The "one inch per gallon" rule

[guppy]

You DO seem to be wasting your time posting on this.

 

[ch08]

I absolutely agree! For example a Naso tang would require more water than a butterflyfish of the same size.

 

[ScullCraca]

Thanks for all the info. I know i am truley overstocked or will be in six months but hey I have goal and I plain on seeing all the way through but I will keep the "rules" in mind or ...... just buy more tanks.... IMO. If there is a problem then just throw money at it! Problem solved!

 

[Armadillo]

Great post. Thanks a lot for that. I had no idea. It makes a lot of sense that the bulgier fish will have way more requirements. So you can actually win out with this formula if your fish are thin and not too high. A short height and narrow width will give fractions of inches, therefore reducing the requirements that the length alone would have required.

 

[guppy]

you really need to consider the habits of the fish, needlefish and gar ar long and narrow but not very flexible so their overall length as oppsed to tank width becomes the major consideration.

 

[aubicon]

This has been a great discussion, i have came up with one factor that i havent seen covered yet, when looking at a fish and estimating size do you look at over all dementions or more for mass/displacment (i am not advocation putting you fish into a graduated cylender to measure displacment) i personally go with the overall largest dementions, just wanted to get others $0.02.

 

[guppy]

Since this is just a rough starting guide and I would rather overestimate the size of the fish rather than underestimate it I also go with greatest overall dimensions.

 

[Armadillo]

I think that, with the smaller fish, you could end up with ridiculously small requirements (a betta, for example). So I think am more comfortable taking the largest of the two measures (cubic or 'normal' inch). But like you say, it's just a rule of thumb and common sense needs to be used too. Also, there are way more elements than that rule to take into account like, indeed, tank shape and species requirements.

you really need to consider the habits of the fish, needlefish and gar ar long and narrow but not very flexible so their overall length as oppsed to tank width becomes the major consideration.

 

[guppy]

Lets see, a betta=3"x1"x3/4"= 4 1/2 gallons or there abouts, lol.

 

[guppy]

Actually it does not NEED to be done, It is just one of the many ways to figure out a preliminary stocking plan.