I don't understand the aquarium to fish rules? Help!?

Question

Well, i had a betta for 8 years until he died; he lived all 8 of those years in a 1 gallon tank along with a blue mystery snail that lived around 3-4. Why are people saying that there needs to be 10 gallons per fish, or outrageous numbers like that; i understand that more room equals more space for fish. But for a single beta, in even a 5 gallon tank is so lonely and big...And when one kid asked about his 3 twelve cent fish, someone replied he needed a 30 gallon tank for those small fish - that's crazy...pay 36 cents for the fish, and then 20 + dollars simply for the tank. But that's 3 fish; even though, 30 gallons is way too much for 3 one inch fish. But actually are the standards??? - not here to bash anyone, just confused by all these big numbers.

Answer 1

It really depends on the fish. There is a lot of controversy over betta care. My opinion is 1 gallon is the bare minimum for a betta. I am glad to hear yours lived so long! that 12 cent fish was a feeder goldfish, goldfish get big.feeder goldfish are comet goldfish, they get a foot long and need large tank b/c of there large adult size.Betta's do not need a large tank! But these goldfish are very messy and need a large tank to grow up in, a small tank will cause their growth to be stunted and they will die of organ rupture, that is why they need such a large tank of 30 + gallons.

Answer 2

A more common rule is one inch of fish per gallon.

Take fancy goldfish [fantails, short bodied goldfish] for instance, you need 20 gallons for a single fancy goldfish because they grow bigger than people think, they get anywhere from six to eight inches long. Holding that up to a 10 gallon tank with a tape measure, you should see why they need more room. After that, it's an additional 10 gallons per fish. Besides, it's a much healthier environment for the fish if they have more water, it gets polluted to fast in smaller tanks. Also, larger tanks require less cleaning.

Answer 3

Ok well, you are going to get a large amount of conflicting and anecdotal information posted on here, and what I find scary but funny, is I bet the people that post that inch per gallon malarky are just saying it because a pet store told them that, but have 0 reasons why.  I can name you a ton of reasons why that inches and gallon c**p don't work and back it up why.

1.  Firstly, this "rule" doesn't take into account levels of occupation groups of fish take.  If I have a mixed tank of bottom feeders, schooling fish, and surface fish, I clearly am going to go way over the inches c**p, but yet, that tank will thrive.

2.  Secondly, it does not account for fish that consume larger or smaller amounts of O2 in the tank, which will link into the next point.  If you have a group of smaller fish, that are not consuming large amounts of O2, then you have more capacity to stock then your inches tell you.

3.  It does not take into account the tank footprint, which relates to the point above.  The larger the footprint, the greater the surface area there is to support O2 absorbtion into the water, and this increases the amount of fish you could stock.

4.  This does not take into account aggression levels.  Clearly I could stock a large group of say Auratus in a 30 gallon tank.  But if I do not pay attention to the number of males in that group, they are going to spend more time tearing each other apart then thriving.  In a case like that, it's actually better to keep a lower count or adjust your male to female ratio.  Inches and gallons mean total squat in this regard.

5.  This "rule" was put into effect basically to keep first time fish keepers from piling too many fish in a tank too small.  Yet another loophole to this "rule" is that it has no accountibility to waste output.  Clearly even the smaller pleco's or juvenile Oscars, that by this rule could be in a 30 or 40 gallon tank, following the inches garbage, is going to crank out more waste then should be in a tank that size.  While you can counter that to some degree with extra filtration, it's better off to allow more gallons for larger fish that output more waste.  This rule has no accounting for waste levels.  The reverse of that is say zebra danios or neon tetras which output very little waste, could clearly be kept in larger numbers even in smaller tanks.

Basically, do NOT follow this inches and gallons c**p.  I think you have a smart enough head on you to know this is too flawed to even waste the calories to type out.  If you are wondering if something will or will not work, you can always post an idea and listen to input if it will or won't before you jump into it.  There is no standard to follow really.  It seems complicated initially, but after you get into a good community tank, observe your fish and learn more about them, it will come to you naturally.

Answer 4

basically if the fish have plenty of room to swim and you can maintain a perfect water quality easily your fish tank is not overstocked. i panicked when i first heard this rule because i have 2 goldfish in a 15 gallon tank, and thought i was killing my fish. i asked the people at the aquarium and they said if i test my water weekly and it is ok and i dont' have to change more than 20 percent of the water weekly to keep it ok then it is fine. my goldfish water is perfect, no ammonia and very low nitrates and goldfish are messy fish, if my fish get too big i am giving them to a friends pond. the ten gallon per fish rule is ridiculous, imagine if you have ten neon tetras in a one hundred gallon tank.... but i suppose the rule was created to stop overcrowding which people do so often with fish. with any fish, the biggest tank you can afford is the best, no fish likes to be in a small tank, not even bettas, they just like enclosed space which means lots of plants. good job with your 8 year old betta! i hope this helps!

Answer 5

Bettas generally do well in larger tanks, clearly yours was an exception. And about the 12 cent fish, I suspect they were common goldfish(which grow to be 12-18 inches long) and even a 30 gallon would not be sufficient. A pond of AT LEAST 100 gallons and a filter rated for 200 gallons is preferable.

Also, there is no set in stone 'rule' to go by. It is simply the way certain fish need their environment.

Answer 6

A LOT has to do with the type of fish and how old the fish is.  A small fish may just be a baby who will grow real big--and like any baby, sticking it in too small a space will stunt it's growth.  It may look ok, just small, but it's bones and internal organs will be stunted and deformed so the fish dies sooner than it should.  A betta can live in very limiited water, just like a person can live in a 3' x 3' closet--but should it?  A larger tank, even for one betta, allows the fish to actually swim so it' maintains it's fin muscles, it allows the fish more territory to check out s it keeps it a bit more busy.  And a bigger space allows for more mistakes--the ammonia/nitrite build up will not be as deadly as quickly with more water to offset it.  The bettas I kept in 5 or 10 gal. tanks lived more than 7 years and never had any illnesses.

Fish like koi or goldfish just need more space.  They excrete a lot of waste all the time.  Psychologically, they like bigger bodies of water.  Goldfish and koi can grow to be quite large if allowed the proper space and upkeep.  The tiny ones most people keep in bowls are baby goldfish who die before they even reach mature because they aren't given proper care.  With fish, it is always preferable to err on the side of too much room.

Answer 7

Bettas are slow moving fish with the added bonus of a labyrinth organ that acts like a lung so bettas have both gills and lungs and can breathe air from the water or atmosphere.  Most other fish only have gills and fast swimming fish need to get a lot of oxygen from the water they swim in.  The generic rule of so many gallons per inch of fish is a starting point but there are so many factors that can change the validity of that rule.  The more knowledge and experience you have keeping fish, the more you can break the rules and still have healthy, happy fish.

When you go into a pet store to buy your first aquarium, the clerk has no idea what kind of fish you will eventually buy so he gives a generic rule of thumb answer as a starting point.  If you follow the rule you have a better chance of success but that doesn't mean you won't experience problems of one sort or another.  Keeping fish is a challenge and what works for you may not work for me or anyone else.

Later on, as you gain experience and try new fish or new equipment, you will learn what your fish like and what they don't.