Yap I feel ur thought an agree, we become master an say when a fish dies it's old age...an mother nature will kill a hole tank cause 1 variable is off... got to love raising theses little buggers..
Yeah the same goes for the 5 galon for bettas, everytime i say otherwise, they think it a blasphemy without even consider how a 2 or 2.5 tank can be designed to work, its not a fucking 2g bowl if that's what everyone was thinking
I overstock and overfeed high quality food all the time, but I also filter three times the recommended amount and have plants. I test water often and change water when nitrates creep up near 40 ppm. i never have ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spikes.
Extra filters will increase the water volume, and move more water for better oxygenation. If 2 of the filters are biological filtration and the third is mostly psyical filtration, this could allow you to overcrowd a tank slightly. Overfeeding a tank np matter how big, or How much filtration you have is never a good idea, and bad for the fish and the health of the tank. You may not see any problems with the tank for even years. Sadly one day the tank will go through a thing called "old tank syndrome" and crash. If keeping an overcrowded tank this is unavoidable, unless you have the correct water volume to the fish. This can be accomplished by a large sump filter, or enough canister filters to make up for the water volume lacking in the tank. Just more filtration is helpful, but so little it is almost pointless. To keep the fish happy and healthy you need water volume. Sure you can combat this with large frequent water changes, but this will only work short term as it will kill off too much beneficial bacteria and eventually cause your tank to crash. You may think I am wrong since for now your tank is doing good, but 40 years of experience in the hobby tells me otherwise.
It's a guideline for under educated beginners. It's old knowledge and with time all things get more advanced. Things we do in America now were illegal and wrong 50/100 years ago but we're normal back then. Another ex, Arnold "the biggest "pri■■ ever" was a steriod junkie, when he became gov he took down all the posters of him in Golds that made him famous. Hence, things change! And we all are glad they happened in the past so we can grow from them...If you only know to carry a knife in the woods, it's a good start. But you may be better off with a survival kit. It's not your fault for not knowing but at least you weren't empty handed.
In other news I have four 6" fancy goldfish in a 40 gallon tank with 1350 gph filtration. A fish costs like 90 cents, filters cost $50. Whoever hired those petstore marketers needs to sit down.
I have always just assumed the 'one inch of fish per gallon' rule applied to fish that were roughly an inch or less in length ..It wouldn't have occurred to me to put a 10 inch fish in a 10 gallon tank
This video helped me so much. I'm starting a planted community tank of mostly schooling fish (tetras and guppys). I was so confused on how many to get.
Oh my gosh! When you started talking about the inch per gallon rule for a 10 gallon tank, I immediately thought "well, what about a 10" oscar in a 10 gallon tank?" As soon as I thought it- you said exactly that! LOL! (In 1988, my late hubby and I bought 2 quarter size Oscar's and they quickly filled up a 10 gallon tank! They bumped the lid when they were hungry!) I was taught that rule 32 years ago, and keep hearing Corey, John & Teresa, Lucas, and so many others- along with you- debunk the myth. All these years later though, I still catch myself falling back on that when I calculate what comfortably fits in a particular tank! But tonight, you've finally given me the mental cartoon to recall and break that old habit! Thanks for that and the chuckle, Michael! You really know your stuff, and have a fun way of getting the message across!
Thank you so much Michael! I did a ton of research prior to going into the hobby and I was honestly so discouraged (and often times still am) because what was supposed to be a simple 7.5 gallon planted neocaridina shrimp and nano fish tank turned into this huge daunting project as I found my head spinning from a bunch of rules and practices that a lot of hobbyists made sound like my fish/shrimp would die if I didn’t change my water daily or fed my fish the wrong type of food or if I over stocked my tank with one too many >1 inch nano fish… I know the other hobbyists mean well, but often it feels like they’re shaming anyone who doesn’t follow every little rule even if those rules don’t even make logical sense (like you were pointing out) or just don’t apply to EVERY tank. So thank you for being a voice of reason and knowledge and making me feel less intimidated in this amazing hobby 🤗
New to fishkeeping and I've been so worried about the fasting rule everyone talks about. I just CAN'T do it. I don't want to fast for a day so why should my fish? You're the first person I've heard say you don't have to. Thank you!
Last year my power was out for 10 days due to a hurricane and I stopped feeding my fish 2 days before the hurricane and did a 75% water change and cleaned it up really good. I didn't feed again until the power came back on. So 12 days without food. No food = minimal waste = cleaner water for a longer time in an extreme situation. When the power came back and filter on, I waited 12 hours then started feeding really small, more often for two weeks to get them used to eating again without any stress or blockage or any of that and keeping waste minimal. Tap water was safe a few days later and I could do a water change again. All fish survived it. I don't think I could have gone that long feeding and them pooping with no filter unless I did water changes with bottled water which was scarce during that time period. Any other time I lost most the fish after a couple days not changing anything and feeding as normal. They can go a really long time without eating they just slow down to compensate and get inactive. And you gotta take it easy feeding them after they dont eat that long if they get an intestinal blockage from eating too much right away they are as good as dead. I just read it somewhere and wanted to try it to save their lives vs. them all dying like usual and it worked.
I have always been told that the ONE INCH RULE was in reference to the surface area of your fish tank - twenty square inches of surface for twenty inches of fish, and that's in a tank with proper filtration and water curculation.
That's... mathematically even more useless than the inch-to-gallon rule, because surface area is not at all proportional to volume or swim area. Example, a cubic ten gallon tank would have about 170in^2 of water surface area (I am assuming you mean that, and not the surface area of all the glass panes) and a standard ten gallon tank would have 200in^2. So like... you could supposedly fit 17 to 20 of those 10in oscars in there??
Thank you! I have been doing unneeded water changes I started doing only 1 gallon a month in my 55 gallon (20 and growing) guppy planted aquarium It is doing so well with no water change big relief knowing I can leave my tank alone
I need your help please, I been watching videos for 2 days about the overstocked aquarium and I believe that you are the right guy to ask, I have 20 gallon tank, 2 marineland 100 filters (each is for 20 gallon) and 2 sponge filters, And there are pothos (like 4 with total 20+ leaves) and few marimo balls, I started with 5 Mollies last November, Now I have 9 adults and 30 fry, The local pet store are not taking some, And I am not sure what to do, Can I keep going this way? How many mollies my tank will hold? Thank you.
@@MichaelsFishRoom thank you for the quick reply, I usually do 25-50% weekly, I add water every other day as water level decreases, Do you think I can keep all those fishes? Or they will die?
I use to be very involved in Aquariums (pro-set-up) now I am starting back for me. I love the 1 inch per gal. As soon as it is learned then I go into your knowledge as to why it may be good for the first tank and then how to grow and tack aquariums to the next level. I love the way you but it.
