Stocking guidelines for newbies --suggestions? comments?

[coolchinchilla]

1-inch rule
I have a proposal for a sticky (or article) about stocking guidelines for newbies. The only guideline out there is the “1 inch rule” (e.g., 1 gallon of water per 1 inch of fish). People are looking for some guidance otherwise the “rule” wouldn’t be invoked so often. We all agree that the “1-inch rule” is a VERY poor guideline at best – even for newbies. I’ve even seen posts where the fish are referred to in inches only which seems odd to me (e.g., “I have 14 inches of fish in my 15 gallon tank…”).


I know stocking is controversial with heated differences of opinion and differences of experience. My goal is to simply expand on the “1 inch rule” for newbies, NOT for experienced aquarists. Then when a newbie asks questions stocking, we can refer them to a sticky first and then they may understand better when we give advice.


Many times newbies get discouraged when they ask about stocking and AA people tell them they are maxed out or even overstocked. They feel offended at our adamancy about it. Because the LFS told them such and such was fine, they don't believe us when we say differently. They don't know quite what to do with the "extra" fish. :| They feel embarrassed :Sorry: that they made such a "grave" mistake. They may decide that it is too hard to keep an aquarium and quit. I was a little crestfallen when I realized that my tank was overstocked. We tend to discourage people who are just getting their feet wet with the hobby.


When people post things like “I have a 20 gallon tank with 20 guppies, 10 mollies, a fancy goldfish along with 3 really cute little clown loaches. I’d like to add a few angelfish. Do I have room?” Or maybe a post like "I have 15 zebras, 10 sevrums and 10 corys in a 30 gallon tank. They keep dying on me. The LFS tells me my tank is fine and sells me more fish. What is wrong?" We all groan inside with these questions but the posters are asking and trying to learn so we have to respect that. Referring them to a sticky might be gentler to start with than quickly shrieking “OVERSTOCKED!!!” It will at least save us from repeating all the stocking stuff again and again. If newbies can learn a little first, they may be more receptive to our advice. Then we can be more affirming and positive with newbies and stocking issues IMHO.


I need to give Virus the credit for this idea. He started the threads on which I’m building with his “permission.” Here are the original threads:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=59410&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=59775&highlight=inch+rule

 

[coolchinchilla]

My first draft of a stocking guideline is below. I wholeheartedly invite suggestions for rewording, deleting, adding, etc.

Remember, this is oriented to NEWBIES! LOL. I don’t want to start another thread about how the “1 inch rule” is wrong, how you can keep very healthy fish in an “overstocked” tank, etc. We’ve beaten that topic to death so please, please set this aside. I'm hoping to give guidance to the person who posts "I have 2 oscars and 2 plecos in a 5-gallon tank..." Not for the person who posts "I have one oscar in a 55-gallon tank..."


The goal is to give better stocking guidelines to people who have little clue on how to take care of an aquarium – namely NEWBIES!


Thanks for your input. Once we have something of a consensus, I'll ask an advisor to post a final draft as a sticky or whatever is appropriate.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Stocking Guidelines for Newbies

The usual guideline out there for newbies is the “1 inch rule” (e.g. one gallon of water for each inch of fish). I remember being told the "1-inch rule” followed by the statement that "it was a VERY general rule so not to follow it too closely." ??? huh? So you give me a rule then say it is a very poor rule at best? So what fish can I have? What other things affect how many fish I can have? I had no idea. I was certain to make a mistake. I bought a 15-gal tank and the tank came with a 6-inch ornamental goldfish (HUGE) 8O 2 corys, 2-3 swordtails and about 8 guppies. Now I know that this tank was VERY POORLY stocked. All of these fish died and I felt terrible. I would have loved better guidelines than just the “1 inch rule”. It would have made better sense to me and those fish may not have died. That is the goal of this sticky.

Before I get into more specifics, I want to encourage you. You’re here trying to learn more about becoming a good aquarist. Maybe you’ve come to AA because of problems with your tank. You are to be commended! Keep reading, you’ll appreciate it and your fish will appreciate it. Keeping fish is FUN and many people here are happy to help.

A properly stocked aquarium
1. A properly stocked aquarium will be easier to take care of -- less work to keep it balanced.

2. A properly stocked aquarium will be cheaper to maintain – fewer chemicals

3. A properly stocked aquarium will be healthier -- less disease, fewer fish deaths

4. A properly stocked aquarium will THRIVE, not simply survive. It is FUN to have fish functioning at their best and it makes the fish keeper feel good to know the fish are doing well.


