How many fish can my tank hold
- Thread starter JKO
- Start date
I've hear peope say 1 inch of fish to 1 gallon,
mollys get about 2 1/2 inches as adults right? not totaly sure.
Sometimes i think that whole 1 gallon to 1 inch of fish can be kinda silly depending on the type of fish, but i do think that you might be at our limit as far as middle-top dwelling fish, I think you have room for maybe a pleco, or some sort of bottom feeder, corys? or algae eats? maybe even a dwarf african frog ( make sure to get dwarf not clawed, clawed frogs get quite large)
Just my opinion, hope it helps, Niki
mollys get about 2 1/2 inches as adults right? not totaly sure.
Sometimes i think that whole 1 gallon to 1 inch of fish can be kinda silly depending on the type of fish, but i do think that you might be at our limit as far as middle-top dwelling fish, I think you have room for maybe a pleco, or some sort of bottom feeder, corys? or algae eats? maybe even a dwarf african frog ( make sure to get dwarf not clawed, clawed frogs get quite large)
Just my opinion, hope it helps, Niki
"The general rule" (1" of fish per gallon) is only that. General.
If I thought the way as the "general" public, I'd have a "general" aquarium. You raise a good question, so, please allow me discuss this with you, as I'm feeling, uh, inspired.
When many ppl begin their fishkeeping days, most are inspired by a beautiful aquarium they saw, or maybe they just like fish. No matter, you like fish, you want to have some, what can I do?
Like any other hobby, you have to have a plan. When you look at that 10g, what do you envision? What do you wish it would be/look like? Write all of that down so you don't forget, or you can add to it later.
If you really like fish, you would care for them as you would a loved one (person), just like a dog lover would do for their dog. You treat them as part of the family. Ok, maybe you don't, whatever, you HAVE to consider the fish. If you're going to keep a living being, you need to supply it with its' needs, or else it will die sooner or later.
Getting closer to the point, you have to mentally envision fish in your aquarium, say when you're at the fish store with wallet in hand. You have to know what you want before you can get there. Four mollies isn't a lot for a 10G, but if you're breeding them, it is more than plenty. Generally speaking, the more calm the aquarium, the more calming the effects have upon the viewer. Some people have issues with being calm, and they prefer having a busier tank to reflect their busy lifestyle.
The point: Fishkeeping is NOT Calculus. It's not how many fish you can theoretically cram into a tank, but rather something you do for yourself with a loving nature. This enables you to be successful, not a general rule.
When you envision your tank, you will see something. Maybe it's lots of little fish. Maybe it's not, but rather 2 bigger fish. Maybe a mix. When you decide what you want, ask yourself, are cramming 30 neons in a ten gallon good for them? Would you like being crammed with 30 ppl in a small room? It's all relevant, and you can discover this with observation, which you already have, or else you wouldn't be asking the question in the first place.
To further complicate things, you have to worry about how big the fish will get, if they will reproduce, their temperment, the physical body relevant to the type of tank, blah blah blah...the list goes on and on. General rules were made for the inexperienced (you gotta start somewhere
). Common sense is better.
If I thought the way as the "general" public, I'd have a "general" aquarium. You raise a good question, so, please allow me discuss this with you, as I'm feeling, uh, inspired.
When many ppl begin their fishkeeping days, most are inspired by a beautiful aquarium they saw, or maybe they just like fish. No matter, you like fish, you want to have some, what can I do?
Like any other hobby, you have to have a plan. When you look at that 10g, what do you envision? What do you wish it would be/look like? Write all of that down so you don't forget, or you can add to it later.
If you really like fish, you would care for them as you would a loved one (person), just like a dog lover would do for their dog. You treat them as part of the family. Ok, maybe you don't, whatever, you HAVE to consider the fish. If you're going to keep a living being, you need to supply it with its' needs, or else it will die sooner or later.
Getting closer to the point, you have to mentally envision fish in your aquarium, say when you're at the fish store with wallet in hand. You have to know what you want before you can get there. Four mollies isn't a lot for a 10G, but if you're breeding them, it is more than plenty. Generally speaking, the more calm the aquarium, the more calming the effects have upon the viewer. Some people have issues with being calm, and they prefer having a busier tank to reflect their busy lifestyle.
The point: Fishkeeping is NOT Calculus. It's not how many fish you can theoretically cram into a tank, but rather something you do for yourself with a loving nature. This enables you to be successful, not a general rule.
