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

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.

 

I have a very good and simple rule. You just join FL and ask us about stocking! BTW congrats on 50 posts.

 

Most rules are but least what you have going is certainly a deeper and better shot at it than the inch/gallon!

 

Replacement formula for the one inch per gallon rule:
Research / Common sense / Filtration & Water changes.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

no kittens in anything larger than a 40gallon