List of minimum tank sizes for common freshwater fish!

[emerald76]

Here's a list of minimum tank sizes for common community and large freshwater fish!(no african cichlids-don't know enough but if you do,please add)
Feel free to add to the list
s=schoolers,need groups of 6 or more
a-aggressive
b=brackish,require marine salt to survive
Fancy Goldfish-20 gallons for one,10 for every after the first
Common Goldfish-55 gallons for one
sRosy Red Minnow-20 gallons
Koi-500 gallons for one,need ponds or huge tanks
aOscar-75 gallons for one
aJack Dempsey-55 gallons for one
Parrot Cichlid-40 gallons
Convict Cichlid-29 gallons
sColombian Tetra-20 gallons
Platy-20 gallons
Guppy-10 gallons
Molly-29 gallons
sUpside Down Catfish-20 gallons
sGlowlight Tetra-20 gallons
sLamp Eye Tetra-20 gallons
sRed Minor Tetra-20 gallons
sVon rio Flame tetra- 20 gallons
sBlack Phantom Tetra-30 gallons
sX ray Tetra- 20 gallons
sMarble Hatchetfish-20 gallons
sSilver Hatchetfish-20 gallons
sMarthae Silver Hatchet-10 gallons
sNeon Tetra-20 gallons
sCardinal Tetra-20 gallons
sGiant Danio-30 gallons
sHarlequin Rasbora-20 gallons
sScissortail Rasbora-20 gallons
sWhite Cloud-20 gallons
sGhost Catfish-30 gallons
sCory-20 gallons
sPygmy Cory-5 gallons
sOtoclinus-10 gallons
Common/Sailfin Pleco-125 gallons
Bristlenose Pleco-20 gallons
Rubber Lip Pleco-30 gallons
sSkirt Tetra-30 gallons
Honey Gourami-20 gallons
Dwarf Gourami-20 gallons
sBuenos Aires Tetra-20 gallons
sBoseami Rainbow-55 gallons
sBloodfin Tetra-20 gallons
sBleeding Heart Tetra-30 gallons
sKhuli Loach-20 gallons
Swordtail-40 gallons
sGlofish-20 gallons
sZebra Danio-20 gallons
sBala Shark-150 gallons
sClown Loach-150 gallons
Pictus Catfish-55 gallons
sRosy Barb-30 gallons
sCherry Barb-20 gallons
sSilver Dollar-125 gallons
sTinfoil Barb-100 gallons
sTiger Barb-30 gallons
Opaline Gourami-30 gallons
Blue Gourami-30 gallons
Betta- 5 gallons
aChinese Algae Eater-55 gallons
aAfrican Brown Knife-100 gallons
aBlack Ghost Knife-125 gallons
Angelfish-30 gallons
aDinosaur Bichir-55 gallons
aRed Tailed Shark-55 gallons
sCelesyial Pearl Danio-5 gallons
sChili Rasbora-5 gallons
Scarlet Badis-5 gallon
Ram-20 gallons
sOdessa Barb-30 gallons
sDension Barb-50 gallons
aOrnate Bichir-75 gallons
sTurqoise Danio-20 gallons
sGlowlight Danio-20 gallons
sDiscus-50 gallons
Redtail Catfish-300 gallons
Silver Arowana-300 gallons
Banded Leporinus-70 gallons
aAfrican Tiger Fish-500 gallons
Pacu-300 gallons
aPiranha-250 gallons
Sparkling Gourami-10 gallons
Pearl Gourami-30 gallons
Blue Paradise Fish-30 gallons
Black Molly-55 gallons
Kissing Gourami-100 gallons
Gold Gourami-30 gallons
Chocolate Gourami-30 gallons
Licorice Gourami-20 gallons
Giant Gourami-100 gallons
Clown Killifish-20 gallons
Gardneri Panchax Killifish-20 gallons
Golden Dream Panchax Killifish-20 gallons
Least Killifish-5 gallons
Striped Raphael Catfish-40 gallon breeder,55 gallons
Reticulated Hillstream Loach-30 gallons
Zebra Pleco-30 gallons
sPraecox Rainbow-20 gallons
sThreadfin Rainbow-10 gallons
Siamese Algae Eater-30 gallons
bColombian Shark-70 gallons
Rainbow Shark-50 gallons
Golden Algae Eater-50 gallons
Whiptail Catfish-50 gallons
sRumynose Tetra-20 gallons
sSilver Tip Tetra-20 gallons
sGreen Fire Tetra-20 gallons
sEmperor Tetra-20 gallons
sHead and Tail Light Tetra-20 gallons
sPenguin Tetra-30 gallons
sCongo Tetra-30 gallons
aFiremouth Cichlid-40 gallons
aTexas Cichlid-50 gallons
aRed Devil Cichlid-55 gallons
aSeverum Cichlid-40 gallons
Apistogramma-30 gallons
Cockatoo Cichlid-30 gallons
aSalvini Cichlid-50 gallons
aMaganuese/Jaguar Cichlid-75 gallons
aFlowerhorn Cichlid-70 gallons
aPeacock Bass Cichlid-100 gallons
Port Acara Cichlid-30 gallons
aGeophagus Cichlid-50 gallons
aGreen Terror-55 gallons
Keyhole Cichlid-40 gallons
Red Breast Smiling Cichlid-30 gallons
Mousquito Fish-20 gallns
Bitterling-30 gallons
aIndian Dwarf Puffer-5 gallons for the first,5 more for every after
Badis-20 gallons
aAfrican Butterfly Fish-30 gallons
Elephant Nose-50 gallons
aLeapord Ctenopoma-50 gallons
Celebes Half Beak-30 gallons
American Flagfish-10 gallons
aCrocodile Fish-40 gallons
bFahaka Puffer-125 gallons
Fire Eel-75 gallons
Freshwater Pipefish-30 gallons
Glass Knife Fish-125 gallons
Gold Datnoid-150 gallons
aNeedle Nose Gar-100 gallons
Peacock Gudgeon-20 gallons
Peppermint Crocodile Fish-30 gallons
a,bPrehistoric Dragon Goby-100 gallons
aRed Tail Barracuda-75 gallons
Red Fin Prochilodus-100 gallons
Rope fish-100 gallons
Sturgeon-250 gallons
Tire Track Eel-150 gallons
Zig Zag Yellow Tail Eel-50 gallons
bBumblebee Goby-10 gallons
bFigure Eight Puffer-30 gallons
bMono Sebae-50 gallons
bMono Argentus-75 gallons
bRuby Scat-75 gallons
bArcher Fish-100 gallons

