1 Inch Per Gallon Rule?

[Tankww2]

I know the 1 inch per gallon rule hardly works but how are you supposed to find out how many fish you can put in a tank if you cant use that?

 

[Snooks1!]

It's meant as a guideline for noob fishowners to go by. Makes sure they don't overstock their tank.

It's not cut from stone, it's not a rule, just a general suggestion....
Why doesn't some-one pin something about this?



Welcome to the forums by the by.

 

[Faythee]

What kind of fish are you interested in keeping ?

 

[rdd1952]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

If you plan to keep smaller tropical community fish, it works great. Tetras, guppies, danios, rasboras, platys, rainbows and smaller loaches among others work well. When you get into larger, messier fish, then it gets a little muddled and you would probably be looking at more like 1" per 2 to 4 gallons. After the tank is cycled and running for 6 months or so, you can easily exceed the 1" per gallon but as mentioned, it just helps beginners get started with the least amount of problems. And it appears from this thread that the 1" per gallon guide goes back at least to the 1932.

 

[WILDER]

Also always make sure you know the full adult size when buying fish.