how how many inches to what now?

[GDominy]

someone else help me - i know there's the other method of 1 inch of fish according to the amount of surface area your tank has (in sq. inches) but i can't recall how many square inches of surface area per inch of fish. if you can find it, that is probably a better way to go b/c it assures enough oxygen exchange to let the fish breathe.

Although I don't use this rule either, here is the info I dug up on "about.com"

Surface Area Calculation
The larger the surface area of the water, the greater the oxygen exchange, which in turns supports a larger number of fish. Therefore, surface area of the water directly impacts how many fish can be kept in an aquarium. A tank that is tall and thin may hold the same number of gallons as a tank that is short and wide, yet they have vastly different surface areas.

Using the surface area rule, the shape difference between the tanks is taken into account. The surface area is calculated by multiplying the width times the length of the tank. Under the water surface area rule the tank can be stocked with one inch of fish for each twelve square inches of surface area. However, this calculation has many of the same flaws as the one-inch rule. For instance, it assumes a fairly slender fish, which isn't always the case. If wide-bodied fish will be kept in the tank, the calculation should be changed to one inch of fish for each twenty inches of surface area.

Like the one-inch rule, the surface area rule isn't perfect. Its primary advantage is that it takes into account unusually shaped aquariums.​

 

[SnakeIce]

Again lots of surface area without water movement would support less oxygen wise than less area with good circulation.

To throw a further monkey wrench into that idea I could make a planted tank with a separate conected tank that has reversed lighting scheduals making plants produce all the oxygen needed with only a small opening to let excess gass off.

I tried looking at this with the help from a system of equations and I still only began to make sence of it.

My attempt can be seen in the article section or through the link in my signature.

 

[Hereford]

A formula in Gregory Skomal's "Setting Up a Freshwater Aquarium" suggests 30 square inches of surface area for one inch of coldwater fish and 12 square inches per inch of tropical fish. This seems to make more sense than the inches per gallon rule. In my 10 gallon community tank I have an eclectic mix of neons, platys, corys and danios, along with one butt-ugly, but somehow loveable, pleco, totaling about 21 inches of fish (the pleco is a real curve buster at four inches). According to this formula I am crowding the envelope but so far the fish are happy. If they ever reach full adult size (2.5 inches for platys, 1.5 inches for neons, etc.) I might have a problem. If the pleco grows to full advertised length (11 inches?) I might have to serve him with a little drawn butter and a sprinkle of dill.

 

[wannabefishguru]

all of these equations, ahhh the headeache. seems like everyone has a different method. for all of you who are looking for information if my fish will fit in my tank use some common sence, do some research and seek help here at AC.