 

[BHead707]

just a suggestion but maybe do something like this Jack Dempsey(a) instead, purely for aesthetic reasons, its a good idea though if you could get a large list going it would make a good reference for beginners

 

[emerald76]

just a suggestion but maybe do something like this Jack Dempsey(a) instead, purely for aesthetic reasons, its a good idea though if you could get a large list going it would make a good reference for beginners

I've got a larger list now had to shut down the computer

 

[siva]

I think most of these are pretty good except:
Brown Ghost Knife - WAY too big for a 55.
3" tetras like buenos aires and columbian need more like a 30-40 min.
Tiger barbs - 30 gal min.
Otos - 15 gal min.
Pygmy cory - 10 gals min.
Giant danio - 55 gal min.
Hatchetfish - marbles 10 gals min.

 

[emerald76]

I think most of these are pretty good except:
Brown Ghost Knife - WAY too big for a 55.
3" tetras like buenos aires and columbian need more like a 30-40 min.
Tiger barbs - 30 gal min.
Otos - 15 gal min.
Pygmy cory - 10 gals min.
Giant danio - 55 gal min.
Hatchetfish - marbles 10 gals min.

I'm talking about a brown ghost not a black- I thought they were smaller?
I know that you can have Otos in a ten as many people do
Pygmy cories I heard can be kept in a five by themselves

 

[siva]

Brown ghost knifes can reach 18". I'm not even sure a 125 gal is big enough.

But really, many people keep lots of fish improperly. More often than not, hobbyists report quick die offs from their oto's. The forums are just full of these kind of issues. I think improper stocking is one of the main reasons. I feel like, especially for newbies which are the ones that refer to this kind of list the most, it's better to err on the side of caution. JMO.

 

[Austin.b]

Scarlet Badis- 5G
S:Celestial Pearl Danios- 5G
S:Chili Rasboras- 5G

 

[emerald76]

Scarlet Badis- 5G
S:Celestial Pearl Danios- 5G
S:Chili Rasboras- 5G

Thanks! I'll add it to the list as soon as this darn thunderstorm stops

 

[jetajockey]

A few issues with this list. First thing, there is more than just aggressive and schooler fish, and then there are aggressive schooler fish. There are also tons of species out there that are just fine solo or in small groups.

Stocking based on gallonage does have it's flaws, by that standard I could permanently keep an oscar in a 75g column tank. So what's the answer? Footprint? If you go by footprint, a 40b has more space than a 55g, so the stocking list between the two should be fairly similar. A combination of both footprint and tank volume would be ideal but then again it would get quite complicated.

Then the concern about stocking lists comes up. Keeping a small group of fish, or a single specimen changes the tank requirement dynamic greatly. Although a lot of people initially lean towards cramming as much as they can into their tanks, many people usually fall back to lighter stocking plans once they realize the great benefits of a lightly stocked tank.

Is this eventually going into a program like aqadvisor? That program isn't the be-all by any means but it is fairly accurate and easy to navigate.

