How Many And What Fish

[ilovetofarm]

Hi all i am new to the fish keeping hobby. i have a tank that is 48 inch by 24 by 24 that i got for free from an old mate that had two gold fish but they died it looks cool on top of an old piano we got in the spair room i got a filter and heater rocks and a small bit of driftwood i have had the filter running for about tht weeks now(three cant write got big thingers) the shop told me i can have about eighty fis but to me that seems a bit too many can any one out there give me a bit of advice i yried going online but the computet thing is way over my head i am a farmer so i sould stick to cows pig and sheep but id like to make a go off this . many thanks

 

[guppy2002]

wow, you seem REALLY open.  first I would like to know how many gallons the tank is.(I dont usually get the right idea of size in my head if the size is in inches). second of all, do you want a freshwater or saltwater aquarium? I would stick to the inch of fish per gallon rule, and you are right, you must be careful of overstocking.(another  reason to measure in gallons . but if you have schooling fish(witch I love) you can go a little bit over since they stick together. I am mostly familiar with guppies( my fave.), bettas, otto catfish, tetras, and rasboras. 
 
if you answer those questions I am sure we can all help you more

 

[ShinySideUp]

Eighty fish!!!!! I have a 170 (US) gallon tank that is six feet long and I have no more than fifty and many of them are small. You can only house the number of fish that the tank and filter can take and that can be computed at a later date but for now you must start your filter off. See the stickies on this forum for how to do that.

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Welcome aboard!

 

[DerpPH]

Well a good community set up will look good

How bout a tank with various tetras, bristle noses and a centerpiece fish(like angelfish)sound?

 

[HHH]

wow, you seem REALLY open.  first I would like to know how many gallons the tank is.(I dont usually get the right idea of size in my head if the size is in inches). second of all, do you want a freshwater or saltwater aquarium? I would stick to the inch of fish per gallon rule, and you are right, you must be careful of overstocking.(another  reason to measure in gallons . but if you have schooling fish(witch I love) you can go a little bit over since they stick together. I am mostly familiar with guppies( my fave.), bettas, otto catfish, tetras, and rasboras. 
 
if you answer those questions I am sure we can all help you more

Im guessing its a 55gal since they are the most common tanks by 48. Im not sure on my measurments ethier so i can be very far off

 

[fluttermoth]

If it's a 4'x2'x2', it'll be 100 UK gallons, or 450 litres.

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

wow, you seem REALLY open.  first I would like to know how many gallons the tank is.(I dont usually get the right idea of size in my head if the size is in inches). second of all, do you want a freshwater or saltwater aquarium? I would stick to the inch of fish per gallon rule, and you are right, you must be careful of overstocking.(another  reason to measure in gallons

. but if you have schooling fish(witch I love) you can go a little bit over since they stick together. I am mostly familiar with guppies( my fave.), bettas, otto catfish, tetras, and rasboras. 
 
if you answer those questions I am sure we can all help you more

 
The gallon per fish rule should never be used. It is most of the time inaccurate and ends up over stocking the tank. Please, do not put a 10 inch fish in a ten gallon tank!
 
First, cycle your tank. If it isn't cycled the ammonia builds up and quickly harms the fish. Learn how to cycle and about cycling in general here- http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first
 
Once you have cycled your tank, it is time to decide fully on what kind of tank you want to have. Tropical, temperate, cold water. (Im not sure if temperate and cold water are the same thing, are they?) Maybe a biotope like african biotope, south american biotope, central american biotope etc. Or, just an awesome community tank!
 
Whatever you decide. Make sure you do alot of research on that fish! Or you may end up trying to rehome a red devil cichlid who can grow a foot long in a 12 x 24 x 12 tank

 

[Essjay]

 

The gallon per fish rule should never be used. It is most of the time inaccurate and ends up over stocking the tank. Please, do not put a 10 inch fish in a ten gallon tank!
 

 
 
The rule is usually quoted incomplete. The full rule is 1 inch of slim bodied fish that grow no bigger than 3inches, per gallon. But even quoted fully it is not a good rule.

 

[guppy2002]

thats a good point.

 

[ilovetofarm]

thanks for the great advice ill stick to 15 neons my son got me for now
again thanks

 

[DerpPH]

Well to make it look even better you can buy corydoras catfish. tHey ike to be in groups like the neon tetras and they practically live in the same environment.
 
Also if you need algae eating fish/inverts you can try nerite snails, otocinclus(weekly supplements of zuccini and algae wafer), BRistle nosed pleco(same as otocinclus), Shrimps(would be hart to find in the tank.
 
Cheers

 

[ilovetofarm]

thanks again for the advice from you all done a part water change how often can i put new fish in the temp is 78 deg the neons are doing fine think i may need a light bet you all think im a propper numbskull ..p.s thanks again

 

[Jeremy180]

Something Important I would like to point out.
Fish tanks weigh about 10 pounds per gallon when full.
If your dimensions are correct, you have a 120 gallon tank, that means you have about 1,200 pounds, or well over half a ton, of live weight.
Even if the Piano doesn't collapse immediately, the constant weight may make the top sag over time, until the buildup of stress from the uneven support causes the tank to crack, or worse.

 

[rms]

Here is a useful link to calculate your g/l capacity based on size. Don't hang me if it's incorrect 

 
http/www.ifocas.org/calculator.htm