I see that it equals 34.5. How is that OK for your size tank? Someone mentioned to me that the per inch didn't matter so I am going by FULL SIZE and that is what everyone has been telling me.
So this is to everyone that is telling me that I have to many fish for my tank. Please practice what you preach. If you will notice as well that I have since bought another 10 g. tank.
First of all, the one inch per gallon rule is a simple guideline that works well to give people a rough idea of how to stock a tank. Obviously MUCH more is involved, but it give people something to start working with. No one ever said, "HEY YOU CAN ONLY HAVE 30 INCHES OF FISH IN THAT 30g TANK!" If you have 45 inches or something like that and they were compatible, I doubt many people would have a problem with it. Almost everyone who has commented on your setup has said that you have _way_ to many fish in there and are destined for problems. Trying to spin it around and point that finger at everyone else is not going to get you far...
And are you seriously trying to compare my 34.5 inches of fish in a 26 to you 164 inches in a 30?
LOL! It is very true that not all fish will not reach full size, but it is a good idea to plan for it. Even with 20% less growth under the max, you are still at 130 inches in a 30, and I would be at 28 inches in a 26. I might as well give you the full details since you pushed...
-3 of the 5 Guppies are "Feeder" Guppies, which top out at about one inch. Mine are actually about .75 inches long and stopped growing there. Fancy Guppies are bred for size and color and get much larger. The other two Guppies are full grown and about 1.5 inches each.
5.25 inches for Guppies.
-My Cherries are half male and half female. The males do not grow larger than 1.5, but the females have grown to just under 2 inches.
10.5 inches for Cherry Barbs.
-I have never seen a Blue Ram that was actually a full three inches, but I suppose it is possible.
6 inches for the Rams.
-The Tetra used to have a bunch of other tankmates, but this fish does not get along with any other Tetras and basically killed off his other Tetras except for the one remaining in the 10g that never fully healed. It currently gets along fine with all the fish in the 26. It is 2 inches.
2 inches for the Tetra
-My Pleco is a Ancistrus claro type of Bushynose, and will not grow past 3 inches:
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/ancistru/152_f.php
3 inches for the Pleco...
That brings my actually full grown total to 26.75 inches. Also, aside from the Tetra, my fish have other like fish they can swim with. Each group has its own area, and when fish do cross paths, there is no aggression that would harm any of the fish. I have posted my setup many times in the past, and asked for opinions on adding new fish (before I got my Rams) and the common agreement from many experienced fishkeepers has been that my tank is just fine. This has never been the case for you.
Story time... Person I know starts the nasty habit locking a dog in a basement and then saying it is fine because the dog smiles and gives people attention when they open the door. The owner thinks the dog is better of this way because it can not get into trouble. People (like me) tried to help the owner with the dog, the owner would complain that everyone else's dogs looked fat and got fed too much. The basement dog had a nasty rash from chewing on its leg because it had nothing else to do except for live in its own waste and get infected. The owner would try to blame the rash on something else and say it was fine. The dog eventually was put down because the person never listened to other people trying to help.
People here, are only trying to help. Got anything else for me?