Stocking Level

[Videl]

Is it true about the 1 gallon per one inch of fish, or is it right to stock the tank according to the surface area. Is this true. Say you have a 10 gallon tank. You keep in that tank two goldfish, each 1 inch. Following the 1 inch per gallon rule, this fish will max out at 5 inches each. Once the fish are 4 inches each in a 10 gallon, can this be a sign to get a larger tank? Just wanted to know.

 

[emma12321]

The one inch per gallon rule only applies to small tropicals under 3 inches long. Goldfish have a rule of 20 gallons for the first fish then 10 gallons for each additional fish. As you have a fancy goldfish, which aren't generally as active as the more slimline varieties he should be fine alone in a 10 gallon for quite some time. The fancy varieties can get 10 inches long though so you will need to upgrade in the future.


Emma

 

[rdd1952]

The 1" per gallon rule is really just a stocking guide. It really depends on several factors. The fish, some (goldfish, plecos, oscars) are messier than others and produce more waste meaning that you can't put as many in a tank. Filtrations, more is always better as long as the flow isn't too strong and stresses the fish. Tank size, some small fish like danios that would easily "fit" in a 10 gallon tank won't do well in it because they are very active and need lots of swimming room. If you are a beginner, I would suggest understocking at the start. It's much easier to keep the water parameters where they need to be.

If your tank is only 10 gallon, you really won't be able to put much in it other than a few small fish like tetras, rasboras or corys. I wouldn't suggest guppies, mollies or platys since they are live bearers and you would have fry very soon and your tank would be over populated.

 

[Luke & Penny]

woo hoo that means i can have nearly 5 foot of fish

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

woo hoo that means i can have nearly 5 foot of fish

why ?

 

[Griz]

This so-called "inch per gallon" rule has probably lead to as many problems as it has prevented. Having a "rule" that is wrong just as often as it is right just leads to problems and confusion for people who are new to the hobby and naturally expect that "rules" are there to be followed. A "rule" that is only right half the time is not a "rule" at all.
[/rant]

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You should always research your fish's living requirements as much as posible before you buy it as many fish don't apply to the 1inch per gal rule, the "rule" is mainly there just to give you an idea of what might be available to your stocking when first start researching your fish.
More important things like how much waste the fish produces, how agressive/nippy it is, how active it is and wether it is a shoaling or solitary fish, what fish it gets along with, what it needs to be fed, how it feeds like wether it is a filter feeded or not for example, how hardy the fish is, what are the chances of it breeding on a regular basis in your tank, gender ratios it needs to be in if you have more than one and of course how big it grows are all important factors to take into consideration rather than just wether the 1inch per gal rule applys to it or not .

 

[lucky62]

True for many smaller fish , but some smaller fish can still be territorial , and dispel the inch per gallon rule .......Dwarf cichlids , dwarf sized Gouramis , for example , to name a couple .


Basically as already said , you need to know your fish [ the fish you are keeping or want to keep ] to know what will work for you , and many considerations need to be made .


I haven't gone by that rule since about 1975 , Cichlids make have their own rules