Species that count agaist your tank

[MagnumVP]

I have been told that I should stock my tank with no more than 1" of fish for every gallon. So if I have a 10g tank that all my fish when fully grown should not combine for more than 10"

Do ghost shrimp and dwarf frogs count against the tank? What about other bottom dwellers or sucker fish?

 

[Jason7894561230]

Well let me say dont listen to this 1" Per gal becuase it is untterly false. Now dwarf frogs only need around 5 gals each as for the shimp you can have heaps. Now bottom dwellers there is a long list there. Some can get over 1 foot while others cant even get bigger than an inch. So there really is quite a range from there. For a 10 gal i would put corys in there bronze corys beautiful fish that are very nice fish that are playful and are quite active. Other fish are the Kuhli loach which stay small and like to be in a group of around 6. Sucking fish or plecos also come in a huge range. The common pleco will grow to be over 1 foot while some stay at around 4". But the draw back with this is that they are quite a messy type of fish. So tell us what fish your looking into and well help you out!

 

[MagnumVP]

I already have a Platy, Guppie, 2 neon tetras and 2 ghost shrimp. My wife wants more but I'm not sure how far I can take it.

In my area the stores only have these basic types. The ones you mentioned I have never heard of so they aren't local.

 

[Crepe]

I would like to say you could fit maybe 2 or 3 more neons in there. But that would be it. I'm not too sure myself to be honest. I never dared venture to max stocking levels in any of my tanks.

 

[elysekuf]

I would like to say you could fit maybe 2 or 3 more neons in there. But that would be it. I'm not too sure myself to be honest. I never dared venture to max stocking levels in any of my tanks.

+1 If you're going to add anything, I would add a couple more neons so that they can school together.

You can also use AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor to help give you general guidelines for your tank stocking levels, minimum water changes, filtration capacity, etc. Many here will tell you that this tool is very cautious, which is likely true, but because it's cautious, it will help you decide whether you want to push your maintenance requirements or not.

Good luck!

 

[OhNeil1969]

I've gone above the "max" stocking level in a tank. The one thing you need to realize is that it takes more work. You'll be doing more water changes, changing (or cleaning) filter media more often and performing water test more frequently. If I know that I'm planning on overstocking, I usually takes steps to help alleviate any concerns. I will add a bottom feeder and an algae eater to help clean the tank. I'll also add plants to help filter out some of the toxic chemicals and add oxygen to the water. I will say this: do not overstock a tank that hasn't been established for a while! And never add all your fish all at once, add slowly. Also, you really need to consider the temperaments of the fish involved. You may be able to handle to waste and water quality but end up creating stress simply because the fish doesn't have enough physical room. Now I know there will be a lot of people that will disagree with me, but I haven't had a real problem yet and I think a bio-diverse tank more closely resembles nature.

 

[Coleallensmom]

If you're going to add anything, I would add a couple more neons so that they can school together.

+1 That would be my advice as well!

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I have been told that I should stock my tank with no more than 1" of fish for every gallon. So if I have a 10g tank that all my fish when fully grown should not combine for more than 10"

Do ghost shrimp and dwarf frogs count against the tank? What about other bottom dwellers or sucker fish?

The 1 inch per gallon is a great guideline, but it isn't accurate. The people new to fishkeeping should probably try to keep to it. However, things like Ghost Shrimp, Cory Catfish and even Clown Loaches (who grow to 1ft long) don't seem to take their share of bio load, while fish like goldfish, Plecos, Oscars take more than their fair share.

The number one thing I usually consider is territory, and that can sometimes be really hard to figure out until you try it. My breeding pair of Angels OWN their section of the tank they are in and it's therefore important for me to not only consider what else I put in there because of potential bio load, but also because anything else in there doesn't get much tank space...

You may want to consider using aqadvisor.com and seeing what it says about your tank.

 

[XimeD]

+1 on Tim's post. I think it is much more important to consider space and bioload rather than a rigid 1inch per gal rule. The rule is a rough estimate at best and can get you get into trouble ie: would you out a single 10inch fish in a 10gal tank? IMO it only works for small schooling fish like neons at best.

I too recommend aqadvisor, as mentioned it is very conservative but it is better to err on the side caution with stocking anyway

 

[Bettababe1011]

Sometimes you just need to leave it to give the fish you already have more room. My fish isn't the best example though, he's a male Betta in a ten gallon all to himself. Bettas need to be alone, and I only have one, so I'm not an authority on having multiple fish. But if you want more, I would only put a couple. He other posters basically have it. Listen to them.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Let me correct myself. Male bettas commonly need to be alone. They can be housed with other fish, but never other male bettas. Females are commonly housed together but it depends on the specific fish.