What is the ratio for fish per gallon?

Question

I heard that it was 1 fish per gallon but my tank is 55gals. I know i can't put 55 fish in there. I do have about 22.

Answer 1

the general rule is 1 inch per gallon. although this can be bent a little depending on surface area and amount of filtration.

Answer 2

There is no rule when determining how many fish to put in a fish tank. The one inch per gallon rule is just for small stream lined fish but 55 in a tank is way too much. about the twenty you have know should be good if they are small growing only. If you want goldfish I would suggest only three or four. Oscars only two at best. Pacus one. The rule changes for each type of fish you have. What are the fish you have right now? Maybe the tank is over crowed as if.

Answer 3

It depends on the type of fish and how big they get I think the ratio is 1 gallon per inch of fish. so if u have 1 fish that is 20 inches and another fish that is 25 inches then I would say only 2...But if u have 55 - 1 inch fish I would say that is enough. Just remember that most fish u get at pet stores are young and will grow. The best place to ask about fish is like petco.

Answer 4

That 1 inch of fish per gallon rule is not right. Think about it this way... 12 inches of an oscar does not equal 12 inches of neon tetras. The oscar is way thicker and messier than 12 neon tetras. Not only that, it depends on how aggressive your fish are. Aggressive fish need more space.

Here's a list of possiblities since you didn't include a stocking list.

22 tetras, rasboras, danio, cory cats, etc are fine (and probably even a little under stocked)
22 African cichlids- over stocked (over filtration will help but they may kill one another to get territory)
22 large Neo-tropical cichlids- WAY over stocked
22 dwarf Neo-tropical cichlids might be okay but may be too many.

Answer 5

Large and medium fish types the rule changes. Small type fish like neon tetras, guppies, molly fish are small enough that you can get away with an inch per gallon. Think about it this way. We all live in houses and like to hide away. The tank should have at least one hiding place for each fish to be happy theoretically otherwise your tank is crowded.

The top part of the tank should be clear of decorations and plants to allow fish to exercise. The tank should have the appropriate or larges capacity filter, air pump, heater, and lights. You do not want your fish to suffer because your equipment struggles to do its job. A little over sized or overkill on the equipment only helps! What they only installed air conditioner and heater just big enough for the house. It would never turn off and it would struggle to heat and cool your house.

Medium sized fish like Bala Sharks, Oscars, Cichlids will need more water than the littler guys because due to size they are more active, especially Bala Sharks which have been known to jump out of tanks. To know the amount of water needed you should figure out the mass of the fish. Basically how area it takes up or displaces like a car engine. In carpentry they call it a "BOARD FOOT" or 12" wide x 12" long x 1" thick = 1 board foot. For a standard fish gallon, it could be said that 1 standard fish INCH per GALLON. so 1" wide by 1" long by 1" thick per gallon or even 2 gallons and maybe more for the sharks. So, if I have Oscars that are small when I bought them but I know sooner or later I will have to upgrade my little buddies to a bigger tank. How do I know when? Well lets do the math, at first I have 3 Oscars that are 1 inch tall by 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. 1x3x1x3=9 I need at least 9-18 gallons tank! That may seem excessive but you want them to be happy and have room to stretch their fins and GROW!

Large fish like Tilapia, Swia, Salmon will need a lot more water just due to size of fish and their nature. If you are planning on farming these fish then you want to triple if not quadruple the amount of water, remember overkill is NOT a bad thing. The more water the better. These fish can start out very small when fry but they will grow to be massive creatures that are larger than cats and most dogs in a very short period of time! Swia can grow to weigh over 100 lbs in a year. Tilapia are similar to Bala Sharks that they like to swim fast and can be known to jump if the tank is too small! Any fish in the large category should most likely be taken care of by an experienced agriculturist. They may sell them at the pet store, which is wrong because a lot of the breeds of Tilapia, Swia and Salmon are becoming endangered species due to over farming here in the United States and in other nations around the world including Asia.

Answer 6

1-2 per gallon

Answer 7

it all depends on how big the fish are. if you get big fish i would only put a few in the tank, but if they are little im sure you could put a lot more in. just be careful with the type of fish that you put together because they could end up eating or killing each other. you wouldnt want that to happen because salt water fish are extremely expensive.

Answer 8

in 55 gals, i think you can have 30 fishes and above if your fishes are guppies type (small fishes) ..


although theorigically says 1 inch fish per gal, but its really depends on how you mentain ur tank.. if you prefer to have more fishes, then just go for it.

Keep water change and clean filter weekly will helps your fishes grow healthier and happier.. control well in their diet ..

Answer 9

I was told 1 inch per gallon, but I would go with less unless you want to be changing your filter every other day.

Answer 10

1 inch per fish per gallon but take in to consideration adult size and go ahead and figure that in now