The "1 Inch Per Gallon" Rule

[groovitudedude]

I'm fed up with all these topics about the one inch per gallon rule, if it's US or UK gallons, etc. This rule is total junk and should be disregarded. However, if you do choose to follow this rule, here are the (un)official guidelines:

1 CUBIC inch of FULL GROWN freshwater fish per 1 US Gallon of water in the aqarium.

However, this "rule" totally disregards most larger fish, including bichirs, puffers, eels, dither fish, rays, and other fish, and is highly contaversial. Sure, it is good for beginners, but let's be real. It is okay to use this "rule" for say, cories, tetras, and (non-giant) danios, but come on! Get it right, people!

 

[5teady_2012]

I'm fed up with all these topics about the one inch per gallon rule, if it's US or UK gallons, etc. This rule is total junk and should be disregarded. However, if you do choose to follow this rule, here are the (un)official guidelines:

1 CUBIC inch of FULL GROWN freshwater fish per 1 US Gallon of water in the aqarium.

However, this "rule" totally disregards most larger fish, including bichirs, puffers, eels, dither fish, rays, and other fish, and is highly contaversial. Sure, it is good for beginners, but let's be real. It is okay to use this "rule" for say, cories, tetras, and (non-giant) danios, but come on! Get it right, people!

uhhh is all i have to say

 

[Seed]

Ok, so that being the case what do you suggest as a good guideline for stocking a tank?

 

[groovitudedude]

It all depends on the type of fish. Obviously a Fire Eel, Mbu Puffer, Snakehead, and guppy will have different stocking requirements. Additionally, the type of fish will affect the possible tankmates. There is no definate rule for stocking fish IMO.

BTW this isn't a hate thread. I'm just kinda annoyed.

 

[5teady_2012]

ok, the way i see it is.... if your fish have plenty of room to swim around and explore, then thats fine

If there swimming around like, ohh im getting sick of seeing you every 2 seconds and gathered in a bunch like a lonely hearts column, then its overstocked.

 

[Colin_T]

sounds good to me.

I would like to add that if people monitor their water chemistry and do water changes when required to keep their nitrates as low as possible, then that helps too.

 

[groovitudedude]

sounds good to me.

I would like to add that if people monitor their water chemistry and do water changes when required to keep their nitrates as low as possible, then that helps too.

Yes, that is true. If you keep up with tank management, you will be able to keep more fish. And I think that "overstocking" is a general term. No, 5teady, it has nothing to do with the fish being bored.

 

[rdd1952]

I don't know what prompted this thread but I totally disagree. The 1" per gallon "rule" isn't a rule at all. It is simply a guide to help beginners keep things under control while they learn the ins and outs of the hobby and what to look for in their tanks. It applies to small bodied fish only: tetras, guppies, rasboras, corys, etc., not plecos, goldfish, oscars, and other high waste producing fish. I'd say a good rule of thumb is that anything that grows to more than 3 to maybe 4 inches does not fit the guide. I agree that it is probably referenced too often and obviously there are other factors that come into play too as to how heavily you can stock a tank: the type filtration you have, do you have live plants, your water change & maintenance schedule, etc., but if beginners stick to 1" per gallon or relatively close until their tank matures, they will have way fewer problems than if they cycle their tank and go straight into a heavy fish load.

 

[5teady_2012]

sounds good to me.

I would like to add that if people monitor their water chemistry and do water changes when required to keep their nitrates as low as possible, then that helps too.

Yes, that is true. If you keep up with tank management, you will be able to keep more fish. And I think that "overstocking" is a general term. No, 5teady, it has nothing to do with the fish being bored.

I never said anything about being bored, i was simply saying that i like my fish to have room to swim about without bumping in to each other every second..

I Think the inch per gallon rule etc is not a good guide cos, there is lots to take in to consideration, like how much gravel you have, bogwood amount, (or shall i just say decor for all this) filter system, water changes, etc there is all sorts to consider, all this can effect your stocking IMO..

I agree with colin as well.

I agree with what you are saying also..

 

[groovitudedude]

I don't know what prompted this thread but I totally disagree. The 1" per gallon "rule" isn't a rule at all. It is simply a guide to help beginners keep things under control while they learn the ins and outs of the hobby and what to look for in their tanks. It applies to small bodied fish only: tetras, guppies, rasboras, corys, etc., not plecos, goldfish, oscars, and other high waste producing fish. I'd say a good rule of thumb is that anything that grows to more than 3 to maybe 4 inches does not fit the guide. I agree that it is probably referenced too often and obviously there are other factors that come into play too as to how heavily you can stock a tank: the type filtration you have, do you have live plants, your water change & maintenance schedule, etc., but if beginners stick to 1" per gallon or relatively close until their tank matures, they will have way fewer problems than if they cycle their tank and go straight into a heavy fish load.

Uh, if it's not a rule, then why are there like 20 bajillion threads about the "1 inch/gallon" rule? Scroll down to see some of them. The problem with this rule for beginners is clarity. They think that if they get a 1 inch fish, it will stay 1 inch forever. And I previously said that keeping up with your WCs will effect your stocking limit, and there are many factors. That's why I said the general rule that you can edit if you please. And this thread was prompted after one too many "1 inch/gallon" threads were made.

