tomato clown

Question
hi have a 14 gal bio cube and have 1 tomato clown and 1 yellow tail damsel- live sand and rock. my question is why hasn't my clown fish grown at all? i've had it for almost 2 yrs!! i feed once daily omega flakes. should i be doing something more or is this normal? i've often read they're size at maturity is 5.5" and mine is maybe 2" at best. please help!!! thanx

Answer
Hi Alyssa,
Well, 5.5 inches, would be a big specimen. The average is 4", even with large volume systems over 100 gallons. One of the issues is the size of the environment. 14 gallons doesnt encourage much growth, even with bi-weekly water changes. You should still see SOME growth though. The other issue, I see, is feedings. He needs to be fed 3 to 5 times a day. Small amounts, but several times a day. Thats his natural habit, to eat several small meals daily. I would look for another food to add to his diet as well, to give some variety and interest. Mysis shrimp(frozen/defrosted) are very healthy, just add them into the daily feeding routine as 1 or 2 of the feedings. At 2 years old, he may have stunted already(ceased hormone production for growth), but if not within 2 or 3 months you should start seeing some growth. Sorry I dont have an instant fix for you, but I hope this helps.