How Many Fish

[nickdoman]

I am going to get a 50 gallon tank for a slatwater reef aquairum how many fish is the max I have been researching, they said that between 8-10 is the max any suggestions would be great!!! Thanks!!!

 

[Great Lakes]

Goodness no!!!! 1" of fish for every TEN gallons.

 

[mjcole12]

depending on what filtration method u use the amount can veiry

i think the general rule is 1'' of fish per 2 gall


mj

 

[fishdude]

i read this in a book ,10 gallons usually has 196 square inches surface area so times that by 5 which is around 1000 and you do the fishes length times their width then times by 20 so if i had a fish that measures 2 by 4 it would take up 160 square inches of surface area.

 

[Harmonic]

I have a friend who has a 90g reef that I've watched go steadily downhill as a result of overstocking. Great Lakes's advice is pretty good, his/her recommendation will keep you out of trouble. If it was a FO or FOWLR tank, and you really had massive filtration, I mean like one of those 60" floor model skimmers from Lifereef, you could go as much as 1" of fish for every 5 gallons. Note I said *could* 1"/5g is doable, but not without problems. I've had a 10g FOWLR cycling since march 8th. I plan on housing a manderin dragonet in it later on this year, and hopefully one of the 2" flasher wrasses. I am quite dubious though as to rather or not the parameters will be possible to keep under control.

 

[dolphin]

Hi nickdoman

A final stocking level of 1" of fish per 4 galls (UK). This would give you the max that a well filtered system could cope with. The more inverts that you have the less fish that you will be able to keep.


Dolphin

 

[Great Lakes]

Notice that when someone recommends a level as high as 1' per 5 gallons, they also say "final". This is the end level that should be gradually worked towards as parameters permit.