so i have been reading and i have to admit, even i have forgotten the rule of how many inches of fish to how many gallons of water. seems like if we want to add a fish we always turn to some one else for information. so what is the rule? :huh: :read:
how how many inches to what now?
- Thread starter wannabefishguru
- Start date
http://aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26409
This should help. You keep looking for answers long enough and you'll find some, here, other places and from experience. Then you can help other people find them too. I don't think anyone here has never needed help.
This should help. You keep looking for answers long enough and you'll find some, here, other places and from experience. Then you can help other people find them too. I don't think anyone here has never needed help.
Inches of fish to gallons is not a real method. You need to look at how big the fish will get and how much waste it will produce. You then need to determin if the fish will be healthy in your size tank and if you have enough filtration to care for the new fish.
I believe what Jericho is saying is that there is no general rule - the inch of fish per gallon was a "rule" created early in the last century before filtration was prevalant. It depends on the fish - one inch of neon does not equal one inch of oscar. Bioload is one aspect to consider, as is adult size, aggression, and activity level. What will your filtration be? How often do you like to do water changes? There are many threads here at AC and on the internet in general that suggest stocking levels based on the sizes of tanks and the kinds of fish desired. The real "rule" of tank stocking is to do as much research as you can before you even buy the tank, much less the fish. Oh, and the other rule - have fun and enjoy!
personally i have never packed a tank to question the "so called" inch/gallon rule but as a basic is to look for:
adult length of fish
adult width of fish
adult height of fish in needed such as discus
filtration/bioload
bottom, middle or top of were the fish perfer
tank size
fish satisfaction
does that cover it?
http://aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26409
sure does show a new perspective on it.
adult length of fish
adult width of fish
adult height of fish in needed such as discus
filtration/bioload
bottom, middle or top of were the fish perfer
tank size
fish satisfaction
does that cover it?
http://aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26409
sure does show a new perspective on it.
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.
I read this somewhere, it might have even been from this site, but I thought this was pretty good, but still general, and no real consistent "rule". I think the link at the bottom is to the site this came from, not sure
Fish per gallon rules
Small, torpedo shaped fish -4" Adult: 1" per gallon
Mid sized torpedo shaped fish 4"-10" Adult: 1" per 3 gallons
Minnows and larger Torpedo shaped fish +10": 1" per 5 gallons and long length tank
Dwarf Cichlids: 1-2" per gallon
Midsized peaceful Cichlids: 1" per 2 gallons
Midsized aggressive Cichlids: 1" per 5 gallons (exceptions with Africans)
Large sized Peaceful cichlids (including Discus): 1" per 10-15 gallons
Large sized Aggressive Cichlids: 1" per 15 gallons
Small Cats under 4": 1" per 1-2 gallons
Midsized cats 4"-8": 1" per 5 gallons
Large cats 8"-14": 1" per 10 gallons
Giant cats: +14"-3ft or greater: 1" per 20 gallons (or a lake)
Goldfish Fancies and indoor pond comets ~10": 15 gallons per fish
Koi: 20 gallons per fish
Pond Goldies: 20 gallons per fish
Carp: you need a lake at this point
Dwarf plecos and loaches ~6": 1" per 2-3 gallons
Mid sized plecos and loaches 6"-9": 1" per 5 gallons
Larger plecos and Larger loaches ~10": 1" per 10 gallons
Special fish (eels, gobies, brackish, puffers, etc.): check databases for necessary sized tanks
Just a very VERY general guide.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co...._calculator.php
Fish per gallon rules
Small, torpedo shaped fish -4" Adult: 1" per gallon
Mid sized torpedo shaped fish 4"-10" Adult: 1" per 3 gallons
Minnows and larger Torpedo shaped fish +10": 1" per 5 gallons and long length tank
Dwarf Cichlids: 1-2" per gallon
Midsized peaceful Cichlids: 1" per 2 gallons
Midsized aggressive Cichlids: 1" per 5 gallons (exceptions with Africans)
Large sized Peaceful cichlids (including Discus): 1" per 10-15 gallons
Large sized Aggressive Cichlids: 1" per 15 gallons
Small Cats under 4": 1" per 1-2 gallons
Midsized cats 4"-8": 1" per 5 gallons
Large cats 8"-14": 1" per 10 gallons
Giant cats: +14"-3ft or greater: 1" per 20 gallons (or a lake)
Goldfish Fancies and indoor pond comets ~10": 15 gallons per fish
Koi: 20 gallons per fish
Pond Goldies: 20 gallons per fish
Carp: you need a lake at this point
Dwarf plecos and loaches ~6": 1" per 2-3 gallons
Mid sized plecos and loaches 6"-9": 1" per 5 gallons
Larger plecos and Larger loaches ~10": 1" per 10 gallons
Special fish (eels, gobies, brackish, puffers, etc.): check databases for necessary sized tanks
Just a very VERY general guide.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co...._calculator.php
wataugachicken said:
I do not buy that either, you can have a 50 gallon tank that is square that will have the same surface area as a tank that is tall and narrow and you can not stock the two tanks the same. I would love to have an easy calculation that you could plug a few numbers in and pick your fish, but there are to many variables to consider.