Help me build a 30 gallon

[astrocreep101]

Okay-

A Couple of you may remember my post two days ago about a ten gallon that was way to overstocked. I dedcided that I couldn't part ways with my angel & sailfin molly; however my red-tail shark I gotta get rid of right? Or atleast should.

Anyways I got a GREAT deal on a 30 gallon and Need to start over again once my ten gallon is cycled, so I got time to think this out nice and easy. The angel and the sailfin only reach out 7 inches apiece so I have 11 inches available. Any cool suggestions? I would like the 30 gal to be realively aggressive. :dance2:

 

[Star_Rider]

okay, I don't advocate the Inch rule. a 30 could house a pair of angels and some dithers. with the sailfin molly.

btw, I think mollies reach about 3-4"

the angel could be as large as 8-10" some larger depending upon the species.
I have a 30 with a pair of angels and a pair of altispinosa(bolivian rams)

 

[astrocreep101]

I thought the inch rule was something all aquarists lived by? Well, besides having fish that need more room to swim.

 

[Rbishop]

The more likely fact is that knowledgable fish keepers use a variety of factors for tank stocking decisions. You can not narrow it down to a simple math issue.
Check out liv2padl's post in this thread, it really gets to the heart of the matter...

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80894

 

[plah831]

absolutely. The inch per gallon rule is outdated. Even when it was advocated, it was more of a rule of thumb, and not a hard-and-fast certainty. Living things are much too variable to be summed up in terms of a one-dimensional (length) measurement.

Definitely check out liv2padl's entry. It touches on bio-load, as well as behavior, compatibility, and dietary considerations. As Rbishop said, those are the factors that experienced fish-keepers use to determine how to stock their tanks. The inch per gallon rule is based only on bio-load, I'm guessing, and breaks down completely with heavy-bodied fish like Oscars.