Standard Equipment Sizes For Uk And Us

[Ami]

Hi

Whilst searching for a standard tank to fit into an alcove in my house, I came across this and thought it might be of use for any newbies out there who're still considering purchasing that new tank or who were unsure of stocking levels:

Standard Tank Sizes & Stocking Levels

Please bear in mind however that the stocking levels shown are based on the 1" of fish per 12sq" of surface area, which allows more fish for a wider tank than one of the same volume that is taller. In some cases, this means that you can therefore have more fish in your tank than you would following the 1" per gallon rule that is often quoted to newbies. NB: - these rules apply to the adult sizes of the fish.

The stocking levels shown on the tables on the linked site should therefore be treated as the absolute maximum number of fish you should have in your tank once it has matured, which means you should wait at least 6 months for everything to have settled down first. The same applies if you've decided to go with the 1" per gallon rule and are upping this to 2" after 6 months.

I would also remind all you newbies out there that it is important to add your fish slowly to allow the beneficial bacteria (which is not something you get from drinking Yakult!) to multiply and cope with the additional load on your filter. So please don't fill your 20g tank with 20" of fish as soon as it's cycled and similarly don't immediately double this after 6 months!

As the more experienced members of TFF have pointed out on many occassions, the stocking guidelines are just that - guidelines. When stocking your tanks it is important that you consider all aspects of your tank (eg measurements, volume, available surface area for oxygen absorption, filtration, planting levels, feeding, swimming, sociability and not forgetting toilet habits of the fish. For example, if you have a 7.5g tank (18x12x12") that allows you to fit in 18" of fish, don't go sticking in a 12" common plec as he'll not have enough space to turnaround let alone swim and is also very, very messy!

You may see stocking levels for experienced members that are above what you would expect from the stocking guidelines, however these members have been keeping fish for far longer than you and know what they're doing, so please do not try to copy this until you've got some more experience under your belt. I've been keeping fish for almost 10 years now and still wouldn't overstock as I don't feel confident in doing so.

The best piece of advice that could be given to any newbie is simply this - if in doubt, ask! There are plenty of people here who've already exhausted the available space for tanks in their own houses and will be more than happy to help you plan yours.

Just remember one thing: if you ask if a particular stocking plan will work and the more experienced members of the forum advise you against it, please don't go ahead regardless. Forum members will always be happy to give you any help and advice, but may be reluctant to do this if they know you've ignored advice in the past.

Good luck finding that perfect tank!

Ami

 

[Ami]

Also on the same site there is this:

Recommended Heater Sizes

and this

Recommended Substrates

and basically a whole library of helpful info:

Information Library


I wasn't sure if I should post any of this, it being from another site and all, but I figured that everyone on this forum is always very willing to help and happily posts links to other sites with easy to follow info, so I didn't think anyone would mind! )

If anyone does, please let me know and I'll delete the posts ASAP.

Ami

 

[seanc]

"So please don't fill your 20g tank with 20" of fish as soon as it's cycled"

Actually that depends on how you cycled your filter.. if you used the fishless method of adding ammonia, and then don't go on to add nearly all your fish at once some of your bacteria will be lost due to insufficient food. I can understand adding slowly after that to allow the bacteria populations to multiply but not immediately after cycling.

 

[Ami]

"So please don't fill your 20g tank with 20" of fish as soon as it's cycled"

Actually that depends on how you cycled your filter.. if you used the fishless method of adding ammonia, and then don't go on to add nearly all your fish at once some of your bacteria will be lost due to insufficient food. I can understand adding slowly after that to allow the bacteria populations to multiply but not immediately after cycling.

That might be a problem, but I think that overloading your filter and then risking a mini-cycle once the fish are in the tank because the filter can't cope is more risky. Then you have to do almost daily water changes to prevent any loss of livestock.

We want newbies to be successful but also to enjoy their fish - having their first few fish die and having to do daily water changes may just put some people of and we don't want that!

Once again, the stocking levels are only guidelines and if you're an experienced fishkeeper you can get away with more than a novice would because you know the warning signs to look out for.

But I wouldn't recommend to anyone to fully stock their tank immediately.

Ami

PS - I did a fishless cycle for the first time when I restocked my FW tank. I added my fish fairly slowly, I think it was gouramis first, then the next week the neons, then a couple of weeks later the barbs with some shrimp, then a couple of months later the pygmy corys with a few more shrimp. I didn't experience any problems.