I'm still doing research before filling and stocking the 10gal tank I just bought for my first "real" attempt at fishkeeping, so I'm still kind of iffy on all the measurements and whats a "good" or "bad" range for... pretty much anything that would be in the water. I'm probably gonna be testing it three times more than necessary for the first several months just out of paranoia, heh. What's a good amount of nitrate to let a lightly to moderately planted tank get to before doing a 10% water change? 20%? I don't think I have the strength and endurance to carry a full 5gal bucket of water to and from my bathtub every week...
@@MichaelsFishRoom I'm probably gonna start with some shrimp (from what I've read, they have a really small bioload, and I love watching them munch down on whatever they happen to be eating) and then either a betta or a small school of... something small (tetras seem a bit overdone, but I'm not sure if like rasboras would be okay), depending on whether I can find a betta that's relatively chill with the shrimp. Honestly, I started with the idea of a betta tank, but then I found a bunch of shrimp videos and uhhh... might have switched plans a little bit >.> Please excuse the edits. I'm a nitpicker.
When I hear this... guideline(?) referenced I start my story to explain the problem with that. It is like the saying, "Happy as a clam." The statement is not complete. It's "Happy as a clam at high tide." As for the "1 inch of fish per 1 gallons" the statement is not complete. "1 inch of fish per 1 gallon for fish up to and including 1 inch max size." So far in my experience, acceptance of this explanation has been successful.
Hi Micheal I have a 15 gallon tank with 10 ornate tetras, 3 Venezuelan corydoras and 1 female betta. I have live floating plants and fake decore inside the tank. I have dark sand substrate. I have H.O.B filtration. How does that sound to you
@@MichaelsFishRoom I have been a Liverpool supporter since the age of 7, exactly 50 years ago! I was born and raised in Liverpool but currently live in Manchester, their greatest rivals!
@@MichaelsFishRoom If that happens it will have been a long time coming. We have had to be second best to you for the past 20 years! It's only right you let us win once! Good luck to us all though, it promises to be quite a season and keep on with the videos, you talk more sense than most on here.
How much water do you want to change and how often? Will there be substrate? Any live plants? What will be in the filter? Way too many variables for me to give you an accurate answer.
Hey, so I’m thinking about having a 20g or 10g. There are 20 fish total before breeding and I want guppies, platies, kuhlis, gouramis, and a Betta. Heavily planted. This is my first tank. 10 or 20?
Micheal common sense negated that rule for me the very first time I heard it when I was 11 years old. Maybe I accidentally looked at it with logic and reason. I had a 1 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank. I had that Oscar for 17 years 30 years ago. No internet just common sense. LOVE YOU
you are so right on........ I've heard a lot of stupid stuff about keeping fish. I used to have a wall of tanks and a 50 gal with everything from docile fish to aggressive it was planted and had live bearing fish and egg layers so i broke all the rules and our local fish store owner came and visited to see my tanks after he seen what I'd been buying over a few months. he was shocked to see how well all my fish got along and that my aggressive fish weren't eating or harassing the docile ones. Use common sense. think like a fish and provide what all fish want open space and planted spaces rocks and pipes to swim through the more diversity the happier the fish. and that inch per gallon rule is very stupid. space depends on the size of the fish big fish need lots of water to swim around in and small fish need less what's more important is the oxygen level and ability for the fish to move freely around the tank. what I don't like seeing are stressed fish swimming in to small a tank back and forth like they want out that tank is to small. consider up grading to a larger tank.
I think this explains how someone can keep three guppies in a cut up 20 liter soda bottle with a lot of plants including elodea and moss, only add water when it evaporates and the guppies still breed. Or does it?
Dude that was a fantastic video and answered most of the questions I find myself asking as a beginner. Do you think I could keep 8 tetras and 5 harlequin rasboras in a 15 gallon tank. Without it being heavily planted. Or would it be too crowded for the fish. Thanks in advance
@@MichaelsFishRoom I am Willing to do the maintenance! I’m more considering room in the tank!!! Surely how lazy I am wouldn’t effect the size of the tank???
I don't know where the inch per gallon rule came from. I have a very old book (1947) that states a similar rule, but relates each inch of fish to several (something like twenty square?) inches of water surface area, which seems to make more sense than a gallon. Excepting a ridiculously shaped aquarium this pretty much always works out to more than a gallon per inch of fish.
I think it came from someone trying to sell fish or tanks the easy way. When people ask "How many of X can I put in a X size tank?" it would be easy to use this stupid rule.
Ok so in a heavily planted tank wit just a few small-ish specimens (lets say with like rapidly reproducing floaters like water lettuce or frogbit, plus mid levle leafy plants like swords or anubis, and like sum mirimo moss balls or java moss and some light algae so alotta diversity, and a good bacteria cultures and media like a sponge filter) will the ditritius itself be a problem in the gravel or will the bacteria and plants take care of all the harmful parts rendering the ditritius just organic leftovers?
Right now I'm running three fish tanks: 30-gallon = 10 Black Neon Tetras, 9 Glowlight Tetras and 1 Ancistrus 30-gallon = 25 Neon Tetras 20-gallon high = 2 Giant Danios I'm planning on adding an Ancistrus to the Neon Tank and another to the Danio tank. All three tanks are planted with Anubias (5-8 each) and moss balls (1 each), and all three get weekly water changes (8 gallons each). I'm probably working harder than I have to, but my fish are all doing well. Meanwhile, the nice thing about being lightly stocked is that my fish are more likely to survive when something goes wrong (power outage, filter breakdown, etc.). PS) I've seen fish tanks with horrendously bad stocking recommendations printed right on the side of the box. … 2 Oscars in a 20-high, 7-goldish in the same 20-high, 20 Bala Sharks in a 20-high, etc.
Do you know if guppies can have babies after 2 weeks? Mine just had 20 fry. I had her from fry. Male only introduced 2 weeks ago. I feed them 8 times a day (because I heard they eat all day in the wild) . Small amounts. Even the aquarium that sold the male to me is confused. Any advice. The fry are the smallest fry I've had.
Gold Jackel ..my male was only in the tank a few days before we had babies..none of the fry in my tank are from my males..just saw that it was your own fry..my fry females are 5 weeks and look big enough to have young I took my males out the tank just in case..I only let my females have young for so long..then they move to their own tank..
My understanding is female guppies can get pregnant as early as 1 month after birth at a warmer water temperature. Not so sure about 2 weeks though haven't ever heard or seen that early. Normally is 3 months old at standard guppy keeping temp and normal feedings.
It's such a stupid rule. In facebook fish people are wacky news, I got snapped at the other day because I said that bug eggs would not survive bugbites processing.
Reminds me of a goldfish group on reddit. They stated that one goldfish needs 75 gallons and 20 to 30 more per goldfish. They even made it one of the rules for the group. So, I decided to post a picture of my tank with two small goldfish in it. I immediately get a comment on how even one of those goldfish needs 75+ gallons, ect. I replied telling them that while tank size is nice, you can put more than one goldfish in a 75. Also, you need to look at water peramiters and filtration and not just a tank size from the internet. Sadly, this fell on deaf ears and just more people screaming a number from the internet.