Many people have been told by their LFS that their tank stocking was ok. People on AA may disagree with the LFS. For one thing the amount of aquarium keeping experience represented on this board is huge. And frankly, LFS personnel many times do NOT know what they are talking about. Also they are trying to sell you something, so of course they’ll tell you to add more fish so they can make money.

One thing you will soon learn is that opinions differ widely as to how many fish you can keep in an aquarium. Many features come into play, but I hope you’ll agree that for a NEWBIE to the hobby, these guidelines below will help. As you get more experience, you’ll learn where you can nudge the guidelines so you can have more fish in your tank.

Please read here about the nitrogen cycle if you don’t already understand it. Basically, the fish in your tank produce waste and excess food decays. The good bacteria in your tank change these toxic wastes into less toxic substances. The numbers of good bacteria is in direct proportion to amount of wastes produced. “Bioload” is the term used to describe the amount of waste produced amount of fish waste and decaying food/matter in the tank. The tank can only handle so much bioload for the good bacteria to change the toxins into less harmful substances. So for example, many fish create more of a bioload than few fish. Ten fish in a small tank is a high bioload where the same ten fish is a small bioload for a large tank. Much of the goals of good stocking deal with bioload – deciding how many and what kind of fish a tank may handle.



There are three categories that affect stocking capacity: the tank, the fish, and the aquarist.

The tank:
1. Tank size. This main part of stocking. How big is the tank? Obviously a 40-gallon tank can handle a greater bioload than a 20-gallon tank so it can house more fish.

2. Footprint. An important feature of a tank is the surface area. Oxygen and carbon dioxide pass in and out of the water at the surface. A larger surface area allows for more gas exchange than a smaller one. So a larger surface area can handle more bioload than a small one. I was surprised to find out that a 20-gallon hexagonal tank can’t handle the same bioload as the 20-gallon long tank because the surface area is so much less.

3. Filtration equipment. If someone has extra filtration on a tank then more fish may be able to live there. The filter removes disolved solids from the water so there’s less waste to decay. Better filtration means a better ability to manage the bioload of the tank..


The fish:
1. Body type. Large bodied fish eat more food and therefore produce more waste than a small-bodied fish. For example, a 10-inch oscar produces tons more waste than 10 2-inch danios. An ornamental goldfish is a big eater and a big waste producer. It needs at least 10 gallons or more to maintain it well.

2. Schooling. Some fish like to school together so it’s a good idea to get a number of them (e.g., at least 6). For example, one neon tetra would be stressed out to be alone.

3. Solitary. Some fish do better alone rather than with others of their own kind or others of like shape. For example a common pleco should not be kept with other common plecos.

4. Aggression. If a fish is more aggressive/territorial, then it needs more space in the tank so there is enough territory to share without skirmishes and injury.

5. Coldwater vs. tropical fish. Even though coldwater fish and tropical fish are both on the FW side, they really should not be in the same tank. They have different needs temperature-wise. A goldfish doesn’t do well at tropical temperatures for example.

6. Adult size: You need to size your tank according to the ADULT size of the fish. That cute little 2-inch angelfish will grow to 6 inches tall so you need to have space for it. That little common pleco will grow to a foot in length so needs at least a 55 gallon tank.

7. Compatibility: You need to put compatible fish together. A larger fish may eat a smaller fish for example. Some fish get nervous around zippy fish. Some fish will nip at another’s fins. For example, discus will get stressed around zebra danios. Tiger barbs will nip the fins of gourami. An adult oscar will probably eat a cardinal tetra.

8. Pace of stocking. Once a tank is cycled initially you can add fish. However, add fish to your tank slowly so your good bacteria can catch up with the increased waste production. For example, add 6 small fish, wait 10 days, then add 3 larger fish, wait 10 days…, etc. until you have all the fish you want in there.


The Aquarist:
1. Workload desired. A fish tank takes work: water changes, cleaning the gravel , feeding, medicating sick fish, water testing. The higher the stocking in a tank, the more work there is to take care it. The less workload you want with your hobby, the lighter the stocking should be. For example, 20 guppies in a 10-gallon tank need almost daily water changes, excellent filtration and frequent water testing. If you slack off you’ll end up with a dead tank. If you have two angelfish in a 90-gallon tank, then there is very little work except to feed the fish, change the filter occasionally and top off the water.