 

[5teady_2012]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/23...Or-Us-Gallons-/

 

[groovitudedude]

Very Funny. I'm trying to answer palgrave's Q and you are trying to answer my statement with a noobie Q. Ha ha.

 

[rdd1952]

Whether you call it a rule or guide is really not important. I think those that are quoted the rule/guide are always told it it adult size and not the size the fish are when they are bought. Sure it's not set in stone and people can obviously do what they want (like put oscars and goldfish on 10 gallon tanks) but we are all here to help beginners learn the hobby with the least amount of problems so that they can enjoy it like us ans hopefully move on the larger and more exotic fish. Telling people to "totally disregard" the rule/guide is not exactly the best advise.

As far as saying the cubic inches per gallon is the way to go, how in the world do you expect beginners to research their fish and calculate cubic inches if they can't even figure out how long they get. I don't even know that I could figure out the stocking level of my own tanks without looking at the fish to figure out their height and thickness. There certainly isn't any info on the internet that gives height and width of tropical fish. How is a beginner going to know that a neon tetra is say 3/8" high and 1/4" thick (from looking at the ones in my tank but they're probably not that large) and 1.5" long.

And just FYI, if you use those numbers for neons (and I think they are fairly accurate), that would mean a neon was only .1406 cubic inches of fish so you could have 7 neons per gallon water or 70 neons in a 10 gallon tank. IMO, that would be grossly overstocked especially once you added decorations, plants, etc. As another example, I figured my angel fish. They are currently about 1/2" thick and about 4" long & high. Fully grown, they should probably be about 6" long & high and say 3/4" thick. That would put their "volume" at 27 so my 75 gallon tank would be fully stock with 3 of them. So I can put 70 neons in a 10 gallon but nothing except 3 angels in a 75 gallon (but it would be ok to put 525 neons in there). I just don't buy the cubic inch guide.

 

[groovitudedude]

Whether you call it a rule or guide is really not important. I think those that are quoted the rule/guide are always told it it adult size and not the size the fish are when they are bought. Sure it's not set in stone and people can obviously do what they want (like put oscars and goldfish on 10 gallon tanks) but we are all here to help beginners learn the hobby with the least amount of problems so that they can enjoy it like us ans hopefully move on the larger and more exotic fish. Telling people to "totally disregard" the rule/guide is not exactly the best advise.

As far as saying the cubic inches per gallon is the way to go, how in the world do you expect beginners to research their fish and calculate cubic inches if they can't even figure out how long they get. I don't even know that I could figure out the stocking level of my own tanks without looking at the fish to figure out their height and thickness. There certainly isn't any info on the internet that gives height and width of tropical fish. How is a beginner going to know that a neon tetra is say 3/8" high and 1/4" thick (from looking at the ones in my tank but they're probably not that large) and 1.5" long.

And just FYI, if you use those numbers for neons (and I think they are fairly accurate), that would mean a neon was only .1406 cubic inches of fish so you could have 7 neons per gallon water or 70 neons in a 10 gallon tank. IMO, that would be grossly overstocked especially once you added decorations, plants, etc. As another example, I figured my angel fish. They are currently about 1/2" thick and about 4" long & high. Fully grown, they should probably be about 6" long & high and say 3/4" thick. That would put their "volume" at 27 so my 75 gallon tank would be fully stock with 3 of them. So I can put 70 neons in a 10 gallon but nothing except 3 angels in a 75 gallon (but it would be ok to put 525 neons in there). I just don't buy the cubic inch guide.

Wait, in the first paragraph, you said not to disregard the "rule" (which you said wasn't even a rule), and then in the third paragraph, you said that the rule made no sense? Okay. Well, yes, you are right about the neons and angels, which is why we need to ditch this rule!!!! It is completely bogus and only applies to about 10 species of fish. And a beginner can use the internet to help them find the rough estimated size of a full grown fish. For example, one could look up a Clown Loach, and, since they grow to 11+ inches, say, "That won't fit in my 10G". If the full grown size is less than 3 inches, though, they might consider getting the fish for their 10G. However, the inch/gallon guideline is far too vague to let them do that, so that's why there's forums like this one.

And BTW, you'll find that at least 2 out of every three new people will just make an impulse buy w/o doing any research. That's exactly why I got my two Tinfoil Barbs for my 20G a year or two ago. Because I was new, had no experience, didn't do any research, and, well, you get the idea.

 

[IrieJar]

So, as a newbie...

I went to what I thought was a reputable pet store...(not a chain, knowledgeable staff, clean, unpopulated tanks) and came home with FOUR neons for a 2.5g tank. Too much. Can I have ANYTHING in a tank so small?? I am thinking of just getting a betta, but is 2.5g even big enough? If you read my other posts, I have multiple probs, but would love to get this tank going. I was told I could get 2 zebra danios and a snail, but after doing research, I am thinking not. I worked at a vet office for 3 years and must say fish-keeping is WAY more difficult than I expected. Getting a puppy would have been easier.

I think the issue is, even if 1" per g was a rule/guideline, the "experts" at pet stores are clueless anyway, so unless you do a TON of research on your own, it won't work, eh?