@@MichaelsFishRoom it's going fine now with the 2 mollies. Water is actually still good after a week but still doing the regular changes. Will probably see how much waste the 3 extra platies produce and go off that. Thanks for the answer
Ok so question if I have a 2,400 gallon tank sump and and roughly 2 and a half cubic meters of media is that over to doing it or is it just right? Also the main tank connecting to this sump is 4,800 gallons.
@@MichaelsFishRoom that's the thing... I work in a company lets just say that imports high numbers of crustaceans a day but that same day they leave the facility so they pretty much dont stay long and the filtration they installed for them are pretty odd in my eyes and was hoping of making modifications to fit those needs, I have roughly 15+ years of fish keeping so when it comes down to crustaceans I'm finding out they are more resistant to amonia levels and nitrite/nitrate better then other animals so I have been doing frequent water changes to aid in dropping the amonia now the amonia is down but I feel that the sump has to much media and doesnt perform as it should, this media I'm referring to looks similar to that of k1 media but its black in color and cylinder looking so I cant figure out the name for it, sense I'm not the one who made the plans just put in charge of maintaining this storage sett up. So I feel learning a bit more would help my situation when it comes to the media under the sump he installed 12 air disc diffuser that I can regulate the media with but it seems some areas are working better then other parts only letting me assume that it might have to much media. So I was wondering if you could explain how this media should be moving and how fast, of course if you have the time.
I really like these type of video where you answer FAQ and teach us in an informal way. I think this should be a series and Tuesday tip need to come back!
This is a sales rule to make sure they get enough gravel out the door. It was also implemented in the days of the Undergravel filter, so you would have enough to have a useful filter bed.
My nitrates come out of the tap at 40ppm, so i plant heavily, use very high surface area filter media (which allows for anaerobic bacteria to get rid of nitrates, as well at the normal aerobic ones for ammonia and nitrite, and change water very infrequently, because water changes actually INCREASE my nitrates. Naturally i have to do some to replace dissolved minerals etc , as in my 75 gallons im taking out sometimes 2kg a fortnight of excess plant growth. I work to the “are my fish happy and able to display natural traits, and my water numbers look ok?” Rule. Just not as snappy as “inch per gallon”!
when it comes to small fish like guppies i keep to about 2 gallons each .but my young flowerhorn 7inch flowerhorn is in 50 uk gallons ,defo dont make sense on big fish lol
I used the inch a gallon and weekly clean/water change "rule" when I was a young teen with a 75 gallon African cichlid tank. But that was mostly so I knew everyone had enough room. lol. Didn't want my fish ripping each other apart because they were too crowded. But years later after my cichlids were either dead of old age or rehomed, I probably had 200 various tetras and live-bearers in the same tank. Zero issues. Depends on the fish, how much effort, etc. I think it's a decent rule of thumb for inexperienced keepers but definitely not a hard and fast always applicable rule.
I hope you are right about the inch rule cus not only do I have a tank full of guppies I now have Cory eggs..put them in a net till my daughter brings around the half gallon.. Not sure they will hatch.. But I nearly lost one of the Cory's so it nice to know he is now healthy enough to breed..may have to take a vote on if this mad Brit with mad fish should start a channel..😂😂😂😂😂
I was raised with 1 fish per gallon, up to 2" in size. Then you go 2 gallons per fish, and comfort zone. I think I was one of the few, when having beta fish was not common, asking if the fish needed length or height to be happy. Thank you for your video. Rules are guidelines, not etched in stone. Each critter to their needs.
You know “rule of thumb” is a stupid method of measurement according to boondocks saints movie. LOL. Just came across your video while doing random research. Good video. Which on that note. I’m looking to have catfish or tilapia in my indoor aquaponic system. The water will be constantly flowing and cycled through the system. Would you have a recommended max level of fish I could have if I’m watching my levels? I want to try and get quite a few, but I don’t want to stress them too much. The excess will be moved to a larger system as they grow.
I took your advice and went with my gut. I had a cheesesteak, excellent choice thank you! I have plants in all of my tanks. An old wive's tale of guppy breeder's was, if water sprite does well in your tanks, then guppies will also do well. I haven't checked parameters in a tank in 10 years. No need to. I do 25% water changes once a week and feed high quality high protein foods 2 X per day. I'd tell you which foods but that is a secret.
better cancel that 10 inch oscar for my 10 gallon tank then oop's LOL totally agree with you mate to many variables to be taken into consideration with that rule
Thank you for making a video about this. I HATE hearing this stupid "rule". I heard this when I was a young teenager at pet store and now 30 years later still hear some people say it. I was in a pet store with wife picking up cat litter and happen to just check out the fish section just to look and heard employee tell a customer this. I butted in and used the 10" goldfish in a 10 gallon example also used a rope fish as another example. The store got mad but customer thanked me.
Good video. Another consideration is behavioral and territorial issues with some fish. Stress can lead to health issues. Some fish are sedentary. Some are constantly moving and want to "stretch their legs" and go stir-crazy if cooped up. You might as well be keeping a greyhound in a 6' x 6' kennel. It'll live, but wtf. Some will get agitated and aggressive if crowded. They'll might get stressed. They might attack other fish. Some hard to keep fish (i.e. synchiropus splendidus) won't eat commercial fish food and only graze on live pods. They don't get more than 3 inches in length but I still wouldn't keep one in anything smaller than a well established 110+ gallon tank with a healthy pod population and no other food competition. Unless you're breeding pods and dosing them as live food, you'll starve them to death if you try a smaller tank. (They're gorgeous if you can pull it off!) As you say, it is best to educate yourself on the needs of the specific fish.
People don’t realize that cichlids come from large lakes that suits them for their growth and imagine having a Oscar in a 10 gallon where it probably can’t even turn around without hitting the glass I have a 55 long with convict cichlids and peacock cichlids and I think that’s too small for my fish but just the thought of having a Oscar in that size is cruel they need at least 65 gallons or more! Love your videos
Yup. The only things are respect to the fish size/tank and crowding and hiding places to keep some fish stress at bay. Bio to fish waste balance. If you want more fish in respect to volume utilize all 3 levels, golden wonder on top, garami in middle, pleco shrimp on bottom. Mineral content loss through the week is vital to replenish. Now since you do 10% daily, do you treat the whole tank with water treatment or just the amount of water for that you add? Or pretreat water with treatment with before adding the replacement?
I’ve never followed that...at one time I had at least 55 rainbows in a 55 planted, plus tetras, algae eaters( sae,plecos, ottos...) Angels, loaches, and other fish. All my tanks are overstocked, and over filtered. I do multiple water changes weekly! I have 10 thriving tanks that are way overstocked that have no losses. I’m with ya!!
