Poll: How Many Fish per Gallon?

[Kinggeorge818]

It’s hard for me to say but I’ve got over a 1110 small to medium fish and a handful of large ones...I’ve got a 675 gallon display and the overall system is 1,200 gallons.

Most of my fish are wrasses, Anthias, tangs, Goby, etc. (reef safe stuff)

 

[mike werner]

I agree with most of these opinions but let me say first i'm a rule breaker.i have lots of pigmy angels and tangs (30 + fish) together in a 200gal with no real issues to speak of.i've added most of them at different times but in isolation containers in side the tank. I read frequently people saying add this fish at this time,don't put this fish with this fish and so on.this is not always true and set in stone as a lot of people believe.
IMO it all comes down to time and experience in this crazy hobby.take your time sense nothing good happens fast in a successful aquarium.expensive lessons happen and you learn from them like it or not.s#!t happens but it always seems to work out in the end.

 

[ZaneTer]

I based the number of fish that i keep on two factors: The ability to keep nutrients under control and fish attitude/behaviour.

 

[bobbyM]

I base my stocking on what I need the fish to do for the reef. Gotta have that balance. I keep fish that just look good to a minimal stocking level.

 

[van7271]

I will agree with the wisdom set forth. It really depends on how hard you are willing to work to keep a balanced healthy environment and the temperament of the types of animals you are trying to keep.

 

[don_chuwish]

"Wing it" for sure, with a good feel for what my system can handle. As a newbie with a small tank I had no idea but couldn't get the big messy fish anyway, so it was easy to keep the bio load low. That mentality has stuck and now even with the 120G, plenty of LR and sand, 40B sump, great skimmer, MarinePure, Matrix, refugium with macro algae... I could probably add more fish than I 'feel' comfortable about.

 

[JoeKelley]

1/2" per gal. was considered high load.
I need nutrients in my current tank so need to add more fish and food.

 

[A777flygirl]

I have a general knowledge of what I can keep in my tank going based off of the recommended minimum aquarium size from sites such as liveaquaria. But if they have the fish listed i'll also use Aqua Advisor, put in my tank dimensions, and put in the fish i'm considering along with the fish I already have and it'll tell me my stocking level and recommended weekly water change amount and any hints or tips for each fish. Plus i'm never to afraid to ask the experts on r2r

Do you count sump water /space when calculating number of fish on Aqua Advisor?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Do you count sump water /space when calculating number of fish on Aqua Advisor?

I don't, just because I want to go based off what the fish will be able to swim in. So if you have a 10 gallon display tank and a 150 gallon tub underneith for a sump, you technically have 160 gallons but you wouldn't put a yellow tang in there

 

[Susan Edwards]

I have a general knowledge of what I can keep in my tank going based off of the recommended minimum aquarium size from sites such as liveaquaria. But if they have the fish listed i'll also use Aqua Advisor, put in my tank dimensions, and put in the fish i'm considering along with the fish I already have and it'll tell me my stocking level and recommended weekly water change amount and any hints or tips for each fish. Plus i'm never to afraid to ask the experts on r2r

aqua advisor doesn't have a big enough fish database. Half the fish I try to put in there aren't listed. Wish they'd update it

 

[Crabs McJones]

aqua advisor doesn't have a big enough fish database. Half the fish I try to put in there aren't listed. Wish they'd update it

I agree, i'll either try to find a fish on their list that is similar, otherwise i'll hop on liveaquaria and check out the specs, or ask the experts on here

 

[NY_Caveman]

This is such a basic question and it is so tough to answer. I can tell in a tank I own when it is time to stop adding fish by their activities and personalities. Or know what kind of fish behavior I could add. That is zero help to a new reefer. The advice I always gave was add 1 or 2 at a time and then wait until you know those fish to add more.

 

[Kent12456]

I own a 150 gallon Marineland cube. (36”x36”x27”) This wide footprint is great for aquascaping, lots of room for liverock and corals. Not so great for fish who need room to cruise....tangs for example. When it comes to fish living comfortably, the tank’s footprint matters. Footprints are a factor, Not just how many gallons the tank holds.

 

[klp]

1" per gallon is not a bad rule for smaller tanks due to room to swim and territorial issues. Originally this rule was for tanks that could not handle a large bio load on it's own with no fuge. At one time when this "rule" was in effect refugiums were not even a thought. It was a safeguard against hobbyists getting overly enthusiastic and creating a deadly sewer. With that in mind not a bad starting point but no longer a hard and fast rule.