Is this true

UP UP AND GUPPY

UP UP AND GUPPY

Superstar Fish
#1
Mar 14, 2006
1,078
1
0
34
Sacramento, California
www.myspace.com
#1
You can put more "inches of fish" in a heavily planted tank. Like, if your tank is a 10 gallon, then the "inches of fish" rule says that you could only put 5 zebra danios in it, since they're 2 inches long as adults. But if you have lots of plants, they will absorb some of the ammonia the fish produce, so you'll be able to keep more zebras in your tank than just 5. However I'm not sure just how many more. I haven't seen a rule that says how much fish it's sensible to have in a planted tank.


I found this in a book called Planted Tanks but I dont know if its true.
 

CAPSLOCK

CAPSLOCK

Elite Fish
#2
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
39
Cape Cod
#2
Yes, that's true to a point. You also have to physically have room/territory for all the fish, and have enough water movement so there is enough oxygen for all the fish.
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#6
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
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36
Illinois
#6
See I don't follow that rule. I have alot of fish in my 20 gallon tank and they all do just fine they don't chase eachother and they all healthy. well my female swordtail aint but she getting better. I think for the most part that rule only applies to certain fish. I think mine are just fine since they are for the most part all small fish. and I got a filter twice the size needed for the tank to take care of the waste and an airator. I know alot of u think this is wrong but the fish are just fine.
 

FreshwaterJeff

FreshwaterJeff

Superstar Fish
#8
Mar 28, 2006
1,261
3
0
42
Chicago, IL
#8
I've heard that a more accurate measure of how many inches of fish an aquarium can support is based on surface area instead of gallons, which takes the varying footprints of different tanks into account.

The rule is (as I've heard it) one inch of fish per 10 sq inch of surface area.

Thus, in the 55 gallon tank I'm planning (48 x 13), there are 624 sq in of surface area - so my "limit" would be 62.4 inches of adult fish...

Has anyone else heard this rule and can weigh in on its accuracy?
 

YahooFishKeeper

YahooFishKeeper

Superstar Fish
#9
Jan 14, 2006
2,177
11
0
33
A little town outside Kansas City, Kansas
www.youtube.com
#9
exhumed07 said:
See I don't follow that rule. I have alot of fish in my 20 gallon tank and they all do just fine they don't chase eachother and they all healthy. well my female swordtail aint but she getting better. I think for the most part that rule only applies to certain fish. I think mine are just fine since they are for the most part all small fish. and I got a filter twice the size needed for the tank to take care of the waste and an airator. I know alot of u think this is wrong but the fish are just fine.
Click to expand...
well i have a 29 gallon with 3 full grown clown knives, 4 baby bala sharks, 9 clown loaches 23 ghost shrimp, 19 cherry shrimp, 9 goldfish, and 1 java fern.... they are mostly all okay too, except all of them have fin rot except on knife, and 2 goldfish, and only about 5 or 6 have ammonia burn. and i forgot, my goldfish keep dying... any one know why? i thought they liked to have the temperature at 86.
 

homebunnyj

homebunnyj

Superstar Fish
#10
Jul 13, 2005
1,299
4
0
Western NC
#10
I'm not so sure your cichlids will leave the plants alone. Don't they dig in the substrate a lot? And, I've never had kenyi cichlids before, but I think that if you put too many fish in too small a space, that you'll possible have fighting and other issues as well. I think maybe the adding plants for more stocking thing works better if you're talking about small, peaceful-type fish, I think.
 

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YahooFishKeeper

YahooFishKeeper

Superstar Fish
#11
Jan 14, 2006
2,177
11
0
33
A little town outside Kansas City, Kansas
www.youtube.com
#11
FreshwaterJeff said:
I've heard that a more accurate measure of how many inches of fish an aquarium can support is based on surface area instead of gallons, which takes the varying footprints of different tanks into account.

The rule is (as I've heard it) one inch of fish per 10 sq inch of surface area.

Thus, in the 55 gallon tank I'm planning (48 x 13), there are 624 sq in of surface area - so my "limit" would be 62.4 inches of adult fish...

Has anyone else heard this rule and can weigh in on its accuracy?
Click to expand...
i think you method may be more acurate, because you have to stock lighter in tall tanks, because of (lack of) surface area. but plants will definately help out with nitrogen levels.
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#13
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#13
yahoofishkeeper said:
well i have a 29 gallon with 3 full grown clown knives, 4 baby bala sharks, 9 clown loaches 23 ghost shrimp, 19 cherry shrimp, 9 goldfish, and 1 java fern.... they are mostly all okay too, except all of them have fin rot except on knife, and 2 goldfish, and only about 5 or 6 have ammonia burn. and i forgot, my goldfish keep dying... any one know why? i thought they liked to have the temperature at 86.
Click to expand...
well I think the temp may be a bit high. I have mine at bout 76 and I use 2 different addatives to the water they are 1 Bausman Magic aquarium ball. It helps with the Ph all it has in it is plaster of paris, quartz, perlite, and methylene. it sounds simple but it realy works on the ph. and then I use Bausman fish tonic. it works to keep my fish healthy and helps sick fish. it all seems to work well
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#15
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#15
I know ur just trying to pick a fight with me but I'm just telling u what my experiances have resulted in. I've had this many fish in the tank for a while and have had none die and water is clear. Ph is good as well as ammonia levels, and nitrate/nitrite levels are good as well.
 

exhumed07

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
#17
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#17
water in and get them tested once a week and they tell me it is perfect. I don't test it myself I can hardly test my pool water correctly and I do a half water change every week.
 

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