My first school of Tiger Barbs died from this dumb rule when I was younger. Spot on video Mike, not enough people know about this rules faults keep it up.
I appreciate this video so much. It's good to see somebody else speaking out against the masses of idiots and trying to educate people on common sense. I've always thought that this rule was absolutely stupid as a person who keeps fancy goldfish. It really does depend on the fish that you keep. Also, I laughed pretty hard when you brought up the oscar comparison. I've personally never thought about that myself and people spoon feeding their lies to new hobbiests is probably one of the contributing factors on why oscars are kept in tanks that just aren't big enough. I like to call people out on their crap as well and as of the end of 2018, I went and got myself banned from r/goldfish on reddit (which reddit isn't a good forum anyways). There was a wonderful young lady who had kept saltwater fish and was attempting to save her nieces goldfish from being flushed by her father. She had a perfectly fit 30 gallon aquarium available for this one inch common goldfish and they were telling her that she needed a 75 gallon aquarium for a single one inch goldfish. I'm sorry but i don't see how dumping $600 all at once to save a one inch feeder fish is helpful to anybody, even the fish itself. In order to properly filter that aquarium, that fish wouldn't survive what kind of setup it would need to begin with. Let's also mention the neglect to warn people about how much their fish tanks actually weigh. Anyways, thanks for doing what you do and calling bullshit where you see it. The hobby really needs more people who do. Keep it up.
Great video..I have a 10g holding tank..it has a 5in plus angel waiting to go into my new 65g..she is way to big for the 10g tank but she was so tiny when I got her...it also holds one young female beta a neon and two Cory's..next to it I have a guppy tank with an oh my god number of fry..its well planted I change the water every 2/3 days..adults are moving out over the next few weeks the males into the 65g the females in the empty 10g..right now my 3 other tetra's are alone in the 65g..I have never seen them so happy..can't wait to get the angel in there ...but adding the fish slow..size really does matter in fish keeping..I am up to my armpits in guppies and they are all mental..😨😨😨
So many variables in this hobby that almost every “rule” or “law” can never be true 100% of the time except maybe “keep your fish in water” 😂🤣😂🤣
Yeah that one one is at least 99%...lol
Yap I feel ur thought an agree, we become master an say when a fish dies it's old age...an mother nature will kill a hole tank cause 1 variable is off... got to love raising theses little buggers..
Yeah the same goes for the 5 galon for bettas, everytime i say otherwise, they think it a blasphemy without even consider how a 2 or 2.5 tank can be designed to work, its not a fucking 2g bowl if that's what everyone was thinking
dang... I better upgrade the tank for my blue hawaiian moscow guppy colony - looks like I need to get an 800 gallon tank for them!😂
I totally get the sarcasm, it made me laugh when I read it. On the other hand, I would love to see an 800 gallon guppy or endler tank.
Me too! We are like twins!
There is an excuse to upgrade,now you have to get another big tank,dang. So useful somethimes to have rules. Lol
Lol
I overstock and overfeed high quality food all the time, but I also filter three times the recommended amount and have plants. I test water often and change water when nitrates creep up near 40 ppm. i never have ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spikes.
Extra filters will increase the water volume, and move more water for better oxygenation. If 2 of the filters are biological filtration and the third is mostly psyical filtration, this could allow you to overcrowd a tank slightly. Overfeeding a tank np matter how big, or How much filtration you have is never a good idea, and bad for the fish and the health of the tank. You may not see any problems with the tank for even years. Sadly one day the tank will go through a thing called "old tank syndrome" and crash. If keeping an overcrowded tank this is unavoidable, unless you have the correct water volume to the fish. This can be accomplished by a large sump filter, or enough canister filters to make up for the water volume lacking in the tank. Just more filtration is helpful, but so little it is almost pointless. To keep the fish happy and healthy you need water volume. Sure you can combat this with large frequent water changes, but this will only work short term as it will kill off too much beneficial bacteria and eventually cause your tank to crash. You may think I am wrong since for now your tank is doing good, but 40 years of experience in the hobby tells me otherwise.
Don't brag about abusing pets, dude
Who?
I never really thought about the 10/10 rule, but not putting a 10 inch fish in a 10 gal just seems like common sense.
Exactly my point
About time someone came forward and really debunk that myth and gave some proper education on the matter
About time? a few minutes of research and any fishkeeper can readily debunk it for themselves.
Yeah, but they don’t.
It's a guideline for under educated beginners. It's old knowledge and with time all things get more advanced. Things we do in America now were illegal and wrong 50/100 years ago but we're normal back then. Another ex, Arnold "the biggest "pri■■ ever" was a steriod junkie, when he became gov he took down all the posters of him in Golds that made him famous. Hence, things change! And we all are glad they happened in the past so we can grow from them...If you only know to carry a knife in the woods, it's a good start. But you may be better off with a survival kit. It's not your fault for not knowing but at least you weren't empty handed.
It’s a poor guideline that I still hear today, so it is not old in that respect.
In other news I have four 6" fancy goldfish in a 40 gallon tank with 1350 gph filtration. A fish costs like 90 cents, filters cost $50. Whoever hired those petstore marketers needs to sit down.
LOL
I have always just assumed the 'one inch of fish per gallon' rule applied to fish that were roughly an inch or less in length ..It wouldn't have occurred to me to put a 10 inch fish in a 10 gallon tank
But the “rule” has no other stipulations, so some people MAY think that.
Michael's Fish Room true, which is sad. Probably the same people who think it’s ok to put betta fish in a cup of water because “they like it “
Lol
This video helped me so much. I'm starting a planted community tank of mostly schooling fish (tetras and guppys). I was so confused on how many to get.
Glad I could help!
Stop the damn lies. Haha I love this rule. Foot long Oscar ? 12 gallon it is.
Haha wrote that before watching. We have the same retort but my Oscars bigger
Oh my gosh! When you started talking about the inch per gallon rule for a 10 gallon tank, I immediately thought "well, what about a 10" oscar in a 10 gallon tank?" As soon as I thought it- you said exactly that! LOL! (In 1988, my late hubby and I bought 2 quarter size Oscar's and they quickly filled up a 10 gallon tank! They bumped the lid when they were hungry!) I was taught that rule 32 years ago, and keep hearing Corey, John & Teresa, Lucas, and so many others- along with you- debunk the myth. All these years later though, I still catch myself falling back on that when I calculate what comfortably fits in a particular tank! But tonight, you've finally given me the mental cartoon to recall and break that old habit! Thanks for that and the chuckle, Michael! You really know your stuff, and have a fun way of getting the message across!
Thanks for watching!
I always joke about a 55'' red tail catfish in my 55 gallon tank! HAHAHAHAHA
But according to the "rule" it should be OK!!
Thank you so much Michael!
