I am wondering how many fish you can put in A 55 gallon fish only tank

[fort384]

All, keep the thread on topic, and refrain from personal attacks. Posting opinions/debate is fine. Personal attacks are not and will not be tolerated.

 

[TheTodd]

Back to reality, and the OP...

If you are asking whether you should get a Niger Trigger for the size tank you have, the responsible fish keeping answer would be that its not a good idea. There are guidelines set up by professionals based on years of experience and some research. i tend to go more with those views. You would be putting an aggressive trigger, that can get a foot long, in a 48x13x21 tank. That right there should give enough info for the average person to see its a bad idea.

There will always be people like Zack that say it CAN be done. Sure, it can, but youve got to decide if you are comfortable bucking the odds. He apparently has a tank that runs contrary to what all those crazy experienced folks would say. A Naso Tang, that can get 18", in a tank with a 13" dimension and its in there with lots of rock and with probably twice the amount of fish that anyone with experience would suggest and parameters are ideal. It can be done.

 

[Dmann]

There's a formula I found somewhere that you can go by. It's 1 gallon per inch of fish. Not just in just in length but whole fish

Something like....... Length x width x height = ?

I think that's what it is.

 

[Dmann]

Well there's me and everyone complains about it but its fine!!

I have in my 50 gallon
35kg live rock
Live sand
4 blue damsels
4 yellow chromis
1 blue chromis
I velvet damsel
1 algae blenny
1 watchman goby
1 citron goby
1 white black red green brown goby
3 cleaner shrimps
20 turbo snails
2 common clowns
1 clarki clown
A powder blue gang
A lipstick tang
A yellow tang
A drawf Pygmy angelfish
1 foot wide malu brown anenome
1 other anenome
About 6 various corals
I think that's it just to give you an idea

Please don't give hate my tank is fine and completely stable

Oh and a sixline wrasse

Can you post some pics? I would like to see your tank . Or maybe on youtube

 

[chiclidlover81]

Can you post some pics? I would like to see your tank . Or maybe on youtube

the most commonly said phrase is if we dont see it it did not happen

 

[Ingy]

Here's a dog comparison.
Let's say you have a nice apartment and you want a dog but can never take it outside for walks. It's going to live its whole life in the house and very small backyard. Do you get some type of lapdog or a collie or greyhound type dog. Sure a collie or greyhound CAN live in an apartment, but it won't have a long or happy life. A lapdog can, but not a dog bred to run.
Tangs are fish that need space to run. I mean swim. Anything less than 6 ft for most tangs is downright mean and uncaring.
Look for schooling and territory fish

 

[emerald76]

There's a formula I found somewhere that you can go by. It's 1 gallon per inch of fish. Not just in just in length but whole fish

Something like....... Length x width x height = ?

I think that's what it is.

This is a junk rule. I don't mean to be rude, just to the point. 1 inch per gallon would allow a 6" Oscar, a 10" ID shark, and a 4" common pleco to be kept in a twenty gallon.

 

[Dmann]

This is a junk rule. I don't mean to be rude, just to the point. 1 inch per gallon would allow a 6" Oscar, a 10" ID shark, and a 4" common pleco to be kept in a twenty gallon.

If you do the math on a say 6" Oscar. It would be 6"length x 4"heigh x 1" width I'm not sure what that equals I'm not a math wiz. But it's more than 1" per gallon

 

[emerald76]

If you do the math on a say 6" Oscar. It would be 6"length x 4"heigh x 1" width I'm not sure what that equals I'm not a math wiz. But it's more than 1" per gallon

I'm still going to be adamant on my point. Even if the bioload was correct, what about compatibility?

 

[Dmann]

I'm still going to be adamant on my point. Even if the bioload was correct, what about compatibility?

I'm sorry, compatibility ?

 

[TheTodd]

Of course compatibility matters.

I tend to go with a non mathematical approach. Depends on size of fish, bio load, your filtration, etc. if unsure, it's best to come up with a list and get feedback on it. Don't ask a LFS as they will likely give questionable advice.

The OP was asking about putting a Niger Trigger in a 55 that already had a few fish. Compatibility with a Trigger is always tricky. Some go crazy and start killing tankmates after being a model resident for a long time. I would not risk it in a smaller tank just for that reason.

 

[baron1282]

My LFS wouldn't sell me a fish because it was going to be too big for my fish tank. It was for my freshwater when I had it up. I always shop there now. So some fish stores are good.

I was upset at first, but now that I know what I know. I am glad.

 

[TheTodd]

Not all LFS are bad. I have one local store that is usually good on advice and another that is usually good. Those are both independent stores. The two local Petco stores generally have people that are clueless beyond book smarts that they were trained. I know they all aren't bad, so not knocking Petco in general. "Sure, that Juvenile Saillfin Tang will be okay in your 30g once its cycled in two weeks". I actually heard that at one.

 

[Zakwhite]

Can you post some pics? I would like to see your tank . Or maybe on youtube

Didn't actually see your comment below but yeah I will post some pics

 

[Zakwhite]

Can you post some pics? I would like to see your tank . Or maybe on youtube

Pictures