Aquarium Tank Stocking - Aquarium Advice

ricardo48 · 06-28-2009, 02:27 PM

If my 15 gallon tank can hold roughly 15 inches of fish for 1 inch per gallon then how come at the shops they have 50+ fish sometimes in tanks of 15-20 gallon??

How come they can get away with mass stocking of there display tanks?

Mystery · 06-28-2009, 02:33 PM

That is for short term display, it stresses the fish and if you go first thing in the morning you will see a lot of dead fish being scooped out especially in the dense minnow and goldy tanks, even a lot of the snails are just empty shells where the snail has died.

mgamer20o0 · 06-28-2009, 03:01 PM

they have a few things working for them. one most tend to have massive sumps and have them all connected. another thing those are not being kept in there for their whole life. another thing..... 1 per gallon doesnt work.

ricardo48 · 06-28-2009, 03:09 PM

roughly speaking 1 inch per gallon is good to aim for a low tech tank.

But in the practical fish keeping magazine this month a girl has 60 tetra in her 14 gallon tank.

How on earth does she achieve this if people say im overstocked when i have 20 fish.

HN1 · 06-28-2009, 03:25 PM

The 1" per gallon rule does more harm in this hobby than it does good IMO. Forget about it. Fish have varying bulk and relative bioload. Those 60 tetra probably have an equivalent load to one med pleco.

Mystery · 06-28-2009, 03:31 PM

I think the 1 inch rule is good for a start, before you research the specific needs of each species.

ricardo48 · 06-28-2009, 03:54 PM

So you are telling me I can stock 60 tetra in my 15 gallon tank and have no issues?

My experience has taught me otherwise.... 60 endlers maybe but not fish nearing 1 inch each.

HN1 · 06-28-2009, 04:02 PM

60 tetra in a well planted and established tank? Yes, I'm saying it's completely possible with the right habits. I personally wouldn't do it though. I'm not talking about bulky tetra like Congos, Columbians, BHs, etc.

mgamer20o0 · 06-28-2009, 04:50 PM

i am with HN on this one. the whole inch per gallon myth is wrong more often then not. its a bad place to start because people dont learn the basics same with wpg. these so called rules try to make something super simple yet people fail to grasp the basics like bio loads and such.

timwag2001 · 06-28-2009, 11:04 PM

there are other things that would affect the inch of fish rule also. like the diameter of the fish.

plus who's to say that the girl with the 60 tetras isn't doing water changes every other day.