Tank Size And Water Holding

yabby

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Ok so when people are talking about stocking rates and how many fish can go in particular size tank, say a 20 gallon, do they take into account that a tank has gravel in the bottom and leaves some space at the top, thus a 20 gallon tank might actually only hold say 15 or 16gallons? So does this mean you do calculations based on the overall tank size or the actual amount of water in there?

Cheers
 
Well, stocking guidelines are so rough anyway that it doesn't make a lot of difference. You could use that factor to justify a couple extra fish. ;)

Following the guidelines though, roughly, for the first year is a really great way though to help yourself have success in the hobby. Many people get in trouble by having too many fish. There's an aesthetic factor too, as often a tank looks better less crowded.

~~waterdrop~~
 
Nope. It doesn't give you an accurate enough number to bother with the small percentage that the gravel and such will throw off the numbers. The inch per gallon "rule" is intended to keep new fish keepers from overstocking a tank before they get a good feel for what stocking a tank can support. It is only useful for the small fish to begin with and is only one of many factors that go into selecting proper stock for a tank. Things like temperature and water hardness needs along with relative aggression and even fish size cause many more conflicts than simple crowding.
 

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