Fish Rules

[LetsBeFriends]

I was wondering what everyone thought on the 1 gallon per inch of fish rule that most fish stores at least around me say is a very important.

 

[Ian H]

a load of bull poo IMHO.

Just use your head eg dont get a common/sailfin plec unless you have at least 5x2x2 tank ect ect

 

[BigC]

Not a hard and fast rule only a guideline but dont overstep too far. Higher fish stocking means more maintenance on behalf of the aquarist.

 

[pauly]

Its just a guideline aimed at beginners to allow them to comfortably cope with their new hobby.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

As a rough guide it works. As a hard and fast rule its rubbish.

For example I gould have a 100 gallon tank with only half a foot of surface area (exagerated situation but makes a point ). If I followed the rule I could have have 100" of fish in there. In reality the lack of surface area would mean you could only have a few fish in there.

The surface area is just as important as the water volume.

The next thing to consider is the actual size of the fish in relation to the tank and their habits. A large fast moving fish will need a lot of swim room (a 5ft tank for example) while an equally large slow moving fish might be fine with a tank that is only 2ft long. Just because a tank is 24g doesnt mean you could fit a 2ft fish in it Also some fish need to have their own space (cichlids for example) and this needs to be taken into account also.

I pretty much use this system though still for most of my stocking.

I count:
1inch of a slim bodied fish (ie a cardinal tetra) as 1/2"
1 inch of think bodied fish (ie tiger barbs) as 1"
1 inch of messy/large bodied fish (ie plecos) as 1-2"

Also if I have a take with shoaling fish I would tend to overstock (depending on tank size, fish, etc) but I always overfilter my tanks and do weekly water changes.

So in short if you are new to fish keeping it is a good general guide. Once you know about the fish you are keeping though it can be adapted or ignored.

 

[bucksgill]

Could you overstock say if all the fish were happy and the water parameters were fine, obviously with a good filter and maintenance(sp?)?

 

[BigC]

Yes you can but more frequent maintenance especially waterchanges and cleanliness is paramount. Again dont overstep the guidline by too much.

 

[bucksgill]

Yes you can but more frequent maintenance especially waterchanges and cleanliness is paramount. Again dont overstep the guidline by too much.

Ok thank you. Im not anywhere near overstocking atm, im just a curious person.

 

[LetsBeFriends]

yea i read about the surface area thing one another post here, good to know, i like to think of myself as a little bit above beginner as i have been fish keeping for about half a year now, with pretty good results(am i right to think that) i just didn't know if i went over the "amount of inches" my tank could hold what would happen.

 

[Ian H]

Dont worry, i think of myself as an expirenced fish keep but i dont really know if im over stocked!!

but sadly if you even know what the cycle is then your above an average fish keeper

 

[CathyGo]

The one inch of fish per gallon rule is particularly useful if you work in a fish store. It makes it easy to explain to people why those tiny 3 gallon set-ups can only hold a few guppies(same sex), a betta, or a killifish. For goldfish we use a 2 gallons per inch rule to demonstrate how messy those guys are and why a tiny 1/2 gallon bowl is not likely to keep them alive past a week or so.

 

[LetsBeFriends]

do you mean the nitrification cycle???

 

[Tolak]

Stocking is just as much art as science, the inch per gallon guideline is a good starting point. Once you start to get a little more experience you can easily double that rate.

 

[Bignose]

Here is a reply I made in an old thread:

Firstly, the amount of waste a fish will produce is primarily based upon the mass or volume of the fish. Consider that a 4 inch streamlined, torpedo-shaped rasbora will not be producing the same amount of waste as a rotund, beer-bellied 4 inch molly who is in a late-term pregnancy.

Secondly, the one inch per gallon rule becomes very silly in the limit of large fish. 20 one inch fish (like small tetras) can be very happy in a 20 gal tank, but obviously one 20 inch fish will not.

Thirdly, the species of fish enters into consideration. Fish from rapidly moving, highly oxygenated waters will require more water per fish than fish from slow moving stagnant ponds. This is where research becomes necessary. Also, some fish are very territorial. A 5 inch fish may claim much more than 5 gallons as its own personal space.

Finally, the fishkeeper's caretaking habits can change the balance as well. If you commit to increased water changes and caretaking, and you 'over-filter' your tank, you can get away with overstocking. But this is only recommended for the more experienced fishkeepers. Likewise, if you want to be lazier, you can plant your tank to help process the fishs' pollution but that requires an aquatic green thumb so-to-say. There are whole other issues for keeping aquatic plants alive.

Many, many factors that "one inch per gallon" cannot take into account. It is just a starting point, and a good place to help newer fishkeepers not run out and purchase as many fish as can fit in a small tank. To be completely accurate, all the above factors, and maybe several I have not even considered, need to be taken into account. Whatever the result will be, it will not be as catchy as "one inch per gallon" which again, is only a starting point.

So the point is, and people have posted above, you have to research the fish you want to keep, and you have to know your own abilities.

 

[Leedsboi86]

You can actualy go way over the guideline but it means more water changes, more tests, and basicaly more care.

I know a local vets near me who has a 5G tank on there reception with 10 Albino Tetras, 10 Neon Tetras and 3 Platies and they all seem healthy.
They do have alot of plants tho too, I asked her how she kept them alive and apprently she does a 15% water change every 3 days and a test every week.

Might not be good for the fish I dunno but it can be done >.< I don't reccomend it tho