1Cm To 1 Litre Stocking Rule

[mrlewis1978]

Hi guys

I have recently got a second 200 litre tank which I have planted, added substrate, cycled etc. Now it is all ready for use so I bought 10 kuhli loaches. They are amazing fish, but really small. They are about 10cm long (and fully grown), so this makes a total of 100 cm for all 10. If I followed the rule of 1 cm per litre, this leaves me only 100 cm of adult fish left. If you have seen an adult kuhli you would know how petite they are so this rule seems ridiculous in these circumstances. Can I use common sense and maybe half their measurements for my stocking levels?

Cheers

 

[Cazgar]

The old inch per gallon or inch per litre is a bit outdated & not really a good guide.
Small slim bodied fish have a much smaller bioload than large chunky ones.
What other fish would you like to have? I'm sure others would help you decide what's suitable

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Like cazar says just ask around here if you wan to add more fish, people will advise appropriately

 

[Akasha72]

am I right in thinking kuhli loaches are more bottom dwelling fish than anything else? I know my Dad had a few when I was a kid and they always stayed near the bottom of the tank (and used to live inside the filter but that's another story!)

If so, have a look at mid - high range fish with 200 litres there's plenty of things open to you.

I've ignored the 'rules' right from the beginning. Common sense tells you when your fully stocked