2. Experience. An aquarist with more experience will be able to recognize when things are going downhill in a tank fa
ster and adjust things quicker than a newbie will. Thus perhaps a newbie should stock more lightly to start off until they have more experience.



I know these guidelines are still vague, but they will really help us help you out. After reading this through, please ask us questions about your specific fish in your tank or that you would like to add to your tank. Ask about fish body size, sociability, aggression, adult size, and compatibility. Tell us your tank size and filtration you have. Let us know if you are willing to do a lot of work on your tank or not.


---------------------------------------------------
Links
For a more technical explanation of tank’s fish capacity, Netmax gives a through explanation:
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/basics/stocking/stocking.shtml

This site gives suggestions for different types of fish who do well together in a tank with links to info on each fish. http://www.elmersaquarium.com/c106communityinfo.htm


This site gives useful information on specific fish. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=830

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Quick question- Why shouldn't 2 common pleco's be in the same tank? I have 2 and they are perfectly fat and happy.

 

[coolchinchilla]

My bad. I thought I saw a post somewhere about two plecs being at war with one another. I must be mistaken. Thanks for pointing that out. I need to find a different example for that point. I hope to find examples that CLEARLY demonstrate the point, not just sometimes.

 

[greenmaji]

#6 angel fish can reach 8 inches in length.
#7 the oscar will more then probably eat the tetra...
In my experiance 20 gallons per angel fish makes for a very light work load.. I would stretch to say a 40 gallon tank would be a lightly stocked tank for a pair (I had this exact setup 10 years ago)

I would add observation to this.. If you wish.. To try to watch and understand the fishs behavior, IE start with a lightly stocked tank and watch how your fish "act" when everything seems to be going well.. This is very generic and could use some more thought..

 

[coolchinchilla]

Thanks for your feedback! I'm tracking the changes in Word on my PC and I'll note the changes here on the thread.

Reworded #3 re: fishyfanatic's comments (illustration of bettas rather than plecos)
3. Solitary. Some fish do better alone rather than with others of their own kind or others of like shape. For example a male betta does better alone rather than with another male.

Reworded #6 according to greenmaji's comments. (Angelfish = 8 inches)
Reworded #7 acc to greenmaji (the oscar WILL eat the tetra)

Additional point under "The Aquarist" per GM's suggestion:
3. Observation. Watch and try to understand your fish’s behavior so you can see how they act when everything is going well. As a newbie can gain this experience best by starting with a lightly stocked aquarium.

coolchinchilla

 

[coolchinchilla]

I thought of a new category: Mythology about stocking. I'm hoping others can contribute to this.

1. Bottom feeders don’t count into your total tank usage because they consume the waste on the bottom of the tank. This is not true. Bottom feeders still consume food and produce waste just like any other fish. A pleco poops more than it consumes.

coolchinchilla

 

[DeFeKt]

"The Fish" #5 & #7 to me are more of a compatibilty question and/or sticky.

Other then that, I think it's fine as it is..Well thought out..
Good stuff.

 

[greenmaji]

I dont know how its possible for a fish to poop more then it consumes but it can seem that way..
I am up in the air about filter feeders, such as FW clams, they seem to consume exess food and make little waste.. I dont know if they should be counted (obviously you couldnt pack them in side by by side)
there is are some animals such as eels and clams that would be much better off kept in sand substrate as well.. just a thought..

 

[DeFeKt]

LOL
I just re-read the heading of this topic, and didn't realise it was for General stocking guidelines and not just size orientated, sorry.
disregard my comments on #5 & #7

Africans prefer sandy substrate.

 

[greenmaji]

I think that it would be good to mention since rift lake african cichlids seem to be popular now that mixing the fish from the different lakes is not wise.. this is a very difficult one and a link to the cichlid forum might be in order to help people tell wich lake the fish are from..

 

[coolchinchilla]

"The Fish" #5 & #7 to me are more of a compatibilty question and/or sticky.

True. Probably best to combine those points.

Other then that, I think it's fine as it is..Well thought out..
Good stuff.

:blush: Thanks.

I dont know how its possible for a fish to poop more then it consumes but it can seem that way..

Remarkable, isn't it? LOL

I am up in the air about filter feeders, such as FW clams, they seem to consume exess food and make little waste.. I dont know if they should be counted (obviously you couldnt pack them in side by by side)

I was thinking more of the catfish like corys, otos and plecos, not snails & clams. Will have to reword that.

there is are some animals such as eels and clams that would be much better off kept in sand substrate as well.. just a thought..

