Intelligent Freshwater Aquarium Stocking Calulator

[Labenator65000]

I saw this site in a post somewhere that I can't find right now. It's really not too bad. It's got a fairly complete selection to choose from, and it follows many of the best practices that some of even the most stringent advisors in this forum advise. It's a good starting point for noobs.

http://aqadvisor.com/

 

[LyndaB]

Most of us here won't even use that as a guideline. Some will say "it's better than nothing". My thought process is that if it's not reliable, why suggest it as a place to start. It can only lead to confusion when you stock your tank using it, only to find out that the information was no good.

 

[Mogurako]

Utter garbage IMO.

 

[JokerWx13]

i would like to know too...bad in which way? that their guidelines are too strict or the opposite?

 

[Mogurako]

i would like to know too...bad in which way? that their guidelines are too strict or the opposite?

You best bet is to just research come up with a stock list and ask here if it will work. Eventually you'll learn what will work in what numbers.

 

[JokerWx13]

so where do you get your numbers from? o-o i wanna learn

 

[mfdrookie516]

so where do you get your numbers from?

experience

 

[Labenator65000]

Alrighty then.

 

[paytertot]

Ouch lol sorry lab. I've used it before and I think some of the info it gives you is helpful. I wouldn't rely on it but it seems to give some good info. Thanks for sharing.

 

[thegundog]

I have found it to be a useful reference and a good starting point.

There are definetly people here that are experienced and will glady provide valuable opinions on potential issues and things to consider with stockings.

BUT -- Nothing beats spending time researching species you are interested in and with the computer age the resources and expertise are everywhere. Invest the time into your own research.

I've changed my stocking plans 1 million times!!!! and that's why aquarists aquire MTS.... Too many different and wonderful species of fish!

 

[Labenator65000]

i would like to know too...bad in which way? that their guidelines are too strict or the opposite?

This question was not answered. I read "most people wouldn't even use this" and "utter garbage" without anything to back these opinions. Why not?
I know that it is not 100% accurate, but you have to give the person/people who created this tool credit for trying to make an attempt to create a comprehensive tool to help people who are new to the field. I refuse to believe that it is impossible to compile the popular opinions of experts and people with extensive experience and develop a query tool very close to this one.

I have the utmost respect for the folks who gave their opinion of this tool. I have taken both of their advice on several occasions and will continue to do so (thanks). However, I just don't believe that the only way to gain information is to post "will this work?" and be told "no", then repeat this cycle over and over again until you finally get a consensus of "yes" for every decision to be made for each tank. This is an exhausting and frustrating process. I believe there has to be less frustrating process. Unfortunately, it looks like there does not seem to be a tool out there that experts would consider acceptable. So, since this is the closet thing that I have seen and since it looks like they are open to taking suggestions and corrections. Why not share your knowledge with them to help this tool be a good tool?

 

[Mogurako]

Please note I am not directing this at anyone who has posted in this but its more of a general observation.

It seems to me that people anymore want all the joys of keeping fish and do not want to put in any of the work associated with the hobby. I realize that I am not that old but when I started keeping fish the Internet was in its infancy, the only thing I had to go by was outdated books from the local library , second hand knowledge from other hobbyist and trial and error. Now with all the advances in the internet and forums it absolutely floors me the lack research and effort people put in to learning about the fish they are keeping or stocking lists.

If I don't know something the first thing I do is turn to google and check various websites and old forum posts. Sometimes the information I get isn't good but hey its a hobby based on trial and error. I know when in give advice it's very stringent and no nonsense, that's just my approach to fish keeping. I am not going to give someone the answer, I will tell them based on my experience what won't work so maybe they can come up with the solution on their own.

 

[Pton46]

I think it is a decent starting point for more research. I have used it for Tank sizes (dimensions to Gallons) plus Filtration guidelines on a basic starting point.

 

[HUKIT]

If I don't know something the first thing I do is turn to google and check various websites and other forums.

This is most intelligent answer throughout this thread, everyone is so lazy anymore with just a quick 10 second google search can explain 80% of the worthless threads that clutter up forums, like why is water hazy after adding sand, or why are my nitrates high, stocking suggestions, and what do when fish fight. My philosophy is don't bother people for help without first trying to help yourself.

 

[Mogurako]

This is most intelligent answer throughout this thread, everyone is so lazy anymore with just a quick 10 second google search can explain 80% of the worthless threads that clutter up forums, like why is water hazy after adding sand, or why are my nitrates high, stocking suggestions, and what do when fish fight. My philosophy is don't bother people for help without first trying to help yourself.

Where's my like button when I need one.

 

[Labenator65000]

This is most intelligent answer throughout this thread, everyone is so lazy anymore with just a quick 10 second google search can explain 80% of the worthless threads that clutter up forums, like why is water hazy after adding sand, or why are my nitrates high, stocking suggestions, and what do when fish fight. My philosophy is don't bother people for help without first trying to help yourself.

I know comments like these not are a personal attack, and we are all just having a friendly debate (we are all friends here), so I'll continue and trust that I am not offending anyone by defending who may seem to fall into the above category...

