How much fish for 12g?

[huskerdan25]

Hi everyone! I recently purchased an Eclipse 12 gallon to get back into this great hobby. Actually, my plans are to get proficient with freshwater tanks before creating a nano reef. Since I haven't had a tank for many years, I wanted to start slowly with a small tank and discipline myself to do proper maintenance before tackling the more challenging nano reef.

My tank is currently going through a fishless cycling process and I am researching which fish I would like to have in my tank. What is the general rule for how much fish you can put into your tank? In particular, what is the rule for a freshwater tank? I want to make sure that I give my fish plenty of space. How many inches of fish can I put into my 12 gallon tank? I would imagine this question has been asked a million times but I couldn't find anything by searching this forum. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!!

Dan

 

[Devilishturtles]

Really depends on the type of fish you get. In that tank, you could get a small schooling fish (neon/glowlite tetas, rasboras, tiger/cherry barbs) and dwarf corydoras. You could go with a dwarf gourami and a few live bearers. There are many options. Did you have any certain species in mind?

Generally, a good rule is 1 inch of fish, in its full adult size, per gallon. Meaning if you purchase barbs that are one inch each, does not mean that 12 will fit, because they will get much larger. But since they get to be about 2 inches, it would mean that, as a general rule, you could fit 5-6 in your 12 gallon.

HTH

 

[malkore]

It also matters on how active the fish is. Tiger barbs are much too active for a tank smaller than 20gallons, and IMO due to their max 3" length, a 29+ gal tank is more suited to their size/behavior and demeanor (they can be a little aggressive).l

I like Devilis's idea of tetra species, maybe 3 cories so you have some bottom dwellers. bronze, albino, panda, and julii would be good choices for cory's.

 

[huskerdan25]

I went through my book of freshwater fishes and had come to the conclusion you guys have, that I should put some tetras and a couple of corys in the tank And I do understand that the 1 inch per gallon is based on the full size that the fish can grow to.

Thanks for your input. For now, I will be patient through my fishless cycling and then I look forward to adding the new fish.

Dan