Fish stocking

[b-diddles]

I've read that fish stocking is 1 inch per 2 gallons of fish only and 1 inch per 6 gallons of inverts coral and fish. Is this correct? I've also read that in a reef tank you can have 1 inch per 4 gallons. This is contrary to the other one. What is correct? One is from an online source and one is from a book on saltwater fish. This is two different reads. I haven't read much other info. because not much is published that I have found out there.
Currently I have a 55g aquarium and I have the following: a Tomato clown which I have read that they reach up to 4'inches, a Yellow tail damsel fish I have read that they get up to 3'inches, a Neon goby which I have read that they reach 1'inch, and a Bangaii Cardinal (captive breed) and have read that they reach up to 3'inches. So the maximum for theses fish would be 11'inches. If it is 1 inch per 6 it would be 9.2 inches which would mean that I am slightly overstocked. If it is 1 inch per 4 then I have room for a small fish which I would love to add a six-line wrasse which gets up to 3 inches.
Your thoughts are apreciated!

 

[b-diddles]

Anyone?

 

[gmann1139]

The normal rule for SW is one inch of fish per 5 gallons, but you can push it a little, if you have a well-running FOWLR. Some fish (lions being the extreme example) really count more than their size, because they're extremely messy and have a heavy bioload.
The key is to keep track of your nitrates, and not let them get away on you.
As far as fish size goes, you want to give your fish room to grow, but a lot of time the size you see is the absolute max. Feel free to go by your fish's current sizes, and leave a couple 'inches' free to grow.

 

[small triggers]

i have never seen a good tried and true measurment of inches/gallons for saltwater. There are some fish that are just messier, and some that are algae eaters. The best bet to decided to research per fish and lookat the minimum tank size. Great books written my people like Julian Sprung, Scott W. Michael, & J. Charles Delbeek are great places to start. No one really has a specific way to measure, for the fact every fish has different needs.