How many fish can i have...
- Thread starter lan12
- Start date
wax32
Active Member
Maybe a small wrasse, goby or blenny? You didn't say if this is a reef (with corals). If it is, you want to stay with just a few fish to help keep your water clean.
In my 70 I have a yellow tang, 3 Chromis, a canary wrasse and a yellow watchman goby and I think I'm pushing it a little.
In my 70 I have a yellow tang, 3 Chromis, a canary wrasse and a yellow watchman goby and I think I'm pushing it a little.
iameeeyore
Member
Is there a general rule of thumb on knowing the number of fish that can go into a tank? Or maybe a better question would be does anyone knnow of a place I can look to get an idea of good combinations and numbers of fish to go in various tank sizes?
celacanthr
Active Member
1) i think what you meant was 1" per 3-4 gallons, which is the "rule" I have heard a bunch.
2)I really don't like that rule! It is sooooooo general, that you can't even name the group of fish you are talking about. 1 inch per 3-4 gallons. so I am going to go with my two favorite examples.
According to that rule, you would need a 32 gallon tank for a pair of clownfish. People keep clownfish in 20 gallons quite often, and are very succesful, some even keep them in a 10 gallon (NOT for the beginner)
2)According to that rule, you would need a 32 gallon tank for a yellow tang. Which, I think is a horrible idea, and I bet that many on this board would agree with me.
2)I really don't like that rule! It is sooooooo general, that you can't even name the group of fish you are talking about. 1 inch per 3-4 gallons. so I am going to go with my two favorite examples.
According to that rule, you would need a 32 gallon tank for a pair of clownfish. People keep clownfish in 20 gallons quite often, and are very succesful, some even keep them in a 10 gallon (NOT for the beginner)
2)According to that rule, you would need a 32 gallon tank for a yellow tang. Which, I think is a horrible idea, and I bet that many on this board would agree with me.
unleashed
Active Member
it always depends on the size of the fish to begin with .I was at the lfs 2 days ago and they has baby hippo tangs they were about 1/2 inch in length .these fish made damsels look huge.if you have a small tank I suggest small fish something that stays on the small side if you dont plan on an upgrade or trading them out.concider the growth rate of each species you aquire ,compatabilty of each species is also very important.if you plan on keeping a nano tank or under 50 gal permanantly.tangs and larger species would not be a recomended choice for you.concider more hardy species do research each species requirments before purchasing knowing your fish will help in the long run to make sure you have proper housing for a long term for your fish.temp housing is acceptable for just about any fish when they are small but your not going to want a 7 inch fish in a nano.that maybe slight exageration on my part but im sure you get my meaning.LR and decore corals and such also take up water space lessoning the accual gal of water in the tank.being a 75 this gives yo a bit more play of course.i would def reccomend dosile species less active they tend to do better in less spacous quarters.wrasses move constantly if you like withing that range work on a smaller type non super agressive.how you stock it will be at your personal discretion once you know what you want to keep and all that is required by researching you will know the proper answer to this particualr question
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by Madman133
the general rule is 3-4 inches per gallon but rules are meant to be broken! (depending on your system/ filtration)
Only if you like crashes...
On a more serious note, I agree with Celacanthr. The inch rule is a very broad guideline... A great example would be a 6 inch Convict Blenny and a 6 inch Grouper. Do they both produce the same amount of waste?
There are several things to consider:
1. Water chemistry. How is your tank doing? How quickly does it aquire nitrates?
2. Filtration. Refugium w/ macros, DSB, etc.
3. Size of fish.. are your fish full grown?
If you add slowly, test often, and plan for fish growth you'll be able to see when your tank is approaching it's carrying capacity.
the general rule is 3-4 inches per gallon but rules are meant to be broken! (depending on your system/ filtration)
Only if you like crashes...
On a more serious note, I agree with Celacanthr. The inch rule is a very broad guideline... A great example would be a 6 inch Convict Blenny and a 6 inch Grouper. Do they both produce the same amount of waste?
There are several things to consider:
1. Water chemistry. How is your tank doing? How quickly does it aquire nitrates?
2. Filtration. Refugium w/ macros, DSB, etc.
3. Size of fish.. are your fish full grown?
If you add slowly, test often, and plan for fish growth you'll be able to see when your tank is approaching it's carrying capacity.