Debate-Do corals count for your animal count per gallon?

[courtneyclv]

Hi,
My friend says that corals, soft and hard, count for your inch per gallon rule?

Is this true or am I right..only fish and inverts such as crabs, shrimps count? (and yes I know that coral is an invert too)

[dianeww]

Only fish count. No inverts, unless I have been sadly mistaken for my short year and a half here.

[Devilishturtles]

I agree with you, dianeww. Corals don't count for an inch per gallon rule.

[SeeDemTails]

I have a bunch of coral and inverts in my tank.

I would only say this rule applys to fish.

[Hara]

You do need to take into consideration that the corals and rocks in your tank will use up space that could be used for swimming room if you were a fish. Another words, a tank that is 100 gallons in capacity but stuffed full of rocks is not going to be able to handle twenty inches of fish. Corals also take up space in somewhat the same manner. The corals don't add to the bioload, but they do affect the tank capacity to hold fish.

[Mrsfuller2572]

I agree with Hara. If corals counted, there'd be no reef tanks. But space taken away from a fish is to be taken into consideration.

[melosu58]

They wont count against your bioloadbut as Mrs Hara said they do take up space.

[hc8719]

im a freshie learning to make the jump to sw, but i had to comment, have you seen some of the decorations and plants we put in our tank. that would be like fw people adding caves and plants to their fish count.

which none of us do... well most of us anyways

[courtneyclv]

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to tell him about this post.

[hc8719]

Originally Posted by courtneyclv

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to tell him about this post.

nothing says friendship like rubbing it in your buddies face and telling them that they're wrong...

[courtneyclv]

He's my brother-in-law....so I'm allowed! LOL