Wait.... Inch-To-Gallon Ratio....!

Amberleaf · Dec 30, 2009

'Cuz people keep their Bettas in bowls, right.... But if they put the 1-inch per 1-gallon rule into effect, then that wouldn't work, right? 'Cuz goldfish are 3 inches = 3-gallon tank for each (at least when they're young :lol:

Yes, I understand that they DO grow big), and Bettas are usually 2 to 2.5 inches.... And, without a filter, wouldn't it be slightly less?

Just curious, only wondering. Amb

Mikaila31 · Dec 31, 2009

the inch per gallon rule is pretty useless once you get into the hobby. It is however a good tool for beginners that are just starting out. What it really comes down to is bioload and experience. I ran a 15gal for a while with almost exactly a 100 endlers in it. IMO stocking is completely up to the tank keeper, it will always be a debated topic. Some stock lightly some stock heavily, some get overrun by their fish :blush:

.

rdp50734 · Dec 31, 2009

I agree it does come down to experience/ amount of maintenance/ feeding regieme and the stock you keep! I stock quite heavily but I do 2x 25% water changes a week I over filter I feed once every 2 days and I have plans to move the fish as they get larger!

Forestpisces · Dec 31, 2009

I recogize this from the bettas section debate :shifty:

I too am guilty of being quite heavy on stocking but my 20gal currently has 3 filters running on it and water params are spot on also none of my fish will out grow the tank so it's all down to trial and error, but trial and error responsibly :good:

Honeythorn · Dec 31, 2009

Fish bowls don't work for fish full stop. Because they are designed to make money from people's ignorance, not keep fish alive .

Tolak · Dec 31, 2009

One inch per gallon is a guideline, not a rule. The entire guideline is;

One inch of slim bodied fish that grow no larger than three inches, per gallon of water.

This is a reasonable starting point for new fishkeepers. It gives them a chance to safely get a handle on maintenance, fish behavior, feeding, and all the other things associated with keeping fish. They get to start with an enjoyable & easy to manage experience.

With more experience double or triple that rate is possible. Also note that it does state no larger than three inches. This means no 10 inch oscars in a 10 gallon tank.

OpalineAqua · Dec 31, 2009

I usually just use common sense when stocking, not the inch to gallon rule. And I too overstock sometimes but with good waterchanges overstocking a little is okay.

And fishbowls are not acceptable. Plus, they're not good for viewing the fish anyways. The spherical shape distorts the appearance of the fish. :fish:

GAB99 · Dec 31, 2009

Mikaila31 said:
the inch per gallon rule is pretty useless once you get into the hobby. It is however a good tool for beginners that are just starting out. What it really comes down to is bioload and experience. I ran a 15gal for a while with almost exactly a 100 endlers in it. IMO stocking is completely up to the tank keeper, it will always be a debated topic. Some stock lightly some stock heavily, some get overrun by their fish .

how big are endlers? i was just curious since people say a shoal can exist in 1 gallon. i thought they were 1" but guess im dead wrong.

Amberleaf · Dec 31, 2009

Sorta. They grow up to 2". ^_^

snowflake311 · Dec 31, 2009

To sum it up you can not keep a 10 inch fish in a 10 gal tank. End of story.

Stocking depends on so much more then how much a water your tank holds.

Surface area
filters
maintaince
type of fish (aggressive or large fish need more room)

Mikaila31 · Jan 1, 2010

mojo dojo said:
Mikaila31 said:

the inch per gallon rule is pretty useless once you get into the hobby. It is however a good tool for beginners that are just starting out. What it really comes down to is bioload and experience. I ran a 15gal for a while with almost exactly a 100 endlers in it. IMO stocking is completely up to the tank keeper, it will always be a debated topic. Some stock lightly some stock heavily, some get overrun by their fish .

Click to expand...

how big are endlers? i was just curious since people say a shoal can exist in 1 gallon. i thought they were 1" but guess im dead wrong.

Yeah endlers get 1-2" max males usually stay about an inch. The 15gal was filled with younger fish though, anywhere from a new fry to young adults. Most all were fry from 6 adult fish. Could not get rid of them, nothing I owned would eat them and stores only take them if they have room. My supply was far greater than their demand. Eventually I found someone to take all of them. I'm guessing they wound up as fish food. I would not put a shoal in a 1 gal. Maybe one male fish, but not a shoal. There are fish that could shoal in a 1gal though. It would be difficult :unsure:

, but I think possible.

OldMan47 · Jan 1, 2010

Amberleaf said:
'Cuz people keep their Bettas in bowls, right.... But if they put the 1-inch per 1-gallon rule into effect, then that wouldn't work, right? 'Cuz goldfish are 3 inches = 3-gallon tank for each (at least when they're young Yes, I understand that they DO grow big), and Bettas are usually 2 to 2.5 inches.... And, without a filter, wouldn't it be slightly less?Just curious, only wondering. Amb

Let's start at the beginning of this. A goldfish is not a 3 inch fish, it is easily over a foot long when an adult so the guidance does not apply at all. A betta does follow the rule fairly well in that a 3 gallon tank is about as small as I would ever use to house one and 2 to 3 gallons for each female in a sorority sounds about right. As Tolak said, it really only works at all well on slim bodied small fish so it is not a bad guide for a betta but is a terrible guide for oscars, goldfish, severums and similar large fish that have heavy bodies. Since almost all of my fish fit the slim and short description, I find that a first guide for me of about an inch per gallon gets me into the right range. When I see the tank set up and populated, I can then judge, based on the fish's interactions and my experiences, whether or not more fish in the tank would work.
Without a filter, you will need to put in tremendous amounts of work with water changes if you dared to use such a high fish density.

hughessomefish · Jan 1, 2010

so is there any new revaloutionary idea out there on how to measure the fish per gallon ratio ?

snowflake311 · Jan 1, 2010

It really depends on the surface of the tank and the type of fish. So one way to stock a tank.

K-Holed · Jan 1, 2010

There's just too many variables to take into account to come up with a blanket formula. Size of fish, shape of fish, area of tank inhabited by fish, surface area of tank, depth of tank, filteration on tank, water changes on tank, decor in tank, behavior of fish, colour of fish (ok maybe not the colour

).

People seem more comfortable however if they have a number they can hang on to. The inch per gallon rule (of small, slim boddied fish) is an easy and cautious one that can be useful in the beggining. Noone would contest that it is the definitive answer to correctly socking an aquarium, but it's as good a place as any to start.

Kind regards

Jimi