question about fish stocking heuristics

psariandras

psariandras

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May 18, 2007
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I have read that 2-3 inches per fish per gallon is appropriate; however, my question is: are the gallons of the display tank the only variable in using this heuristic or can gallons in sump increase the amount of fish that can be kept in a tank.

My tank is 29gallon but will have 30 or 50 gallon sump, so will the sump allow more than the 2-3 inch per gallon rule? Could I add one inch of fish to the display tank per 20 gallons of sump(beyond the 2 inches per gallon in the display) or something like that- or is it a matter of only swimming space?


I want to have some small shrimp, starfish(es), (maybe other small inverts for cleanup), a royal gramma, a small goby and something that is compatible and swims in the upper tank, maybe some small chromis - does this sound like too much?
 
I'm no expert, but I'm not the biggest fan of the inch per gallon rule, particularly as it applies to sumps.

While adding a sump allows additional water volume, which should keep the water quality better, it doesn't always help out with adding fish. In addition to water volume, some other consideration are:

-- How much rock you have (if you add a fish that picks things off rocks or likes to hide)

-- Are they swimming or hovering fish. I think smaller fish that swim alot need as much, if not more room, than a larger fish which doesn't swim around as much

-- Are the fish occupying the same space. A tank with 4 bottom dwelling fish might be more crowded than a larger one.

Personally, I think 3-4 fish is fine in a 29 gallon assuming you stick with fish in the small to medium size (grammas, chromis, etc) plus inverts. You might be able to add a couple more depending on size, behavior, etc.

Right now, I only have 4 fish in my 55 gallon and I'm not sure how many more I'll add. I might add a couple more but I'm not sure. If you take it slowly, you should be fine.
 
The rule for freshwater is 1" per gallon and saltwater (fish only) 1" per 2-3 gallons. (that's an old rule that I haven't heard in a long time though) not 2-3" per gallon. It's merely a guide though. Having the sump increases the total water capacity of your system, but it doesn't provide your fish with any more room to establish territories, etc. While it will make your system more stable and give you a higher margin for error, the stocked full level isn't going to be that much different.
 
Sorry I said the old rule incorrectly; I was thinking it the correct way but typed it out wrong.lol I also read in a really old book that the surface area of the bottom of the tank is the main determinant for fish stocking, something like 3 inches of surface per one inch of fish.
 
By eiter of those rules you could keep a panter grouper in a 10-20 gallon tank for life, those rules suck. Judge your fish by your tank size and set up. The more rock you have and the better your skimmer and clean up crew the more you can stock, but fish on adverage, IMO, should be no longer than 1/2-3/4 long as the width of your tank.
 
Just like the pirate code, "it is more of what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. LOL It also requires that you use a little tiny bit of common sense.[FONT=Arial,] [/FONT]
 
I knew the rules were not compleletly accurate, although my point is that some LFS and books assert that the rules are set in stone, when really using the rules could be disasterous. Seems like there is a lot of misinformation about this hobby.

I checked out the university library and they only have a few books on the hobby most of the titles published before 1980. I am going to have to go to amazon.com or somewhere online to find some good reading.
 
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