does the rule of thumb "one inch of fish for every gallon of water" include long tail fins?

Answer 1

Pretty much, yeah. Fish with long fins need more room, simply because they have long fins (for example, a guy who is 6'4 and 300 lbs doesn't breathe that much more air than a guy who is 5'11 and 220 lbs, but he'll need more room to move around just because he's bigger, and his arms are longer, etc).

So even though the body of a betta fish, for example, is only 1.5" long, he should still be given at least 3 gallons of water.

However, the rule of thumb you just mentioned is a very basic rule, put into place to help newcomers to the hobby know to not put TOO many fish in their tanks. There's a lot more to it than that; behaviour, activity level (top, middle, bottom), territory, schooling behaviour etc, all come into play. Certain fish are as tall as they are long (angelfish and discus for example, should be alloted 20 gallons to start with, and then 10 gallons for each fish). Fancy goldfish only hit 3-4-5", and they need 20 gallons each. The rule ceases to work when you're dealing with fish bigger than a couple inches.

Anyway, if you're looking into stocking your tank, I suggest you go to http://www.fishforums.com
It's a great resource. Try to avoid talking to the people are your local fish store, they are full of bad avice, usually. Just there to sell fish. And above all, before you buy anything, write it down, come home and research it before you buy it.

Answer 2

This is a very mis-leading rule. A fish needs a certain amount of room to swim freely, long fins need more. Also there are fish that are "tall" like angelfish and discus, and fish that are Extreme Poop Machines like goldfish, loaches, and plecostomus that need far more than "one inch per gallon".

Angelfish, just as an example, need a minimum of ten gallons per fish!

The rule really only comes close to working with fish who never grow much more than one inch long, such as tetras.

I suggest you talk to the fish manager at your LFS. (Local Fish Store). Another great resource would be a local Aquaria Society, most of which have an online forum where they happily answer questions for members and non-members alike.

Answer 3

the completed "one inch in line with gallon" is pretend. there is not any magic stocking rule for all fish. are you able to imagine a 10 inch Oscar in a tank gallon tank? Do analyze on the certain fish and what number gallons they favor. Bettas require a minimum of 5 gallons. Snails and shrimp commonly favor 2-3 gallons.

Answer 4

This rule should completly be scrapped. It's a myth and a really crappy one at that.


All fish need a certain setting, and thier size is only one thing you need to take into account when housing it. I suggest reading the link below for further info on stocking your tank :)

Answer 5

NO it is head to tip of the tail