I've been working in IT for over 20 years, since before there was a world wide web (as Mog stated above). I use Google all day every day to figure out very complicated technical problems and solutions. Needless to say, I know how to use Google. I, myself, have answered seemingly silly questions with "try Google". However, when it comes to the field of Cichlid-keeping, there is 95% bad advice out there and 5% good solid advice from experienced users. I am a member of two other popular forums like this, and on more than one occasion have posted the same question on all three forums, only to get three conflicting answers from non-noobs in each forum. Let me tell you, from the perspective of someone who has only been keeping cichlids for 6 months: this is not easy, and finding good advice. Making mistakes, even after doing the proper research, is still very easy to do.

I will restate what I said above. There are absolutes, there are facts, and there is a common consensus between experienced people. It is possible to create a knowledge base that could be used to find answers.

 

[Pton46]

I have been following this topic and I have been on all type of Forums. Cars, Telcom, IP, Model Trains, guns and Aquariums etc etc......and I hate to break it to you ,all forums Are 80% of worthless threads. All Labantor6500 asked is what they thought? It is a Tool that might help a person get started. Someone who might be too embarrassed to post after reading some topics.
If someone can work smarter than harder is that such a bad thing?
Instead he got some answers with not a lot of explanations of why it was bad? I'm sure he was just trying to get an opinion with some explanations, but instead he got a lecture.
Forums are more social than anything, but some of the answers lately I've seen are more about being right than anything else (No Facts strictly just my 2 cents here).

I Have been keeping fish on and off since college (20 years)...and the first best lesson is that to assume that I don't know what I am doing. Just as 80% of the threads are bogus so is 95% of the internet and what you find on Google. if you knew how search engines worked, Relative content is not always the first priority as it comes to displaying results. So if you are new and don't exactly know what you are looking at or what or how describe your problem. It can be tough.

 

[Labenator65000]

Let me try to bring the topic back around to where I tried to go in the first place.

I (for example) did weeks of research before I dove in. I thought i did my due diligence. Regardless, I still made mistakes (some of which I still need to correct). Google is not a very effective method of getting accurate information. You have to try to discern which of 10,000 people in a search results actually know what they are talking about. It took me months to figure out that what the experts in this forum recommend (in a nutshell), is to have a complete setup thought out, but not to buy ANYTHING (tanks, heaters, filters, substrate, fish, etc) without first posting what you have in mind and getting feedback from the masses and getting the opinions of the experts. However, it took me months to figure out who the experts really are.

Look, what I am getting at is this: Let's say that most experts agree on this statement:

*Don't mix Mbuna with any non Mbuna except certain Synodontis.

That statement can be added to a knowledge base. Then, the KB could searched against and good information could be retrieved from it. Sure, the KB does not contain everything anyone would ever need to know, but any information retrieved would be good information in the eyes of most experts. The more good information that goes into it, the more useful of a tool it becomes. Now, the challenge would be to only add "facts" like this that are agreed upon by experts.

Is this not a possible? Why not?

 

[HUKIT]

The single biggest point when it comes to "cichlid keeping" as you say is there are no absolutes when it comes to keeping fish just like people who have drastically different personalities. They are only best case scenarios that can be advised, there is always trial ans error...how do you think todays cookie cutter stocking advice was devised? I've been breeding cichlids for 30 years(even the Shedd Aquarium here in Chicago has some of my fish) and like some others started before the Internet craze and struggled early on due the lack of information whether it's old outdated books from the 70's or poorly educated LFS staff but to have this kind of information that's available at your finger tips would have made my early breeding years a piece of cake. The point is to have fun and experiment since you never know when your current stocking plans will be the next cookie cutter advice being given.

@Pton46 The big issue IMO is that the social media phase is starting to slowly creep into Internet forums so instead of sharing information it's basically people "tweeting" things like updates to their tanks normally places in the wrong section so their friends see and respond, this is where majority of threads are garbage. I'm fully aware how search functions worked and more than fully aware most people can't use them properly, sure there is a design flaw but my point was simply it seems no one trys to help themselves any longer.

 

[Labenator65000]

The single biggest point when it comes to "cichlid keeping" as you say is there are no absolutes when it comes to keeping fish just like people who have drastically different personalities. They are only best case scenarios that can be advised, there is always trial ans error...how do you think todays cookie cutter stocking advice was devised? I've been breeding cichlids for 30 years(even the Shedd Aquarium here in Chicago has some of my fish) and like some others started before the Internet craze and struggled early on due the lack of information whether it's old outdated books from the 70's or poorly educated LFS staff but to have this kind of information that's available at your finger tips would have made my early breeding years a piece of cake. The point is to have fun and experiment since you never know when your current stocking plans will be the next cookie cutter advice being given.
....

A KB with "best practices", with a disclaimer that there are exceptions, would still be a useful tool. I know that folks that have been in this hobby for 20+ years had to learn the hard way. That does not change what I am proposing whatsoever; and it does not mean that folks in today's day and age should have to learn the hard way.