Fish vs Gallon ratio

[auburnrx]

I have a 70 g tank. What are the guidelines to follow to make sure I do not crowd my system with too many fish?? Right now I have a sailfin tang, perc clown, cleaner wrasse, candy coral, zoa, 10 hermit crabs, 15 turbo snails, 2 sand sifting stars (one looks like it is about to die). Thanks!

 

[alabama reefer]

There is no cut and dry answer. It depends on your system. How much live rock, protein skimmer, type of fish you have(like how big will they get, how much waste they produce). Just add your fish slowly and make sure your system can keep up with the bioload. Some people can get away with overstocking while others have a problem with what would seem to be a light stock. Just keep a check on your parameters after adding a fish and give your system time to compensate for the new addition.

 

[king_neptune]

1.5" of fish per gallon. So don't go too far past a dozen fish IMO.

 

[gmann1139]

Originally Posted by King_Neptune
http:///forum/post/2961561
1.5" of fish per gallon. So don't go too far past a dozen fish IMO.
That's for freshwater.
Bama's right, that it tends to depend on your system, but a good starting point is to assume your system will support
1" of fish per 5 gallons.
Most systems can push that a little, but its a good conservative number to start a stocklist around.

 

[bang guy]

The guidline I give to new hobbiests is to add up the average adult size of the fish and multiply by 5 to get a guestimate of what size environment will give an decent chance of success.
Sailfin Tang - 15"
Percula Clown - 2.5"
Cleaner Wrasse - 4"
Total = 21.5" X 5 = 110 gallons

 

[auburnrx]

Thanks for the feedback!