Aquarium civil war

[Deniz]

I have 2 questions:

1) How many fish can I have in a 10 gallon tank?

2) I have 2 honey gouramis, I had them for a week, they were all fine, but 2 days ago one started attacking the other. And they both developed blackish stains on their upper fins.
why?

[Big B]

The rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon. Therefore, 10 inches of fish. The thing you must remeber is to research how big the fish you have will get. For example, Honey Gouramis are expected to grow to 2-1/2" so that would be 5" total for two. You could also say that the bigger the fish, the less you can have.

I had Gouramis fighting but that was when I had (4) of them. I now have (2) in a 55 gallon tank and they are fine. Maybe you need some more plants for hiding places. Just a thought.

[WolfPup522]

In additiona to the size of the fish, you also need to consider the activity level of the fish, the aggression of the species, etc. Search the forum and you should find some really good information and max. capacity.

[ChilDawg]

Originally posted by Big B
The rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon. Therefore, 10 inches of fish. The thing you must remeber is to research how big the fish you have will get. For example, Honey Gouramis are expected to grow to 2-1/2" so that would be 5" total for two. You could also say that the bigger the fish, the less you can have.

I can't even condone mentioning this rule of thumb. If you follow it, you can put an Oscar in a 15g tank and a Pacu in a 25g...this might work for thin-bodied, small fish that don't produce much waste, but it is not useful for any other set of fish.

[Big B]

Originally posted by ChilDawg


I can't even condone mentioning this rule of thumb. If you follow it, you can put an Oscar in a 15g tank and a Pacu in a 25g...this might work for thin-bodied, small fish that don't produce much waste, but it is not useful for any other set of fish.

A 15" fish in a 15 gallon tank is obsurd. That is why it is a rule of thumb not to be taken literally. Common sense must also play a part in these type of decisions.

[ChilDawg]

Understood, but I don't think that you advocated the common sense aspect with your initial post. That's why I said that...to challenge the rule of thumb that was left somewhat unchecked.

[Big B]

Originally posted by ChilDawg
Understood, but I don't think that you advocated the common sense aspect with your initial post. That's why I said that...to challenge the rule of thumb that was left somewhat unchecked.

I know exactly what you mean. I could have better explained it. Thanks for the advice.

[ChilDawg]

Sorry to have done that to you, Big B...I just want the newbies to be sure to avoid using that rule of thumb as a strict guide.

I pretty much knew that you meant the addendum that I added, but everyone else should, too! :)

[Big B]

Childawg,

I know what you meant and why you did it. No big deal. I'm still a Newbie, and I can learn from my mistakes.

[ChilDawg]

Back to the task at hand, then, Colisa chuna seems to be markedly okay in groups. It may even be that they need to be kept in groups or else "Tiger Barb Syndrome" emerges, that is, one individual is singled out for aggressive acts against it.

It may also be that there is a pair (anatomically speaking, of course) that has not yet found compatibility.

Those black stripes don't seem to be anything to worry about. While it's true that this is not the normal locale for such marks, they do have blackish markings that are completely normal.

[anonapersona]

You also have to remember that a 10 gallon tank does not hold 10 gallons of water. That "10 gallons" is based on the outside measurement, you have the glass thickness, the gravel depth, the space taken up by decorations, plus whatever could be added until it overflowed.

I assume my 10 gallon tank holds about 8 gallons, based on measuring water changes.

[ChilDawg]

Good point, anonapersona. Another thought: surface area is what matters most in territorially-based conflicts. The gallonage matters in water quality...and most tanks are about 20% smaller than the external dimensions would lead you to believe.

Consider the fact that your tank would have to be negligibly thick, undecorated, and unencumbered by filters and the like. Then, just maybe, you could get the full capacity in there...but only if you didn't have fish...or air in your water supply, et cetera! :)

(Yeah, that's anonapersona's point re-hashed. I noticed it after my typing momentum started.)

[Deniz]

Thanks for all the help guys n girls, I spent a bit of time with the fish over the weekend, seems everything is normal, they made up and are friends again now.

My tank is well planted and they have plenty of room to hide and stay away from each other. And the markings (black) look ok, they dont look like anything abnormal like ammonia burns or anything like that.