Is it true....

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

That is false with fish as well. The only thing that hinders fish is dirty water and not enough food! (and, in the case of betta fish, siblings in too small of a tank release hormones to prevent growth, but when the siblings are removed they still end up growing to their full size) Goldfish need a lot of food and a lot of water(no bowls will work!)

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I'm not entirely sure that it's false though.... If they are stressed from the conditions of the water, overpopulation, hormones, oxygen levels, or like you said too many sibs in the same tank, they are growth stunted. So technically their growth can be impeded by the size of the tank because they become stressed/release hormones right? Bad husbandry is bad husbandry regardless of the species, but snakes will not stop growing because the owner doesn't know how to take care of them or puts multiple bps in the same tank.

The only way you can make an animal grow a certain way is by feeding it less. I dont mean like starvation, I mean maintenance feeding

While it is NOT okay to "maintenance" feed while an animal is young, once it is of breeding size (if you are breeding) you can maintenance feed it. Like a male ball python for example.

Feed to much, it gets fat and becomes a lazy breeder, feed to little, and all it cares about is food.

Thats why you "maintain" their weight at the desired level.

The same is true with lizards

For example, my Savannah Monitor gets 2, maybe even only 1 meal a week. Usually only one meal a week. The reason for this is because he/she is about full grown at 2 years old and 2 feet long. (Previous owner, dont get me started)

So I "maintenance" feed him/her. Enough food to keep the animal happy and tame, yet not to much that will make him/her fat/obese, which is extremely common in monitor lizards.

You just have to know your animal and feed it the PROPER amount. Not to much, not to little. Just enough to keep the animal happy and healthy :)

Just my 2 cents