When you envision your tank, you will see something. Maybe it's lots of little fish. Maybe it's not, but rather 2 bigger fish. Maybe a mix. When you decide what you want, ask yourself, are cramming 30 neons in a ten gallon good for them? Would you like being crammed with 30 ppl in a small room? It's all relevant, and you can discover this with observation, which you already have, or else you wouldn't be asking the question in the first place.
To further complicate things, you have to worry about how big the fish will get, if they will reproduce, their temperment, the physical body relevant to the type of tank, blah blah blah...the list goes on and on. General rules were made for the inexperienced (you gotta start somewhere
). Common sense is better.
I nominate Avalon to write -The Zen of Fishkeeping- for the reading pleasure of all of us<G>.
Knowledge is as much a power as artistics, and is a fact I feel like pointing out. READ READ READ, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. Only then will you be fully aware of what you are willing to internalize and accept. Loving fish is one thing, knowing that a baby oscar is not going to be happy in ten gallons of water for very long is quite another. It all depends on how much of an effort you are willing to put into the aquarium. Many people jump into the hobby with both feet because they love fish, then realize after being soaking wet that it wasn't exactly the hobby they envisioned.
You have to love the work in order to love the goal you are working towards.
~~Colesea
Knowledge is as much a power as artistics, and is a fact I feel like pointing out. READ READ READ, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. Only then will you be fully aware of what you are willing to internalize and accept. Loving fish is one thing, knowing that a baby oscar is not going to be happy in ten gallons of water for very long is quite another. It all depends on how much of an effort you are willing to put into the aquarium. Many people jump into the hobby with both feet because they love fish, then realize after being soaking wet that it wasn't exactly the hobby they envisioned.
You have to love the work in order to love the goal you are working towards.
~~Colesea
Just to point out! Do you know anything about mollies?
There the easoest fish to breed in my opinion, females when born might have sperm in them already. MOllies are brakish and require a higher ph! Do you knw what ph is? what about ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, the nitrogen cycle, fishless cycle, bacteria bloom, and so on... the list could go on almost endless!!
Mollies do best in a ph around 8.0 or they will get ich! They eat algae andf produce a lot of waste! have you ever noticed that the mollies are always pooping? They breed very often and will eat there babies as soon as they see them!! This is a healthy snack for them and will make them healthier, but you won't have any babies!! They are usually on the top of the water and will eat algae in the tank so don't clean algae off the back!!
Sorry if you already knew this stuff and i bored you to death! This stuff does become very tedious if you hear it to often!!
There the easoest fish to breed in my opinion, females when born might have sperm in them already. MOllies are brakish and require a higher ph! Do you knw what ph is? what about ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, the nitrogen cycle, fishless cycle, bacteria bloom, and so on... the list could go on almost endless!!
Mollies do best in a ph around 8.0 or they will get ich! They eat algae andf produce a lot of waste! have you ever noticed that the mollies are always pooping? They breed very often and will eat there babies as soon as they see them!! This is a healthy snack for them and will make them healthier, but you won't have any babies!! They are usually on the top of the water and will eat algae in the tank so don't clean algae off the back!!
Sorry if you already knew this stuff and i bored you to death! This stuff does become very tedious if you hear it to often!!
Well, that's true avalon, it depends on what u want to do w/ the tank, but my preference is always change, sometimes I like crowded active tank, and next week probably I feel like to see quiet planted tank. well, I guess that's why I visited my LFS too often this holiday haha, they have all kind of tank, crowded tank,quiet planted tank, fry tank, marine tank, paludarium tank, you name it,
Believe what you want -- 2"/gallon is asking for trouble -- in some cases 1"/gallon is and in others 1"/5 gallons is. A guideline is simply that -- a starting point to understanding stocking. As Avalon said so well, there's much more to stocking a tank than doing a little bit of math. Unless you're dealing with Endlers or ghost shrimp, 2"/gallon is really stretching it imo. *ALL*
Mollies aren't born pregnant but can be impregnated while still very young so it may seem that way.
Mollies aren't born pregnant but can be impregnated while still very young so it may seem that way.
That would probably be ok for a well established tank but definitely not a new one , speaking from experience i lost a few fish due to my lfs's dodgy info remember they only see the £££££££ or $$$$$
there is a stocking density calculator herehttp://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/stocking_density_calculator.php its pretty cool I've used it a few times
Oh and all the best everyone
there is a stocking density calculator herehttp://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/stocking_density_calculator.php its pretty cool I've used it a few times
Oh and all the best everyone
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