How Many Fish?

[Ajbolton]

If I am only stocking my tank with fish that do not exceed 2 inches and I am doing weekly 25% waterchanges, does the 1 inch per gallon rule still apply?

I was told by somebody on this site that with small fish you could have upto 2 inch per gallon - is this ok or not?

 

[shang hi]

the one inch rule is a basic, you tank cant house fish that need more water then 18gallons to live in and it cant house one fish that is 18". the rule is a bit weary and just basicly stoped you over going the limit. you need to look at the width of the fish, the amount of waste is the main thing. the minimum size tank requirements of the fish.
as you are unsure on the rule of stocking at the moment i would not exceade the 18" of small thin fish that are not messy eaters.

learn how much waste the fish you want produce. make sure the tank is cycled. and have a testing kit at hand for maintaining your water in tip-top condition.
Corys dont make much biomass (waste)
where as goldfish make alot of biomass

 

[Ajbolton]

the one inch rule is a basic, you tank cant house fish that need more water then 18gallons to live in and it cant house one fish that is 18". the rule is a bit weary and just basicly stoped you over going the limit. you need to look at the width of the fish, the amount of waste is the main thing. the minimum size tank requirements of the fish.
as you are unsure on the rule of stocking at the moment i would not exceade the 18" of small thin fish that are not messy eaters.

learn how much waste the fish you want produce. make sure the tank is cycled. and have a testing kit at hand for maintaining your water in tip-top condition.
Corys dont make much biomass (waste)
where as goldfish make alot of biomass

Well the fish I'm getting upto 18" are Zebra Danios and Harlequin Rasboras and if I was able to exceed this limit then I would probablly go for more of the same, tetras or corydoras (which I've been researching but cannot find in my LFSs)

 

[shang hi]

herleguins and zebra danios are both shooling fish so remember to have at lease 6 of each. and they are not messy eaters so your good on that front. corys are at most LFS just ask (but pandas need a bit better water quality i've heard) and they like to be in 6+ other wise they are less active (thats why im going for 10 Adolfi corys and maby 6 Pandas)
tetras aswell are mostly shooling fish so 6+ is the order of the day.
all the fish you have listed are great as long as none are more than 2" (most corys go up to 2" but they make like 1" worth of biomass) and they all are relitivly clean eaters. just dont over feed and have a day of fasting a week and your on the way to sucess.
a fish list i would chose would be (out of the fish you just said):

• 6 Pigme corys
• 7 Herliquin Rosybarbs
• 7 Zebra danios
• 6 Lemon tetras

with a sand substerare (washed throughly before adding),
subterainian fertiliser for plants
some small hardy pllants like Java fern at the back

weekly 20% water changes
weekly water testing (PH, Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte, KH and GH)
filter maitenence every month or two
system cheak evey 6 months (just looking at the biger picture)

have fun desighning and chosing you fish for youu tank

Shang hi

 

[Luketendo]

Personally I go by 1 small fish per gallon.

(But that's because I have good filters and stuff.)

 

[mark.w.jones]

1" per US gallon rule is a safe stocking capacity which gives a certain safeguard and errs on the side of caution. So if anything should go wrong in your tank you are unlikely to be severely punished for it. It is a good stocking level for beginners to start with and will help them to avoid the main cause of problems in tanks owned by newbies which is over stocking.

For more experienced members who keep messy fish, large bodied fish, oddballs etc. in overfiltered tanks the rule can be broken.

For newbies only stocking common tropical community fish of <3" its defintely the best way to start out IMO.

 

[Luketendo]

Yes I used to stock more lightly, but as my desire and knowledge has grown, I have realised that I'd be able to maintain higher stocking levels.

 

[Ajbolton]

So say if I started out with only 1" per gallon of <2" unmessy fish and after a long time of everything running smoothly, with regular water changes. Would I then be able to add more fish into my tank as I gain more experience?