I did a ton of research prior to going into the hobby and I was honestly so discouraged (and often times still am) because what was supposed to be a simple 7.5 gallon planted neocaridina shrimp and nano fish tank turned into this huge daunting project as I found my head spinning from a bunch of rules and practices that a lot of hobbyists made sound like my fish/shrimp would die if I didn’t change my water daily or fed my fish the wrong type of food or if I over stocked my tank with one too many >1 inch nano fish…
I know the other hobbyists mean well, but often it feels like they’re shaming anyone who doesn’t follow every little rule even if those rules don’t even make logical sense (like you were pointing out) or just don’t apply to EVERY tank.
So thank you for being a voice of reason and knowledge and making me feel less intimidated in this amazing hobby 🤗
Glad I could help! Remember, there are many ways to do something and if it works for you it is right for you.
An inch of fish per gallon of water is for Neons, Glowlight, Zebra and other fish of that size.
Not for larger fishes like oscars, goldfhish, etc.
Where in the rules does it say that?
@@MichaelsFishRoom don't said in the rules. You explained too good.
Good job Michael
I really liked the 10 inch fish in a 10 gallon tank that was a good way to look at the rule
Thanks
Thanks Donna!
Why so serious!!!! LOL You need a hug. Nice video and you're pretty damn smart. Who would have thunk it! LOL
I’ll take a hug from Liz 😎
Except you will probably just get a punch from her hubby instead!! :)
New to fishkeeping and I've been so worried about the fasting rule everyone talks about. I just CAN'T do it. I don't want to fast for a day so why should my fish? You're the first person I've heard say you don't have to. Thank you!
You’re welcome! But know this, fish in the wild can go many days without eating. In fact when I go away for 5 days or less, none of my tanks get fed.
Last year my power was out for 10 days due to a hurricane and I stopped feeding my fish 2 days before the hurricane and did a 75% water change and cleaned it up really good. I didn't feed again until the power came back on. So 12 days without food. No food = minimal waste = cleaner water for a longer time in an extreme situation.
When the power came back and filter on, I waited 12 hours then started feeding really small, more often for two weeks to get them used to eating again without any stress or blockage or any of that and keeping waste minimal. Tap water was safe a few days later and I could do a water change again.
All fish survived it. I don't think I could have gone that long feeding and them pooping with no filter unless I did water changes with bottled water which was scarce during that time period.
Any other time I lost most the fish after a couple days not changing anything and feeding as normal. They can go a really long time without eating they just slow down to compensate and get inactive.
And you gotta take it easy feeding them after they dont eat that long if they get an intestinal blockage from eating too much right away they are as good as dead.
I just read it somewhere and wanted to try it to save their lives vs. them all dying like usual and it worked.
I don't go by inc per gallon. ($tupied) I go by bioload & the fish itself.
Just like I said 😎
A much better guideline to use is surface area(for oxygen exchange and body type of fish.
I have always been told that the ONE INCH RULE was in reference to the surface area of your fish tank - twenty square inches of surface for twenty inches of fish, and that's in a tank with proper filtration and water curculation.
That is way to complicated for most. Lol
That's... mathematically even more useless than the inch-to-gallon rule, because surface area is not at all proportional to volume or swim area. Example, a cubic ten gallon tank would have about 170in^2 of water surface area (I am assuming you mean that, and not the surface area of all the glass panes) and a standard ten gallon tank would have 200in^2. So like... you could supposedly fit 17 to 20 of those 10in oscars in there??
Boom! Science! Love it!
Thank you! I have been doing unneeded water changes I started doing only 1 gallon a month in my 55 gallon (20 and growing) guppy planted aquarium It is doing so well with no water change big relief knowing I can leave my tank alone
You’re welcome!
This is one of the best logical breakdowns of fish keeping ever. Well done.
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed it!
I need your help please,
I been watching videos for 2 days about the overstocked aquarium and I believe that you are the right guy to ask,
I have 20 gallon tank, 2 marineland 100 filters (each is for 20 gallon) and 2 sponge filters,
And there are pothos (like 4 with total 20+ leaves) and few marimo balls,
I started with 5 Mollies last November,
Now I have 9 adults and 30 fry,
The local pet store are not taking some,
And I am not sure what to do,
Can I keep going this way?
How many mollies my tank will hold?
Thank you.
Depends on how much you feed and how often you do water changes.
@@MichaelsFishRoom thank you for the quick reply, I usually do 25-50% weekly,
I add water every other day as water level decreases,
Do you think I can keep all those fishes?
Or they will die?
H A I think it is ok.
I use to be very involved in Aquariums (pro-set-up) now I am starting back for me. I love the 1 inch per gal. As soon as it is learned then I go into your knowledge as to why it may be good for the first tank and then how to grow and tack aquariums to the next level. I love the way you but it.
Thank you!
Thanks for rocking the merch!
Earned a new subscriber! Brilliant video
Thanks....and welcome!
I'm still doing research before filling and stocking the 10gal tank I just bought for my first "real" attempt at fishkeeping, so I'm still kind of iffy on all the measurements and whats a "good" or "bad" range for... pretty much anything that would be in the water. I'm probably gonna be testing it three times more than necessary for the first several months just out of paranoia, heh.
What's a good amount of nitrate to let a lightly to moderately planted tank get to before doing a 10% water change? 20%? I don't think I have the strength and endurance to carry a full 5gal bucket of water to and from my bathtub every week...
It depends on your docking levels, plants and feeding. For sure start small. With lots of plants. Do you know what kind of fish you want?
@@MichaelsFishRoom I'm probably gonna start with some shrimp (from what I've read, they have a really small bioload, and I love watching them munch down on whatever they happen to be eating) and then either a betta or a small school of... something small (tetras seem a bit overdone, but I'm not sure if like rasboras would be okay), depending on whether I can find a betta that's relatively chill with the shrimp. Honestly, I started with the idea of a betta tank, but then I found a bunch of shrimp videos and uhhh... might have switched plans a little bit >.>
Please excuse the edits. I'm a nitpicker.
Gotta love ppl that keep it a 💯!!! Don't ever change my dude. Love the vids
Thanks!
When I hear this... guideline(?) referenced I start my story to explain the problem with that. It is like the saying, "Happy as a clam." The statement is not complete. It's "Happy as a clam at high tide." As for the "1 inch of fish per 1 gallons" the statement is not complete. "1 inch of fish per 1 gallon for fish up to and including 1 inch max size." So far in my experience, acceptance of this explanation has been successful.
If he explained it right. That's the difference. I don't know where he got his initial info from.
Yep this is is what I believe that's what it is
Who is he?
Huh?
Michael's Fish Room I don't know what the other reply was but I've always heard it a gallon per fish that's max 1 inch
Hi Micheal I have a 15 gallon tank with 10 ornate tetras, 3 Venezuelan corydoras and 1 female betta. I have live floating plants and fake decore inside the tank. I have dark sand substrate. I have H.O.B filtration. How does that sound to you
If the fish are happy and you are happy it sounds great!
Do you have a video on activated charcoal disposable filters?
