see this difference very clearly. It takes getting used to.. which is understandable.

In your other thread (linked below), you posted a message with a video asking us about the tumor on your fish's tail. When I looked at your fish in the video, I noticed that his eyes looked really big in relation to the small size of his head. That's why in my first post in that thread, I mentioned that he looks stunted and asked you about that. None of us knew yet how old the fish was or what your tank size was.... So there is a noticeable difference that isn't just overall body size. In most cases, this is the only visible indication we'll get that warns us of the health issues still to come as a result of this stunted condition.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195453

As we've mentioned to you previously, the eyes and internal organs will continue growing to normal size while the body itself stays small. In this case, you're very lucky that your fish is still in reasonably good health - despite the stunting that you've just learned about. This shows how well you have been taking care of him. Of course, we see that again the way you are working now to upgrade your tank and that you keep asking great questions. By moving him to a larger tank setup, you're doing exactly what your fish needs most.

As Lupin just posted... the cheapest source for real big tanks that I've found is through Craigslist. You can truly find used tanks in the 100-200 gallon range that come with a stand and equipment/supplies for $1 to $2 per gallon. Those are great deals that hit the listings and get sold very fast... so the less you want to pay, the more often you need to check their newest listings. It also helps a lot to already have a truck or some way of picking up a tank with little to no notice. Sellers are usually looking for the first buyer who responds and can be there in a short amount of time. I know I'll never pay full price for a fish tank again after buying so many cheap tanks off craigslist, myself.
 
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