Tank size help please?!

[Kelly734]

Hi I have 4 angelfish 2 dwarf gourami 6 harlequins and a pleco what size tank do i need for them to be happy when the angels are fully grown? Thanks

 

[BioBaby]

You need about 1.5 gallons per inch of fish, so assuming you own the same species I once did:
3 inches * 4 angelfish = 18 gallons
2 inches * 2 dwarf gourami = 6 gallons
24 inches * 1 pleco = 36 gallons
18 + 6 + 36 = 60 gallons
You'll want an extra few gallons to make room for decorations, gravel, etc. and also for if your fish grow a bit larger, so I'd say it's safest to invest in a 65 gallon tank.

 

[fish boi]

You need about 1.5 gallons per inch of fish, so assuming you own the same species I once did:
3 inches * 4 angelfish = 18 gallons
2 inches * 2 dwarf gourami = 6 gallons
24 inches * 1 pleco = 36 gallons
18 + 6 + 36 = 60 gallons
You'll want an extra few gallons to make room for decorations, gravel, etc. and also for if your fish grow a bit larger, so I'd say it's safest to invest in a 65 gallon tank.

you dont need a 65 gallon tank.well you might but first what type of pleco is it. biobaby that rule is um..... just don't use it. like 4 angelfish in a 18 gallon nope, you need a 29 gallon for angles. 2 dwarf gouramis in a 6 gallon nope. YOU CANT PUT A 24 INCH PLECO IN A 36 GALLON TANK! that would be cruel

 

[BioBaby]

you dont need a 65 gallon tank.well you might but first what type of pleco is it. biobaby that rule is um..... just don't use it. like 4 angelfish in a 18 gallon nope, you need a 29 gallon for angles. 2 dwarf gouramis in a 6 gallon nope. YOU CANT PUT A 24 INCH PLECO IN A 36 GALLON TANK! that would be cruel

You wouldn't actually be putting them in an 18/6/36 gal tank, you'd be putting them all in a 65 gallon together. The stocking rule isn't for fish individually, it's for community tanks like this one. That's why I say you should use that rule, and I've never had issues with it, but you do you.

 

[Demeter32]

I do not like nor use the inch per gallon rule. It doesn't work too well for fish with a longer vertical length than horizontal (angels).

You should research the requirements for each fish and then get the proper tank size according to your research. I'd be going for a 75gal tank if the pleco is of a larger species, that being said a 1.5-2 foot long common pleco in a 75gal is still not going to go well. If it is a smaller species of pleco such as a bristle nose you should be good in a 55gal.

Keep in mind that if you have mixed genders of angels there is a possibility of them pairing up and becoming aggressive during spawning.

For community tanks, bigger is better. It you get a larger tank you can easily add another schooling species and up the numbers of the harlequins for a larger, happier school. This also allows fish to get away from each other, meaning less fighting and fewer changes of fish being bullied to death.

 

[Essjay]

And the 'rule' only applies to fish that grow up to 3 inches as well as only to torpedo shaped fish as Demeter said. Angels and plecs grow to more than 3 inches so the rule doesn't apply to them.

 

[NickAu]

I do not like nor use the inch per gallon rule.

And the 'rule' only applies to fish that grow up to 3 inches as well as only to torpedo shaped fish

Indeed the inch per gallon is nonsense, even with torpedo shaped fish.

I have 15 4inch Kuhli loaches in a 17 gallon tank. thats 60 inches of fish, add to that 4 female Bettas a small BN pleco a bunch of Red cherry shrimp ( at least 70 ) and an unknown number of Malaysian Trumpet snails and it looks like I am way overstocked, and yet my water conditions are perfect.

 

[fish boi]

You wouldn't actually be putting them in an 18/6/36 gal tank, you'd be putting them all in a 65 gallon together. The stocking rule isn't for fish individually, it's for community tanks like this one. That's why I say you should use that rule, and I've never had issues with it, but you do you.

nope, sorry to say but that rule is pretty bad. if i used that rule on my 20 gallon i would need something like a 35 gallon but really there doing quite well in the 20.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Given the fish listed I'd say a 55g would be the smallest and in this case, bigger is better.

 

[fish boi]

Given the fish listed I'd say a 55g would be the smallest and in this case, bigger is better.

yes i would agree. unless he has a pelco that grows huge

 

[AbbeysDad]

yes i would agree. unless he has a pelco that grows huge

Yep...which may or may not be the case and if so, assuming survival, would take quite some time.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Angelfish, all species of angels being cichlids, they do have something of a reputation that is well deserved which is they can be agressive.

Particularly, as Demeter32 mentioned, during spawning which is a common trigger for angels to be aggressive. But also, they are also somewhat territorial so aggression may be seen especially towards other angels.

So therefore, when keeping angels, two rules spring to mind, keeping an established pair or a group of at least 6 simply so that the aggression is spread out and theres no particular bullying towards one individual.

Angels when young or juveniles are nigh on impossible to sex until they are adults so thats to bear in mind as well.

Also, angels will pretty much eat anything that fits in their mouths, so small fish such as neon tetras and young fish or fry will become expensive but tasty snacks for the angels (expensive to us, tasty to angels )

Lastly, I would mention that for a tank for however many angels (some angels are larger than others, for example altums are taller in body height than scalares) I would always recommend to get a tank that is at LEAST 2 feet in height due to their long tendrils. They do get extremely stressed if they are in a tank thats too shallow not to allow them to swim upright.

Personally I would not keep a decent sized group of angels in a tank any smaller than 4 feet in length and 2 feet in height.

And as for gouramis, they can be aggressive to each other, especially if kept in too small numbers as the more dominant gourami will simply bully the other until its untimely demise.
Best with a single or of 1 male to 2 females ratios but a group of at least 5 would be better providing there are more females than males or all males. Sexing gouramis is fairly simple for most species.

Pleco, thats litterally a different kettle of fish altogether, especially if you are referring to common plecos, I'd suggest you find out what specie your pleco is first before going any further. If unsure, you can upload a pic on here and we may be able to help determine what specie it is before suggesting tank sizes for that.

Not a lot of positives on this post am afraid, but a lot of useful information for you and others to use for future references