No because I don't use them. There is no need for charcoal anymore.
Do those 100 guppies in 20 gallon tank have enough space to swim though?
I want to know about how much space a fish actually needs to be happy.
Well, they are growing and breeding so I believe they are happy.
Awesome tips, really make sense and thanks for dispelling the myth about inch per gallon rule.
Thanks, and thanks for watching!
Great points Michael! I totally agree!
Thanks Bro!
Thanks for explaining so well!!
Thanks for watching Juan!
Great video and explanation Michael!!!
Thanks!
Finally, the voice of reason! Well said Sir.
David from UK
Thanks David! Now....what Football team do you support?
@@MichaelsFishRoom I have been a Liverpool supporter since the age of 7, exactly 50 years ago! I was born and raised in Liverpool but currently live in Manchester, their greatest rivals!
You guys will kick our ass this season!
@@MichaelsFishRoom If that happens it will have been a long time coming. We have had to be second best to you for the past 20 years! It's only right you let us win once! Good luck to us all though, it promises to be quite a season and keep on with the videos, you talk more sense than most on here.
David Barton Thanks!
I have a 15g.. with a 20g filter. Just stocking guppies.. what would be the rough amount of fish I could keep? Thanks
How much water do you want to change and how often? Will there be substrate? Any live plants? What will be in the filter? Way too many variables for me to give you an accurate answer.
What kind of floating plants can I put in a guppy tank and where can I find some that won't cost to mnch
Java Moss
Hey, so I’m thinking about having a 20g or 10g. There are 20 fish total before breeding and I want guppies, platies, kuhlis, gouramis, and a Betta. Heavily planted. This is my first tank. 10 or 20?
At least a 20, but I Would say bigger.
ive heard 1" of fish per 12" squared of surface area, is that better than inch per gall?
That’s too much math for me! Almost anything can be done with the right maintenance.
Loving the vids man!!!! Only halfway through just had to comment!
Thank you!
What would you define as a heavily or moderately planted tank?
Enough plants to make the nitrates 0
Sounds good. Thank you. I've been in the hobby for less than a year and do keep plants in my tank but I'll add some more.
Micheal common sense negated that rule for me the very first time I heard it when I was 11 years old. Maybe I accidentally looked at it with logic and reason. I had a 1 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank. I had that Oscar for 17 years 30 years ago. No internet just common sense. LOVE YOU
Damn you were smart!
I have 26 fish tank 11 of them I haven't change water for 10 years how can you explain it?
I’m calling bullshit.
This is brilliant ... Someone had to say it like this
And I did! Lol
Thanks for the confidence
Confidence?
Great point I like the fish tank and the measuring tape props
LOL...it was all I had.
you are so right on........ I've heard a lot of stupid stuff about keeping fish. I used to have a wall of tanks and a 50 gal with everything from docile fish to aggressive it was planted and had live bearing fish and egg layers so i broke all the rules and our local fish store owner came and visited to see my tanks after he seen what I'd been buying over a few months. he was shocked to see how well all my fish got along and that my aggressive fish weren't eating or harassing the docile ones. Use common sense. think like a fish and provide what all fish want open space and planted spaces rocks and pipes to swim through the more diversity the happier the fish. and that inch per gallon rule is very stupid. space depends on the size of the fish big fish need lots of water to swim around in and small fish need less what's more important is the oxygen level and ability for the fish to move freely around the tank. what I don't like seeing are stressed fish swimming in to small a tank back and forth like they want out that tank is to small. consider up grading to a larger tank.
Common sense is not so common.....LOL
that's for sure! lol... keep up the great video's maybe it will help some keep happy fish.
That's the plan!
I think this explains how someone can keep three guppies in a cut up 20 liter soda bottle with a lot of plants including elodea and moss, only add water when it evaporates and the guppies still breed. Or does it?
It does!
Michael's Fish Room Are you familiar with Michael Langerman’s channel?
No.
That's what he does and the bulk of comments in those videos are people yelling about the 1 inch fish per gallon rule.
I’ll have to check it out.
Dude that was a fantastic video and answered most of the questions I find myself asking as a beginner. Do you think I could keep 8 tetras and 5 harlequin rasboras in a 15 gallon tank. Without it being heavily planted. Or would it be too crowded for the fish. Thanks in advance
Depends on how lazy you are! Watch my video on it!
@@MichaelsFishRoom I am
Willing to do the maintenance! I’m more considering room in the tank!!! Surely how lazy I am wouldn’t effect the size of the tank???
It does. The bigger the tank the more lazy you can be!
@@MichaelsFishRoom I understand mate. I’m just saying in terms of space or is space not an issue when it comes to fish
Mike, you are the man. I love your rants, you are so right on with what you want about.
Thanks Brian!
How many guppies can I put in a 10 gallon tank
As many as you want.
I don't know where the inch per gallon rule came from. I have a very old book (1947) that states a similar rule, but relates each inch of fish to several (something like twenty square?) inches of water surface area, which seems to make more sense than a gallon. Excepting a ridiculously shaped aquarium this pretty much always works out to more than a gallon per inch of fish.
I think it came from someone trying to sell fish or tanks the easy way. When people ask "How many of X can I put in a X size tank?" it would be easy to use this stupid rule.
THANK YOU! At last, a sane fish keeper.
And a handsome one too.
Michaels fish room 2020. You got my vote
Lol
Ok so in a heavily planted tank wit just a few small-ish specimens (lets say with like rapidly reproducing floaters like water lettuce or frogbit, plus mid levle leafy plants like swords or anubis, and like sum mirimo moss balls or java moss and some light algae so alotta diversity, and a good bacteria cultures and media like a sponge filter) will the ditritius itself be a problem in the gravel or will the bacteria and plants take care of all the harmful parts rendering the ditritius just organic leftovers?
Detritus mostly causes nitrates and your plants should take care of that.
Right now I'm running three fish tanks:
30-gallon = 10 Black Neon Tetras, 9 Glowlight Tetras and 1 Ancistrus
30-gallon = 25 Neon Tetras
20-gallon high = 2 Giant Danios
I'm planning on adding an Ancistrus to the Neon Tank and another to the Danio tank.
All three tanks are planted with Anubias (5-8 each) and moss balls (1 each), and all three get weekly water changes (8 gallons each). I'm probably working harder than I have to, but my fish are all doing well. Meanwhile, the nice thing about being lightly stocked is that my fish are more likely to survive when something goes wrong (power outage, filter breakdown, etc.).
PS) I've seen fish tanks with horrendously bad stocking recommendations printed right on the side of the box. … 2 Oscars in a 20-high, 7-goldish in the same 20-high, 20 Bala Sharks in a 20-high, etc.
If it works for you it is right!
lots of rules are stupid and some make no sense.
you the man.
