I have a 130g long, i have 4 Oscars, I want more fish.
I hear the rule of thumb is every inch of fish per gallon, any truth to this?
I hear the rule of thumb is every inch of fish per gallon, any truth to this?
What are the rules for stocking your tank??
- Thread starter ratman420
- Start date
That rule is perfect for neon tetras. Any other fish it is pretty much usless.
There are no rules of thumb for stocking a tank. Each type of fish requires different things. Bettas are a good size but can survive in tiny homes. Zebra danios aren't that big but are super swimmer and need bigger homes. Oscars need lots of room due to size but also temperment and waste production.
You might be able to add something like a pleco to that tank but those oscars are already producing lots of waste and you will have your hands full trying to keep up with water changes.
There are no rules of thumb for stocking a tank. Each type of fish requires different things. Bettas are a good size but can survive in tiny homes. Zebra danios aren't that big but are super swimmer and need bigger homes. Oscars need lots of room due to size but also temperment and waste production.
You might be able to add something like a pleco to that tank but those oscars are already producing lots of waste and you will have your hands full trying to keep up with water changes.
Read this sticky at the top of this forum for more info on the inch/gallon "rule."
Your tank is good as it is, I would not add any more fish... in fact, I personally think your tank is stocked a bit on the heavy side. 55 gallons is usually considered the minimum size for one oscar. People generally want to look at tanks that are 90+ gallons for two oscars. IMO 130 gallons would be fine for 3, but 4 would be pushing it a little bit. If you can give us the dimensions and filtration of your tank, we can give you a bit more info on the stocking level of your tank.
HTH
-Richer
Your tank is good as it is, I would not add any more fish... in fact, I personally think your tank is stocked a bit on the heavy side. 55 gallons is usually considered the minimum size for one oscar. People generally want to look at tanks that are 90+ gallons for two oscars. IMO 130 gallons would be fine for 3, but 4 would be pushing it a little bit. If you can give us the dimensions and filtration of your tank, we can give you a bit more info on the stocking level of your tank.
HTH
-Richer
I would agree with Richer on this, 180 would be my Personal minimum for 4 O's, you will need some very serious filtration to keep up with them in 130. It is not severly overstocked but is on the heavy side. On the flip side I would keep 120 neon tetras in a 130 gallon tank and not think it was overstocked. Oscars are one of the better examples of where the stocking rules fail miserably, big beatiful MESSY fish, that require space.
HTH
HTH
To me the rule for stocking tanks is to know the fish you want to keep, what their maximum size will be, what their feeding needs are, and how much maintenance they require. "Knowing this fish" will include compatabilities and incompatabilities, swimming space, curent, and breeding behaviour.
Ocsars the poster children for high personality, highly human-responsive, and one of the highest maintenence fish commonly kept - right up there with puffers. I'd side w/Richer & daveedka - you are marginally overstocked but not seriously. So long as you have massive filtration carefully maintained and are religious about water changes, that is controlable. When a couple pair off, you may have more problems.
Ocsars the poster children for high personality, highly human-responsive, and one of the highest maintenence fish commonly kept - right up there with puffers. I'd side w/Richer & daveedka - you are marginally overstocked but not seriously. So long as you have massive filtration carefully maintained and are religious about water changes, that is controlable. When a couple pair off, you may have more problems.
Most everyone has their own opinions on stocking levels. The reality is some fish breeds produce less waste than other breeds of similar size. Now then, oscars are one of the bigger aquarium fish that can be kept generally happily in an aquarium. They are also a fairly big bodied fish that produce lots of waste primarily because they are so big. Having 4 in a 130 gallon tank is probably pushing limits. Body mass is the issue at hand really. If you could imagine how many neons would fit in the skin of a fully grown oscar you'd see just how much room oscars take up in a tank.
Hi,
I agree with the above. Everything I have read about Oscars is that they need lots of space. They are messy messy messy.
Thanks
Letty
I agree with the above. Everything I have read about Oscars is that they need lots of space. They are messy messy messy.
Thanks
Letty
ABSOLUTLEY, I THINK ITS LIKE FOR EVERY INCH OF AN OSCAR YOU HAVE TO MULTIPLY IT BY WHAT, 5 OR 6, AND THATS THE TANK SIZE, ITS PROBABLY 5, SO THINK ABOUT YOUR FISH AT LEAST FOR THEM, THEY MAY LOOK FINE AS LITTLE 5IN. BABYS BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY IN THAT SMALL OF A TANK, REMEMBER, 3 IN A 125.
My friend had two full grown oscars in an 10 gallon tank since they were under 2 inches long.
He has since moved them because when they want to move, they have to move in unison.
What i'm trying to say is, I don't agree with any of these stupid rules and I think that tanks can be way overstocked or way understocked depending on what kind of fish it is.
Oscars make a lot of wastes! I 've seen it in my friend's tank!
Then again, they didn't appear sick
but they did seem unhappy
But you can still stock them! =D
He has since moved them because when they want to move, they have to move in unison.
What i'm trying to say is, I don't agree with any of these stupid rules and I think that tanks can be way overstocked or way understocked depending on what kind of fish it is.
Oscars make a lot of wastes! I 've seen it in my friend's tank!
Then again, they didn't appear sick
but they did seem unhappy
But you can still stock them! =D
I am not convinced that you could physically fit two full-grown Oscars in a 10. I suspect that neither you nor your friend have ever seen and certainly not kept a full-grown Oscar. Two 16" long fish weighing several pounds apiece?
You can keep a human in a closet, or a German Shepard in a microwave box, but neither situation is humane or proper or even very practical.
Stupid rules? "Stupid" I could discuss, but it would not be on the tank stocking guidlines, more likey on the absurdiities that come up on the forum.
You can keep a human in a closet, or a German Shepard in a microwave box, but neither situation is humane or proper or even very practical.
Stupid rules? "Stupid" I could discuss, but it would not be on the tank stocking guidlines, more likey on the absurdiities that come up on the forum.