Member

Posts: 122
From:orangeville,ontario, canada
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-18-2004 08:18 PM         

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Hi all i am just wondering if this rule is correct 1 inch per fish of adult size because this is the rule i have always used i am just wondering if that is right or wrong and if it if wrong what is the right rule of thumb when to comes to stocking fish
Thanks all

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take a look at my aquarium http://www.bryansaquariums.cjb.net/

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Member

Posts: 194
From:Sterling Heights, MI, U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-18-2004 08:34 PM         

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sounds ok 2 me

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Member

Posts: 501
From:Missouri
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 02-18-2004 08:42 PM         

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It is somewhat correct.

It only applies to small, slender bodied fish such as some tetras, danios, and barbs. Other fish, like cichlids and goldfish, have a much larger mass. 10 1" neons aren't going to produce nearly the same amount of waste as 1 10" oscar. And there's no way you would be able to keep a 10" oscar in a 10 gallon tank, while 10 neons would be fine in one.

So my suggestion is for the smaller fish, go ahead and use that rule, but for anything that gets over 3" or 4", go online and do a little research. You'll likely come up with about 100 sites that have tank size recommendations. Not every site is going to give the exact same tank size, but you can still get a pretty good idea.

-Chelle

[This message has been edited by t_chelle16 (edited 02-18-2004).]

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Posts: 194
From:Sterling Heights, MI, U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-18-2004 08:44 PM         

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actually, t_chelle does have a good point once again. glad you joined this site t_chelle.

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Member

Posts: 122
From:orangeville,ontario, canada
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-18-2004 08:56 PM         

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these are the fish i would be buying and they would be going in a 180 gal tank
Royal Farlowella Cat (Sturistoma sp.) 1
Banded Gourami (Colisa fasciata)2
Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri)4
Boesemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani)2
Ornate Rainbow (Melanotaenia splendida)2
Silver Dollar (Metynnis argenteus) 4
Bolivian Ram (Microgeophagus altispinosa)2

Desert Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida tatei)2
i added the adult size up and it comes to about 80 inches of adult size
So would this be ok or would this be overcrowded

[This message has been edited by Fish Addict (edited 02-18-2004).]

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Member

Posts: 200
From:smithtown, ny, usa
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-19-2004 06:43 AM         

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I think I remember kc5gvn from an old post saying for cichlids the rule was 3 gallons every one inch but still i would add a couple more gallons to the tank depending on the size of the fish because if a pacu gets 30 inches and you use that rule then that basiclly means a 30 inch oacu could fit in a 90 gallon tank so i guess it's all up to common sense.

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Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 02-19-2004 07:22 AM         

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Hi Fish Addict, Since I'm going to be quoted let me give it direct (haha). General rule of thumb is small tropicals like Tetras, Danios and such is 1 inch/gallon of water. For larger tropicals like cichlids roughly 1 inch/3 gallons of water. For example an Oscar will get approximately 14-16 inches at maturity. For 1 Oscar that would be 42-48 gallons. For two Oscars it would be 84-96 gallons. Remember there are other factors that must be taken into account such as feeding habits and turning radius. As in the example above with Oscars, Oscars are messy eaters and are heavy waste producers, as are Goldfish. With fish of this nature it is best to add a few extra gallons to avoid bio-load problems. As another example take a 250 gallon aquarium with a depth from front to back of 3 feet. While a 4 foot South American Arawana would do OK because they are very flexible in turning radius, a 4 foot Tiger Shovelnose Catfish who does not have any flexibility in it's turning radius would not be suitable for that tank regardless of bio-load. I won't even begin to fuel the fire about Pacus here. Just remember there are always exceptions. It's kind of like the grammer rule: I before e except after c, or when sounded like a as in neighbor and weigh, BUT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS. Hope this helps clear this up for you.

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Member

Posts: 122
From:orangeville,ontario, canada
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 02-19-2004 03:43 PM         

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Thanks lots i wish you were around to answer more questions you always answer them just right thanks

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take a look at my aquarium http://www.bryansaquariums.cjb.net/

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