I wanna come up with a new size to tank rule.

Idkitsathrowaway
  • #1
We have all hurd the 'inch per gallon' rule, and realized it's stupid. Angelfish for example, would not go in a 6 gallon tank(or 8 gallon if you go by height) But with the pandemic a bunch of people have been trying new hobbies. I personally am one who restarted fish keeping (haven't kept fish since I was 5 and they lived at my grandparents) Now 10 years later Im back in the hobby. (started because my dad and step-mom wanted a dog, i didn't, so we compromised by letting me get a betta, who we kept in a QUARTER gallon tank, yes I was dum, I know better now) But when I started out I wanted a definite rule to how many gallons i should keep a fish. I learned the inch per gallon rule, and a month later realized it was dum with more googling I had to do at my grandparents cause my parents are strict(like have to ask permission to go to the neighbors as a 15 year old, they stalk through my phone on a weekly basis if I have it at all) and are the type to think that larger tanks are harder and a fish only grows to the size of the tank( I tried to teach them they think they are right). Moving on from that little rant. I REALLY needed a rule that would help, I think I got one.


Take the fish you want to get take their average size, and lay a photo on a grid(resize the photo to fit the grid), each square on the grid is a square inch. Every spot where there is fish is a gallon. Even if there is just a pixel. Easy right? But there's more take into the width of the fish as well. 1 inch multiply it by 1, 2 by 2,3 by 3, and so on. If the fish is only half a inch thick, call it a inch.

I'm not too sure if this is too much( wanna keep it simple for new fish keepers) but I'll also add on a activity level guide to it! On a 1-3 scale ex. a pleco would be a 1, for low movement(multiply the previously calculated number by 1), a betta is 2, for moderat , because while they do swim a lot they also will sit on the bottom of the tank to take the weight off from there fins (multiply by 1.5), 3 would be like a tetra or a fish that needs to swim to breath so very active (Multiply by 2)


Of course this is ment to give a base of where to start. And like all rule there are outliers like pipefish. I am very open to suggestions, I literally came up with this in 20-30 min. so its very flawed.
 
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MyFishAddiction
  • #2
I have a very good and simple rule. You just join FL and ask us about stocking! BTW congrats on 50 posts.
 
BigManAquatics
  • #3
Most rules are but least what you have going is certainly a deeper and better shot at it than the inch/gallon!
 
A201
  • #4
Replacement formula for the one inch per gallon rule:
Research / Common sense / Filtration & Water changes.
 
Idkitsathrowaway
  • Thread Starter
  • #5
Ya but a lot of beginners (me included) already bought stuff. And do there research after wards(that betta that was told abought earlier)(Lost 4 guppys because I accidently put a male dwarf gourami with them and the pet store lady said it was fine) I just want something usable for people who are too excited abought there new fish to spend a lot of time researching and lot playing with there new pet. And when I started I had no clue, and wanted a immedient guide line I still will google what size tank I need for stuff because I haven't been in the hobby for long enough to judge that for myself sometimes. I wanted to come up with this so people can find it just that little bit easier. save a little time so they can spend more time on the rest of what it takes to keep a fish.
 
LHAquatics
  • #6
Replacement formula for the one inch per gallon rule:
Research / Common sense / Filtration & Water changes.
There are just too many factors when stocking, like aggression, activity, size, and bioload
 
SouthAmericanCichlids
  • #7
I'm not too sure if this is too much( wanna keep it simple for new fish keepers) but I'll also add on a activity level guide to it! On a 1-3 scale ex. a pleco would be a 1, for low movement(multiply the previously calculated number by 1), a betta is 2, for moderat , because while they do swim a lot they also will sit on the bottom of the tank to take the weight off from there fins (multiply by 1.5), 3 would be like a tetra or a fish that needs to swim to breath so very active (Multiply by 2)
I don't really think this works very well, because while plecos don't take away much swim space. They create a lot more space than a betta or tetra. I think the easiest option is to ask here. And there are always exceptions, for like a 15 inch fish couldn't go in a 15g, I figure there'd be problems like this with other systems. It's really hard to work these things out, maybe a combination of your idea, and also a system that shows bio load, like maybe a 15 gallon could handle 6 points of bioload (With an average filter) and then maybe 4 for 6 tetras, and 2 for a gourami. And then for space, 8 points of space, the gourami takes 5 points and the tetras 3. But this would take a while for all sizes and fish. And it would be better for bio load to go by filter you have rather than tan size.
 
Nickguy5467
  • #8
no kittens in anything larger than a 40gallon :p
 

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