Good observation. Will add a point under "The Fish" about substrates.

 

[rich311k]

My only thoughts are a common pleco needs more than 55 gallons they can get 18 inches or more long.

On the being alone issue maybe a red tialed shark would be a better example. Most people know male bettas fight.

Just my thoughts.

All in all it is a well thought out post.

 

[coolchinchilla]

LOL
I just re-read the heading of this topic, and didn't realise it was for General stocking guidelines and not just size orientated, sorry.
disregard my comments on #5 & #7

hmmmmm.... will change it back! No, I like the idea of putting coldwater fish under compatibility.

Africans prefer sandy substrate.

Good point.

I think that it would be good to mention since rift lake african cichlids seem to be popular now that mixing the fish from the different lakes is not wise.. this is a very difficult one and a link to the cichlid forum might be in order to help people tell wich lake the fish are from..

Good idea. You can keep different guppies together so it would follow that you can keep different cichlids together. Not true. Maybe under Compatibility I'll create subpoints about common mistakes.

 

[coolchinchilla]

My only thoughts are a common pleco needs more than 55 gallons they can get 18 inches or more long.

Good point. I included a tank at least 75 gallons. Is that accurate?

On the being alone issue maybe a red tialed shark would be a better example. Most people know male bettas fight.

Good choice. Red tailed shark it is.

 

[coolchinchilla]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!! I hope this can be useful for the site so we don't have to repeat ourselves so much.

Ok... Here's how it reads now (just the part about factors affecting stocking). Are there any other myths I can include in the last category? Is there a way to indent or add spaces to the subpoints in #6?

------------------------------------------------------------------

There are three categories that affect stocking capacity: the tank, the fish, and the aquarist.

The tank:
1. Tank size. This main part of stocking. How big is the tank? Obviously a 40-gallon tank can handle a greater bioload than a 20-gallon tank so it can house more fish.

2. Footprint. An important feature of a tank is the surface area. Oxygen and carbon dioxide pass in and out of the water at the surface. A larger surface area allows for more gas exchange than a smaller one. So a larger surface area can handle more bioload than a small one. I was surprised to find out that a 20-gallon hexagonal tank can’t handle the same bioload as the 20-gallon long tank because the surface area is so much less.

3. Filtration equipment. If someone has extra filtration on a tank then more fish may be able to live there. The filter removes disolved solids from the water so there’s less waste to decay. Better filtration means a better ability to manage the bioload of the tank..


The fish:
1. Body type. Large bodied fish eat more food and therefore produce more waste than a small-bodied fish. For example, a 10-inch oscar produces tons more waste than 10 2-inch danios. An ornamental goldfish is a big eater and a big waste producer. It needs at least 10 gallons or more to maintain it well.

2. Schooling. Some fish like to school together so it’s a good idea to get a number of them (e.g., at least 6). For example, one neon tetra would be stressed out to be alone.

3. Solitary. Some fish do better alone rather than with others of their own kind or others of like shape. For example a red tail shark should be kept alone.

4. Aggression. If a fish is more aggressive/territorial, then it needs more space in the tank so there is enough territory to share without skirmishes and injury.

5. Adult size: You need to size your tank according to the ADULT size of the fish. That cute little 2-inch angelfish will grow to 8 inches tall so you need to have space for it. That little common pleco will grow to 18 inches so needs at least a 75 gallon tank.

6. Compatibility: You need to put compatible fish together.
a. A larger fish may eat a smaller fish for example. For example, an adult oscar will eat a cardinal tetra.
b. Some fish get nervous around zippy fish. For example, discus will get stressed around zebra danios.
c. Some fish will nip at another’s fins. Tiger barbs will nip the fins of gourami.
d. Even though coldwater fish and tropical fish are both FW, they usually don’t survive well in the same tank because of the temperature differences. For example the temps will be too high for a goldfish or too low for a guppy in the same tank.
e. Cichlids from different areas cannot be put together. Even though they are both from African rift lakes, The lake Malawi cichlids cannot be put together with lake Tangieta cichlids. South American ciclids shouldn’t go with Malawi cichlids. Here is a link that will help you identify where your cichlids are from: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/

7. Pace of stocking. Once a tank is cycled initially you can add fish. However, add fish to your tank slowly so your good bacteria can catch up with the increased waste production. For example, add 6 small fish, wait 10 days, then add 3 larger fish, wait 10 days…, etc. until you have all the fish you want in there.