Lol
Do you know if guppies can have babies after 2 weeks? Mine just had 20 fry. I had her from fry. Male only introduced 2 weeks ago. I feed them 8 times a day (because I heard they eat all day in the wild) . Small amounts. Even the aquarium that sold the male to me is confused. Any advice. The fry are the smallest fry I've had.
Gold Jackel ..my male was only in the tank a few days before we had babies..none of the fry in my tank are from my males..just saw that it was your own fry..my fry females are 5 weeks and look big enough to have young I took my males out the tank just in case..I only let my females have young for so long..then they move to their own tank..
My understanding is female guppies can get pregnant as early as 1 month after birth at a warmer water temperature. Not so sure about 2 weeks though haven't ever heard or seen that early. Normally is 3 months old at standard guppy keeping temp and normal feedings.
Are these good dependable long lasting pumps? Jecod/Jebao DCT 8000 Marine Controllable Water Pump
Have you checked Amazon Reviews?
Most say the are very good pumps, Your a pro and that is why I asked you.
Donald Stevens lol....not a pro, just a dumb guy with a camera.
It's such a stupid rule.
In facebook fish people are wacky news, I got snapped at the other day because I said that bug eggs would not survive bugbites processing.
Great advice! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Reminds me of a goldfish group on reddit. They stated that one goldfish needs 75 gallons and 20 to 30 more per goldfish. They even made it one of the rules for the group. So, I decided to post a picture of my tank with two small goldfish in it. I immediately get a comment on how even one of those goldfish needs 75+ gallons, ect. I replied telling them that while tank size is nice, you can put more than one goldfish in a 75. Also, you need to look at water peramiters and filtration and not just a tank size from the internet. Sadly, this fell on deaf ears and just more people screaming a number from the internet.
I can't stand when people regurgitate what the hear without even trying themselves.
3 platies, 2 mollies in a good filtered 5 gallon tank?
How often are you changing water?
@@MichaelsFishRoom every week. If needed I could do more water changes
@@ryanisright3559 That's what you need to know, how often you will need to change a specified amount of water.
@@MichaelsFishRoom it's going fine now with the 2 mollies. Water is actually still good after a week but still doing the regular changes. Will probably see how much waste the 3 extra platies produce and go off that. Thanks for the answer
Thanks! I'm new to fishkeeping and that rule just never made sense to me and now I understand why.
Welcome to the hobby!
Do not start with gold fish and remember to use stress Zyme or some other method of beneficial bacteria
No need for that, just learn about the cycle and use common sense
Ok so question if I have a 2,400 gallon tank sump and and roughly 2 and a half cubic meters of media is that over to doing it or is it just right? Also the main tank connecting to this sump is 4,800 gallons.
Depends on how much you feed and how many and what type of fish you have.
@@MichaelsFishRoom that's the thing... I work in a company lets just say that imports high numbers of crustaceans a day but that same day they leave the facility so they pretty much dont stay long and the filtration they installed for them are pretty odd in my eyes and was hoping of making modifications to fit those needs, I have roughly 15+ years of fish keeping so when it comes down to crustaceans I'm finding out they are more resistant to amonia levels and nitrite/nitrate better then other animals so I have been doing frequent water changes to aid in dropping the amonia now the amonia is down but I feel that the sump has to much media and doesnt perform as it should, this media I'm referring to looks similar to that of k1 media but its black in color and cylinder looking so I cant figure out the name for it, sense I'm not the one who made the plans just put in charge of maintaining this storage sett up. So I feel learning a bit more would help my situation when it comes to the media under the sump he installed 12 air disc diffuser that I can regulate the media with but it seems some areas are working better then other parts only letting me assume that it might have to much media. So I was wondering if you could explain how this media should be moving and how fast, of course if you have the time.
I always put some anubias in my tanks to help with not doing water changes as much
Ok.
Our Boi Michael is so close to 9k! Early congrats!
Thanks! Now on to 10K!
I really like these type of video where you answer FAQ and teach us in an informal way. I think this should be a series and Tuesday tip need to come back!
TBH, those videos did very poorly for me.
how many gallons does one freshwater angel fish need
Depends on filtration and how lazy you are.
@@MichaelsFishRoom ok
Great insights thanks for explaining. 😊👍🏻
Thanks for watching!
Thank you sir
My pleasure!
Ok Michael...now it's time to debunk the rule of 1lb of substrate per gallon of water...LOL. Take a deep breath brother 😀
I’ve never heard that rule...but it sounds even more stupid! Lol
Wichita Falls Fishkeeper What is the issue with that rule?
neighborhoodman323 I'm just being silly and lighthearted.
Wichita Falls Fishkeeper oh. I was actually trying to learn though.
This is a sales rule to make sure they get enough gravel out the door. It was also implemented in the days of the Undergravel filter, so you would have enough to have a useful filter bed.
Interesting topic. Who, exactly, says that is a thing? I can't say I've ever been recommended that...
I hear it all the time.
Thanks a lot in that tip..now i can add another fish in my 10 gallon tank with 10 fish..with live plants in there..ill add 10 more..
You're Welcome
My nitrates come out of the tap at 40ppm, so i plant heavily, use very high surface area filter media (which allows for anaerobic bacteria to get rid of nitrates, as well at the normal aerobic ones for ammonia and nitrite, and change water very infrequently, because water changes actually INCREASE my nitrates. Naturally i have to do some to replace dissolved minerals etc , as in my 75 gallons im taking out sometimes 2kg a fortnight of excess plant growth. I work to the “are my fish happy and able to display natural traits, and my water numbers look ok?” Rule. Just not as snappy as “inch per gallon”!
That sucks...but you have seemed to figure it out!
Damn son! 2 kilos a fortnight! That's one hell of a unit of measurement!
when it comes to small fish like guppies i keep to about 2 gallons each .but my young flowerhorn 7inch flowerhorn is in 50 uk gallons ,defo dont make sense on big fish lol
Doesn't really make sense at all TBH.
How do i measure the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? What instrument do i use? Why not talking about it?
A test kit.
I used the inch a gallon and weekly clean/water change "rule" when I was a young teen with a 75 gallon African cichlid tank. But that was mostly so I knew everyone had enough room. lol. Didn't want my fish ripping each other apart because they were too crowded. But years later after my cichlids were either dead of old age or rehomed, I probably had 200 various tetras and live-bearers in the same tank. Zero issues. Depends on the fish, how much effort, etc. I think it's a decent rule of thumb for inexperienced keepers but definitely not a hard and fast always applicable rule.
It’s a garbage rule that is easily explained if needed. But, if the rule worked for, that’s great!
Impeccable logic 💕👍
😏
I hope you are right about the inch rule cus not only do I have a tank full of guppies I now have Cory eggs..put them in a net till my daughter brings around the half gallon.. Not sure they will hatch.. But I nearly lost one of the Cory's so it nice to know he is now healthy enough to breed..may have to take a vote on if this mad Brit with mad fish should start a channel..😂😂😂😂😂
Start a channel!
