Sump Question, adding tank volume.

[sdellin]

I am planning to set up a sump and it will be about 24 gallons. I will use probably 20 (or a little less) for water and the rest for emergency overflow. I have a 55G tank.

I have read that you can have, in a mature tank, one inch of fish for every two gallons of tank capacity. My understanding is that a sump adds capacity. So assuming I add 20 more gallons of water by adding a sump, can I then add a couple more fish?

For now, when all my fish grow up, I will have about 26 inches of fish. Assuming the extra 20 gallons increases my capacity to 75 (55G tank plus 20G sump) could I then have 35 or so inches of fish???

All opinions welcome, positive or negative.

 

[Jason]

the inch per fish rule isn't really accurate.

I would say you are going to be okay. I am not the tang police, but I can tell you that the regal might need to be taken out someday, he'll just start acting weird and be unhappy when he gets to big. I've got a orange shoulder in my 72 that's I know is going to have to come out one day.... either that or I may be ready for an upgrade by that time...

really though, the tang is probably messier (or will be) than all of the other fish put together, and that's what you need to worry about is how messy the fish are as far as bioload goes. territory and all that stuff is a different story because I know nothing about chromis, but as far as bioload i would venture to say you are going to be okay

 

[Dr.Nate]

That's funny, I asked this very same question several months ago. I was told by the masses that the inch per fish rule is on the main only! Sorry

 

[Dr.Nate]

Also, I was told it was an inch of fish per 10 gallons of tank capacity! So in my 55, I shouldn't really exceed 11 inches....Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[Dr.Nate]

Sorry, I meant 2 inches of fish per 10 gallons, or one inch of fish per 5 gallons

 

[kukki]

adding a sump does not mean you can have more inch's of fish, that rule only applies to the main tank and its water volume.... its a matter of space not total water amount

if you had 75 or so gallons of total water in your system, and you add whatever many inchs of fish the rule is *i kinda forget it lol* .. but that does not make the main tank any larger, so they will be cramped and stuck against the glass with less room to swim and all

if you used your sump for the extra inchs of fish then yes you could do that, but i dont think thats recommended or what you'd wanna do =)

 

[Jason]

it's not how many inches, it's how territorial they are, how much they swim, and how much they...... well..... for lack of a better word poop.

 

[Phyl]

Dr. Nate you're right. The guideline is 1" per 5g of water in the main. That should be measured in adult lengths (to provide for growth) and take into consideration the fish's swimming patterns. Tangs generally need 4'-6' of swimming length. Anything shy of that is going to stress them out. I'm temporarily holding a small powder blue in my 65 (4' long) that really looks like he's missing his 8' tank. The yellow and purple (really, this is temporary as a friend's 450 was self distructing when I took them in as no one else could) are doing just fine and don't have as "dart-y" a swimming pattern. Even though the blue is by far the smallest of the three he's the most in need of a longer/wider tank.

 

[Brenden]

Jason will you talk to my wife and tell her that inches/size does not matter? (sorry I started laughing when I read your post)
sdellin I would not add any more fish. I think you are past your limits now.

 

[sdellin]

I used the Salt Water Aquarium for Dummies book and that's where I got the one inch of fish per two gallons. As for the sump, I thought I had read that somewhere that it helps add volume. Thanks for the advise.

Brendon, inches/size does NOT matter, it's how many diamonds you give her!

 

[Brenden]

My understanding is the sump adds water volume when it comes to how often you change out water etc. but the fish are still technically in the same amount of water.
Thanks for the info. I was wondering how I was still married. I guess the tennis bracelet was worth it. By the way today is our anniversary.

 

[sdellin]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!




We passed our two-year in June.

 

[PBirdsong]

Everywhere you look you will find different rules to the "inches per gallon" theory. It depends on a lot of things, but the rule actually has more to do with your water quality than the room your fish have to swim (which is a factor too, though). More fish means more "pooping" which increases ammonia and waste, etc. It's best to do your research and use your best judgement to stock accordingly. Remember to account for the fullgrown size of the fish you add since they will grow. But there are ways around that too. If you plan on moving the fish later then it doesn't matter.
By the way, the rule keeps your tank (technically) understocked anyway so that it's a little easier to manage.

I follow the 1 inch to 1 gallon rule.

 

[Brenden]

1 inch per gallon 8O I can have 52 feet of fish in my tank Anybody know where I can purchase a whale?

 

[Phyl]

Sorry, Brenden... That's only 43.75' of fish in your tank (unless my ability to do algebra has gone haywire). Can you still fit the whale?!

 

[Brenden]

Phyl your algebra is correct but I was also (per this post) including the 100+ gallons from the sump and refugium. Maybe I will pass on the whale and get 2-3 great whites.

 

[Phyl]

Hey! No fair! I thought you weren't supposed to include sump volume?! You charging admission for that baby yet?!

 

[sdellin]

Okay, so I'm following the 1 inch per two gallons of water rule, per my stupid book. My water quality is always good, I've never gotten ammonia or nitrite readings, nitrates are about 15 (between 10 and 20) and my PH is 8.2. I'll keep track of that since I just added my last fish, but I want to see the 525 gal tank!

Brenden, what do you have in there?