Question About Volume

[MermaidMel]

So you buy a tank and you use the calculator and work out its basic volume, i.e. 55 gallon.
Then you might fill it with decor, such as bogwood, rocks etc. and the volume suddenly becomes considerably less especially a malawi or marine set up because of the sheer amount of rock. But on the whole, would it be fair to say you still consider that you have a 55 gallon and stock it accordingly?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yes i don't worry over room taken up for decor, remember these stocking guidelines are just that, guidelines. if you're just talking a few bits of decor it won't be significant enough to influence things, and the tanks you mentioend where you use a lot of rock work the stocking guidelines are different anyway.

 

[MermaidMel]

OK sounds good.
What about the 3D structured background I have which is made of polystyrene, do I say my tank is 14" wide or 12" wide, because when you're talking about 47" across it's about 9 gallons difference, I was quite shocked to discover that.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

well in terms of actual swimming space it's 12" wide, some fish don't just need x gallons space, they may need certain dimensions, so dimensionally look at the actual swimming space available.

the structured backgrounds are not flat, so it's not going to be 2" less all the way along, it'll go in and out so the volume is different, i suspect if you managed to work out the actual volume of water it'd be closed to just 3/4 gallons different, there's enough flexibility in the stockling guidelines to handle this sort of difference so don't fret over it.

 

[MermaidMel]

Cheers chick, I had a panic on and thought omg I have nowhere near the space I thought. Wise words. Ta