I enjoy getting the notification on my phone that you posted of You video great stuff from you all the time love it
Oh wow! Thanks!
I have an outdoor tub breeding mutt guppies with plants and no additional air pumps and i dont change water
Nice. What size ponds?
Just a 40 gal round
Seif Irfan how many did you start with?
A trio 2 females 1 male
I was raised with 1 fish per gallon, up to 2" in size. Then you go 2 gallons per fish, and comfort zone. I think I was one of the few, when having beta fish was not common, asking if the fish needed length or height to be happy. Thank you for your video. Rules are guidelines, not etched in stone. Each critter to their needs.
Exactly!
You know “rule of thumb” is a stupid method of measurement according to boondocks saints movie. LOL. Just came across your video while doing random research. Good video.
Which on that note. I’m looking to have catfish or tilapia in my indoor aquaponic system. The water will be constantly flowing and cycled through the system. Would you have a recommended max level of fish I could have if I’m watching my levels? I want to try and get quite a few, but I don’t want to stress them too much. The excess will be moved to a larger system as they grow.
Sorry, but I don’t know much about aquaponics. I would assume because if the plants you will not have an issue with nitrates, but other than that....
I took your advice and went with my gut. I had a cheesesteak, excellent choice thank you! I have plants in all of my tanks. An old wive's tale of guppy breeder's was, if water sprite does well in your tanks, then guppies will also do well. I haven't checked parameters in a tank in 10 years. No need to. I do 25% water changes once a week and feed high quality high protein foods 2 X per day. I'd tell you which foods but that is a secret.
Thanks buddy 🤬
Preach brother.
Lol
Your videos are just great
Thanks
Many high light heavely planted show aquaria (usually lightly stocked) actually need nitrates added even.
This is true.
better cancel that 10 inch oscar for my 10 gallon tank then oop's LOL totally agree with you mate to many variables to be taken into consideration with that rule
yup!
Never water change? Love the idea but I worry stuff I can't measure would build up, I've heard of old tank syndrome,maybe u could a video about that
Maybe but my tanks are not set up firnthat
You preach, Brother! It is about mass not length in my humble opinion.
I agree....plus a few other things.
How much is the plecos
Www.michaelsfishroom.com
Thank you for making a video about this. I HATE hearing this stupid "rule". I heard this when I was a young teenager at pet store and now 30 years later still hear some people say it. I was in a pet store with wife picking up cat litter and happen to just check out the fish section just to look and heard employee tell a customer this. I butted in and used the 10" goldfish in a 10 gallon example also used a rope fish as another example. The store got mad but customer thanked me.
Thanks!
Good video. Another consideration is behavioral and territorial issues with some fish. Stress can lead to health issues.
Some fish are sedentary. Some are constantly moving and want to "stretch their legs" and go stir-crazy if cooped up. You might as well be keeping a greyhound in a 6' x 6' kennel. It'll live, but wtf.
Some will get agitated and aggressive if crowded. They'll might get stressed. They might attack other fish.
Some hard to keep fish (i.e. synchiropus splendidus) won't eat commercial fish food and only graze on live pods. They don't get more than 3 inches in length but I still wouldn't keep one in anything smaller than a well established 110+ gallon tank with a healthy pod population and no other food competition. Unless you're breeding pods and dosing them as live food, you'll starve them to death if you try a smaller tank. (They're gorgeous if you can pull it off!)
As you say, it is best to educate yourself on the needs of the specific fish.
Well said Seth!
People don’t realize that cichlids come from large lakes that suits them for their growth and imagine having a Oscar in a 10 gallon where it probably can’t even turn around without hitting the glass I have a 55 long with convict cichlids and peacock cichlids and I think that’s too small for my fish but just the thought of having a Oscar in that size is cruel they need at least 65 gallons or more! Love your videos
You should try to own convict cichlids it’s an amazingly hardy fish and they breed super easily just a thought.
Really no interest! Lol
Yup. The only things are respect to the fish size/tank and crowding and hiding places to keep some fish stress at bay. Bio to fish waste balance. If you want more fish in respect to volume utilize all 3 levels, golden wonder on top, garami in middle, pleco shrimp on bottom. Mineral content loss through the week is vital to replenish. Now since you do 10% daily, do you treat the whole tank with water treatment or just the amount of water for that you add? Or pretreat water with treatment with before adding the replacement?
The water goes through a carbon block filter before it hits the tanks.
I’ve never followed that...at one time I had at least 55 rainbows in a 55 planted, plus tetras, algae eaters( sae,plecos, ottos...) Angels, loaches, and other fish. All my tanks are overstocked, and over filtered. I do multiple water changes weekly! I have 10 thriving tanks that are way overstocked that have no losses. I’m with ya!!
Oh and I feed heavy as hell!
Lol
My first school of Tiger Barbs died from this dumb rule when I was younger. Spot on video Mike, not enough people know about this rules faults keep it up.
Thanks commando!
Why did they die? How?
I appreciate this video so much. It's good to see somebody else speaking out against the masses of idiots and trying to educate people on common sense. I've always thought that this rule was absolutely stupid as a person who keeps fancy goldfish. It really does depend on the fish that you keep. Also, I laughed pretty hard when you brought up the oscar comparison. I've personally never thought about that myself and people spoon feeding their lies to new hobbiests is probably one of the contributing factors on why oscars are kept in tanks that just aren't big enough. I like to call people out on their crap as well and as of the end of 2018, I went and got myself banned from r/goldfish on reddit (which reddit isn't a good forum anyways). There was a wonderful young lady who had kept saltwater fish and was attempting to save her nieces goldfish from being flushed by her father. She had a perfectly fit 30 gallon aquarium available for this one inch common goldfish and they were telling her that she needed a 75 gallon aquarium for a single one inch goldfish. I'm sorry but i don't see how dumping $600 all at once to save a one inch feeder fish is helpful to anybody, even the fish itself. In order to properly filter that aquarium, that fish wouldn't survive what kind of setup it would need to begin with. Let's also mention the neglect to warn people about how much their fish tanks actually weigh. Anyways, thanks for doing what you do and calling bullshit where you see it. The hobby really needs more people who do. Keep it up.
Thanks! I just call it like I see it without a filter!
wait you got in trouble on a facebook group?! :)
Shocker right! Good to hear from you Ric!
Great video..I have a 10g holding tank..it has a 5in plus angel waiting to go into my new 65g..she is way to big for the 10g tank but she was so tiny when I got her...it also holds one young female beta a neon and two Cory's..next to it I have a guppy tank with an oh my god number of fry..its well planted I change the water every 2/3 days..adults are moving out over the next few weeks the males into the 65g the females in the empty 10g..right now my 3 other tetra's are alone in the 65g..I have never seen them so happy..can't wait to get the angel in there ...but adding the fish slow..size really does matter in fish keeping..I am up to my armpits in guppies and they are all mental..😨😨😨
Thanks! Sorry it took so long to respond!