The "inch of fish per gallon" is a simple guideline, but doesn't take into account body shape - fish with wide or deep bodies produce more wastes than fish with thin, slender bodies. ten one-inch neons in a ten gallon tank would be okay, but a single 10 inch oscar would not.
Another guideline uses grams of fish per liter of water - this will take body shape into consideration because a "wider" or "taller" fish will have more weight from the additional body mass (but have you ever tried to weigh a fish?). There's also an inches of fish (okay, we already know the problem here) per surface area - multiply the length and width of your tank and divide this number by 12 for the "inches" of fish to keep - this is the only method that takes into consideration the shape of the tank and the O2/CO2 exchange. None of the methods considers space needs based on activity level or the territoriality/aggressivness of the individual species either. Also, some species have preferences for the area they occupy in the tank - the bottom fish, midwater, and surface species.
The "guidelines" as I've given them above will apply to typical, freshwater species only. Some species should only be kept one, or a mated pair to any sized tank, others should have more room if sensitive to environmental conditions because a larger tank will keep temperature and chemistry more consistent. And then there's saltwater.
None of these methods will mean anything if you overfeed or don't perform water changes and cleaning on a regular basis. You can get away with higher stocking rates with larger filters and/or using a sump (hidden tank plumbed to your fish tank to increase your overall water volume (this is what fish stores use, which is why they look overstocked, plus they usually have an automatic water replacement system that changes a set volume per hour) Maybe the best thing to do is calculate using several methods and take an average, or consider your committment and experience in fishkeeping (or lack thereof) and keep the stocking at the lower end of the range - this would be the safest method.
So I'd have to say no single method is completely accurate - it's best to consider all these factors and arrive at your own realistic stocking rate. If in doubt, understock. I don't know of many problems that arise from having too FEW fish, as long as you have an adequate number for the species that prefer to be in schools.
2007-07-31 05:17:00
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answer #1
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answered by copperhead 7
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Don't follow the 1 inch per 1 gallon rule, because you can't have a 10 inch Bala Shark in a 10 gallon tank. An approximate guideline to the amount of fish that you can have in a tank is: Multiply the length and width then divide by 12. A standard 55 gallon tank is 48 X 13 X 20. Multiply 48 and13, you get 624, then divide by 12. Then you get 52, which is the approximate inches of fish that you can have in your tank.
~ZTM
2007-07-31 06:42:12
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answer #2
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answered by ZooTycoonMaster 6
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Measure in adult fish inches. If you get a 3 inch pacu you have to say its a 14 inch fish, because that's what size it is when its an adult.
a 5 gallon tank can safely hold 4, 1 inch neon tetras.
But a 5 gallon tank is not a suitable home for even just one 1 inch goldfish. Goldfish can get 10 inches or more fully grown depending on breed.
So old rule most of us don't really go by anymore is
One inch of fish per gallon minimum. One inch per adult size fish not current size of fish. That is MAX stocking level. One fish less than that is far better. I tell you I have 4 large goldfish in a 55 gallon and I change a lot of water weekly to keep them healthy. My tank is fully stocked, and I'm thinking of setting up an additional tank to remove one of them from the system so they all have more room to grow.
2007-07-31 05:24:55
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answer #3
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answered by Sunday P 5
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Cycle the 55gal tank first. This should take between 1 and 2 weeks. provided the fish are all small: Then introduce half the fish. Wait 2 weeks. Then introduce the remaining fish. If they are large - only 1 or 2 at a time with 2 weeks inbetween each intro..
2016-05-18 23:20:39
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answer #4
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answered by ? 3
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The wise thing to do is forget any silly rules of thumb, which could not possibly apply to every type of fish or every tank, and use research and common sense. "/gallon works well for small, peaceful fish only, but it does work in this case if you don't want to think for yourself.
First decide on the type of fish. Learn what kind of environment they prefer, what kind of tankmates they prefer, what numbers they do best kept in, and how big they get, and how territorial they are. Then, and only then, will the smart fishkeeper start considering how many to get.
2007-07-31 05:17:29
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answer #5
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answered by Ghapy 7
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Charlie, you are completely off with your green terror example
Here is actually a site that tells you exactly the needs of a green terror, and what does it say? oh yeah a minimum of 50 gallon tank for them, hmmmm interesting
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1956&articleid=2552
The 1 in rule for 1 gallon of water is a complete humbug
It all depends on the fish, even one goldfish is suppose to have at least 10 gallon, and they get bigger then 10 inch, so no that is not true
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
2007-07-31 05:20:41
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answer #6
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answered by Kribensis lover 7
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LOL i asked this question before you can put 1in per 1 gallon but it should be the maximum size of the fish like say a green terror its max. is 10 in thats ten gallons i hope this helped good luck....
ohh you should really just have about six fish in the tank if you are getting fish that grow big
it would be best if you want your tank to look like there's many fish in the tank you should get a 3cory catfish they dont grow that bigg,blue rams like 4 maybe,2 key whole cichlids,4 buffalohead(humphead) cichlids
hope i helped good luck
2007-07-31 05:15:08
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answer #7
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answered by charlie lakeo 2
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When I set up my first tank 10 years ago, the aquarium store person told me "one inch of fish per gallon". I've always stuck by that rule of thumb and have had very successful, happy aquariums.
2007-07-31 05:17:09
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answer #8
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answered by stormydogblue 2
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Rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon, so if you have 55 inches of fish, that as much as you tank can hold.
Good Luck
2N!$H
2007-07-31 05:22:08
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answer #9
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answered by Tunish305 3
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There is no steadfast "rule." It truly all depends on the species of fish. The things that need to be considered are length, girth, aggressiveness and, in the case of goldfish, how much waste they produce. The longer, wider around, more aggressive or bigger pooper they are, the more water they exponentially need. Tiny fish like guppies could get away with the 1 inch per 1 gallon of water myth. New world cichlids are long, wide and aggressive and require 30-50 gallons of water per fish. Plecos and goldfish, for example, can grow to 2 or more feet, so 100+ gallons would be required per fish. You just need to know your fish and the suggested requirements for that fish.
2007-07-31 05:15:42
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answer #10
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answered by Venice Girl 6
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