Finally, the opinion factor. Everyone has their own opinions, some people will argue all day long that otos need to be in 20g+ tanks, while others will argue that they are fine in a 10g. Does it mean there is a right and wrong answer? Sometimes, but not really. There are some basics, but I don't think either person in that example is wrong.

We all base our opinions on our experiences and knowledge, however it is gained, so we often come to different conclusions. It's nice because if it's kept cordial it opens the door to debate and possibly revelation or insight, but it also means that these kind of lists are difficult to point at as a solid resource.

One other interesting thing I've noticed over time after meeting other experienced fishkeepers is that we often don't practice what we preach, usually justifying our methods by saying 'oh well we know what we are doing'. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, I know.

That's another subject in itself though I guess. Best of luck with the list, I hope you continue to work on it and add some less common species that are often brought up in the forums.

 

[emerald76]

A few issues with this list. First thing, there is more than just aggressive and schooler fish, and then there are aggressive schooler fish. There are also tons of species out there that are just fine solo or in small groups.

Stocking based on gallonage does have it's flaws, by that standard I could permanently keep an oscar in a 75g column tank. So what's the answer? Footprint? If you go by footprint, a 40b has more space than a 55g, so the stocking list between the two should be fairly similar. A combination of both footprint and tank volume would be ideal but then again it would get quite complicated.

Then the concern about stocking lists comes up. Keeping a small group of fish, or a single specimen changes the tank requirement dynamic greatly. Although a lot of people initially lean towards cramming as much as they can into their tanks, many people usually fall back to lighter stocking plans once they realize the great benefits of a lightly stocked tank.

Is this eventually going into a program like aqadvisor? That program isn't the be-all by any means but it is fairly accurate and easy to navigate.

Finally, the opinion factor. Everyone has their own opinions, some people will argue all day long that otos need to be in 20g+ tanks, while others will argue that they are fine in a 10g. Does it mean there is a right and wrong answer? Sometimes, but not really. There are some basics, but I don't think either person in that example is wrong.

We all base our opinions on our experiences and knowledge, however it is gained, so we often come to different conclusions. It's nice because if it's kept cordial it opens the door to debate and possibly revelation or insight, but it also means that these kind of lists are difficult to point at as a solid resource.

One other interesting thing I've noticed over time after meeting other experienced fishkeepers is that we often don't practice what we preach, usually justifying our methods by saying 'oh well we know what we are doing'. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, I know.

That's another subject in itself though I guess. Best of luck with the list, I hope you continue to work on it and add some less common species that are often brought up in the forums.

No it's not going into a program I just wanted to help beginners understand the tank size requirements for the more common fish
Ill think about adding footprints too
Also I know there are more than just aggressives and schoolers and combos of them but I wanted to make it easy to understand, I'll add some more categories later
Also there are several fish on the list hat are neither aggressive nor schoolers
Most of these fish(but not the tank sizes) came from the petsmart website as that is where a lot of newbies get fish
I will add less common fish later on too but I wanted to get this started before I forgot to
I'll also add more details such as minimum tank size for one of the fish and minimum for a group if that species

 

[emerald76]

Brown ghost knifes can reach 18". I'm not even sure a 125 gal is big enough.

I didn't realize they got that big! I'll fix it now

 

[emerald76]

Are these sizes correct?

 

[GodFan]

I would not say bala sharks are ok in a 150 gallon. They are schooling like you said and get to 14 inches each. Also they are very active very strong fish. They need LOTS of swimming room and a tank with strong glass.

 

[paytertot]

I saw you said dwarf gouramis need 20 gallons. So how many could I put in a 36 and still have room for a small school of tetras?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

I saw you said dwarf gouramis need 20 gallons. So how many could I put in a 36 and still have room for a small school of tetras?

Dwarf gourmis dont get alongbwith one another

 

[paytertot]

Aww ( crud
Well how are they so peaceful with each other at the lfs?

 

[Sharkbait54]

Brown ghost knifes can reach 18". I'm not even sure a 125 gal is big enough.

But really, many people keep lots of fish improperly. More often than not, hobbyists report quick die offs from their oto's. The forums are just full of these kind of issues. I think improper stocking is one of the main reasons. I feel like, especially for newbies which are the ones that refer to this kind of list the most, it's better to err on the side of caution. JMO.

African ghost knives I assume your talking about, only get around 10-12inch max in home aquaria. I've had a black ghost knife for 5 years he stopped growing right under a foot.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Aww ( crud
Well how are they so peaceful with each other at the lfs?

Probably because they have like 15 in a tank to reduce agression.

 

[emerald76]

I would not say bala sharks are ok in a 150 gallon. They are schooling like you said and get to 14 inches each. Also they are very active very strong fish. They need LOTS of swimming room and a tank with strong glass.

That is what I have heard reccommended however I'll up it to 200

 

[emerald76]

That is what I have heard reccommended however I'll up it to 200

I can't edit it so I'll form a new list instead later