Does A Bigger/powerful Filter Mean More Fish?

[Bubble_Boy]

can i put more fish with a bigger filter??????????

lets say i use a 50 gallon filter on a 10 gallon tank....
the flow rate on the 50 gallon filter is 200 gallons per hour...

can i keep MORE FISH????

also.
will there be tooooo much current and agitation in the tank?
or will this be o.k??

 

[Rocket2001]

Bubble Boy,

You have a lot of very good questions...logically its seems that you would be right but, the size of your population is going to be dictated by the surface area of your tank. So if you have a ten gal that measures 20x10x12 you have the same amount of fish as 20 gal that measures 20x10x24 the length and width have stayed the same but the height has increased so the volume has increased.

Now as for the actual science behind why this is true I don't think I could possibly do justice to a detailed explination. there are some very smart people on this boaard hopfully they will explain it for you in more detail.

By the way there is a general rule that says 1in of fish per gallon but the vast majority of people on this board say that is not a rule to go by.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

1 inch per gallon is basically bunk, but there are a few ways to look at capacity. First you have space, some fish are territorial and some are schoolers. You can get closer to the inch per gallon with say neon tetras than you can cichlids. Another way to look is surface area. A lot of fish, cories and such, like to sit on the subsrate. Fish like these could care less how deep your tank was, so you can stock them based on how many square feet of tank area you have. The next thing to consider is water quality. With massive water changes and a huge filter you might be able to pack your tank full, but I wouldn't bother. There is just too much work and risk involved. Just get a new tank. Based on your profile I can't tell if you have a tank yet, but if you are looking I would definately set up a 20long up over a 10 gallon. The price difference will be minimal when you set it up, but you will be much happier in the long run.

 

[trent]

1 inch per 1 gal for flat fish.

 

[patryuji]

I'd say the inch per gallon "rule" is worthless for fish [who's adult size is] over 2.5" long.

 

[chasgood]

You might get by with more fish using a bigger filter or you could be setting yourself up for trouble. Sure a bigger filter will handle a larger bio load. And the increased water flow helps keep O2 in the water. There is more to overstocking than filters. Bigger and or more water changes are needed. Type of fish is a bigger factor.

Fast moving fish need more room and use more O2 than slow moving fish do.
Aggressive fish need more room than passive fish.
The longer and or wider the body of the fish is the more the 1" rule doesnt work.

Tell us what fish is in the tank now and the filter your using plus the filter you wish to get.