Black_Tetra
Fish Fanatic
This came from my fish bible (exotic tropical fishes by Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod, Dr. Cliff W. Emmens, Dr. Duncan Sculthorpe, Mr. William Vorderwinkler, Mr. Neal Pronek, and Dr. Warren E Burgess)
This is a fish per tank guide with the water being 75 deg. F (23.9 deg C.)
This is based on the assumption that small fish require less oxygen per gram or ounce of body weight than larger fish.
To use this first get the area (length x width) of the surface of your fish tank.
Body length of-----------No. of fish per 144 sq. in.-----------------------Sq. ins per
fishes in inches--------------- of surface area --------------------------------fish
1/2 inch------------------------------180-------------------------------------------.8
3/4 inch------------------------------100------------------------------------------1.4
1 inch-------------------------------55------------------------------------------2.6
1 1/2 inch-------------------------------20-------------------------------------------6.6
2 inch-------------------------------12------------------------------------------12.5
2 1/2 inch-------------------------------7------------------------------------------20
3 inch------------------------------- 5------------------------------------------30
4 inch-------------------------------2------------------------------------------65
5 inch------------------------------- 1-----------------------------------------120
6 inch------------------------(Need bigger tank) -------------------------------180
This guide applies to most fish except Anabantids which can handle less surface area per fish. Cold water fish can handle 3x less surface area per fish and goldfish can handle 6x less surface area per fish.
I hope I could give you an alternate to the inch of fish per gallon rule.
Don
This is a fish per tank guide with the water being 75 deg. F (23.9 deg C.)
This is based on the assumption that small fish require less oxygen per gram or ounce of body weight than larger fish.
To use this first get the area (length x width) of the surface of your fish tank.
Body length of-----------No. of fish per 144 sq. in.-----------------------Sq. ins per
fishes in inches--------------- of surface area --------------------------------fish
1/2 inch------------------------------180-------------------------------------------.8
3/4 inch------------------------------100------------------------------------------1.4
1 inch-------------------------------55------------------------------------------2.6
1 1/2 inch-------------------------------20-------------------------------------------6.6
2 inch-------------------------------12------------------------------------------12.5
2 1/2 inch-------------------------------7------------------------------------------20
3 inch------------------------------- 5------------------------------------------30
4 inch-------------------------------2------------------------------------------65
5 inch------------------------------- 1-----------------------------------------120
6 inch------------------------(Need bigger tank) -------------------------------180
This guide applies to most fish except Anabantids which can handle less surface area per fish. Cold water fish can handle 3x less surface area per fish and goldfish can handle 6x less surface area per fish.
I hope I could give you an alternate to the inch of fish per gallon rule.
Don