8. Substrates. Some aquarium inhabitants do better with a sand substrate such as African cichlids, eels & clams.


The Aquarist:
1. Workload desired. A fish tank takes work: water changes, cleaning the gravel , feeding, medicating sick fish, water testing. The higher the stocking in a tank, the more work there is to take care it. The less workload you want with your hobby, the lighter the stocking should be. For example, 20 guppies in a 10-gallon tank need almost daily water changes, excellent filtration and frequent water testing. If you slack off you’ll end up with a dead tank. If you have two angelfish in a 40-gallon tank, then there is very little work except to feed the fish, change the filter occasionally and top off the water.

2. Experience. An aquarist with more experience will be able to recognize when things are going downhill in a tank fa
ster and adjust things quicker than a newbie will. Thus perhaps a newbie should stock more lightly to start off until they have more experience.

3. Observation. Watch and try to understand your fish’s behavior so you can see how they act when everything is going well. As a newbie can gain this experience best by starting with a lightly stocked aquarium.


There are a number of myths to this business of keeping fish. Here are a few that impact stocking:
1. Catfish (e.g., corys, plecos, otos) don’t count into your total tank usage because they consume the waste on the bottom of the tank. This is not true. Bottom feeders still consume food and produce waste just like any other fish.

2. Fish grow to the size of the tank. Sometimes a fish gets stunted in growth in a tank too small, but fish usually grow to their full adult size. A 3-inch oscar in a 10-gallon tank will grow to 8 inches and be miserable in such a tiny tank. By analogy, if we stuck you in a small cage, will you grow to fit only the cage? Fish may survive in a tank too small, but they won’t like it.[/list]

 

[Jchillin]

CC - Do you think a mention about non-aquatic substrates? Some people have used kitty litter with success and others haven't. Suggest that a newbie refrain from these types of substrates?

 

[krap101]

well this is knida true. but they dont eat waste. but fish process the food and therefore it creates less ammonia as poop. (i think) so they kinda do lower the ammonia level, which shouldnt matter if your tank is cycled with plants, or regular water changes..

i think theres 1 more catagory on "the fish" is air consumption. like a hillstream loach is use to highly oxygenated waters, while a betta prefers slower movement and can live in lower oxygen levels because of the labyrinth organ. (betta and hillstream loach are the only things i could think of)

okay a tank can be like 6x past the inch per gallon rule and still be balanced. (not saying this is exactly good) but if you have the amount of fish spread out, plants, cycled, and water changes when the plants arent able to use all the nitrates. you can stock as many fish as you want in a tank, as long as theres no agression. but you also need oxygen and you need to add them slow enough for the bacteria colony can grow. if you have enough plants you can have the same specs as a very lightly stocked tank with little plants. but this within proportion. (as in fish doesnt grow bigger than the tank)

im not trying to encourage this, but im just saying... yeah

[edit] as for the substrates.. you need the fully clay kitty litter (im sure thats obvious)

 

[coolchinchilla]

well this is knida true. but they dont eat waste. but fish process the food and therefore it creates less ammonia as poop. (i think) so they kinda do lower the ammonia level, which shouldnt matter if your tank is cycled with plants, or regular water changes..

Is this in reference to myth #1, that catfish don't have to be counted in bioload? If so, I would suggest that we do keep it. This guideline is for newbies. An experienced aquarist would know when it's safe to have more catfish. I'm just trying to prevent a newbie from putting 10 corys in a 10-gallon tank along with 10 guppies thinking that the corys don't count in the bioload.

i think theres 1 more catagory on "the fish" is air consumption. like a hillstream loach is use to highly oxygenated waters, while a betta prefers slower movement and can live in lower oxygen levels because of the labyrinth organ. (betta and hillstream loach are the only things i could think of)

Good point. I'll add this in.

okay a tank can be like 6x past the inch per gallon rule and still be balanced. (not saying this is exactly good)

Oh yes. I whole-heartedly agree. You can have a lot of fish in a tank and have it be safe for the fish. There are many factors that enable this like you say, water changes, plants, etc. But I'm thinking that that's in the skill-set of a more experienced aquarist. A newbie may not understand that if you are more heavily stocked, you need to do more work. I don't want to create another thread where we all complain about the 1-inch rule where differing opinions abound. There are more than 100 threads on this site about the 1-inch rule. I just want to help the newbie the way I wish I were helped when I started out. Hope that makes sense.

coolchinchilla