Stocking your tank

They have an old rule of 1" of fish per gal and it was followed by many for years. Now a days there are so many types of fish available this rule gets tossed out the window very often. Avid goldfish keepers know that a 10 gal tank is just large enough for one of the smaller fancy breeds where comets need ponds.
Compatibility in a tank is SSOOOO important. Those impulse buys during our LFS excursions sometimes do our tanks more harm than adding that one spectacular (or rescued) fish. Good idea to bring a fish id or your laptop to check the fish out before you buy.(we know that the employee at the shop has no clue as what they are selling even when they claim they do)
Quarantine tanks or a large plastic bin are a must for your new fish. Believe me I've learned over the years. You can have an entire tank wiped out within 48 hours all do to (oh it looks healthy). Also they are good in case that new fish decides it's hungry and starts devouring your fish .
Water conditions are a biggie in the newbie problems. Oh it's freshwater they are compatible! NOT! srteam lakes and rivers all over the world haver different levels oh PH, temps, O2, movement and the list goes on. So many times I see goldfish (cold water carp)with tropicals (warm water fish) and the person says but they are doing great. well cutting a life in half or less I would not call doing great. Water conditions effect the normal lifespans of the fish as well as stress (which increases chance of infections) on most fish. Try to get fish that are from the same region or similar water conditions (every one knows not to mix saltwater and freshwater fish well what about different temps) as you would not want to mix a fish from the equator with a fish from Washington State.
These are just a few basic covers for stocking a tank with fish. Plants are a whole different subject.
Happy stocking and remember research is your successful aquariums best friend.

nice write up vixen very NICE

Awsome, great guidelines...

Vixen nice message for the newbies and great reminders for the old timers !

Great JOB Vixen!!!!!!!

I started a spread sheet on plants.. The headings are:
Name, degree of difficulty, ph, light requirements, fertilizers, water hardness, temps, height of the adult plant. I've only entered about 12 plants (ones I like). Co-mingling fish would be a nice advancement to this.. Or having a piece of software where you can enter your parameters and get recommendations for additional fish or those to avoid.. or additional plants to add or those to avoid. Bill in Va.

Nice write up sometimes i need this kind of reminder expescially with quarantine. I get excited when i get a new fish and just want to throw it in and sometimes i need that reminder that it could kill all my other fish!

Its also sad what a LFS will tell you about a fish just to make a buck. telling you a fish will do okay in a to small of tank or saying it will get along with a fish when it wont. I think im lucky though my LFS is very well educated, they have a stack of books on FW SW and plants that they have to read before they are even hired. I think more stores should require this amount of reading before putting someone on the floor.

Great idea & nice write up.

I have used my smart phone recently for the same thing. However a spread sheet with details would be nice to have available when you go into the place.

I could see some one marketing one of these to the larger stores as a way to keep the customers educated as well as the young kids in the fish department.

Good job

Julie

ornate12 wrote:

Vixen nice message for the newbies and great reminders for the old timers !

Great reminder! I always tell people that ask me about fish and tanks that if they are willing to invest in fish and a tank that they should invest at least an hour of time online to research their fish they want to get.

The old one inch a gallon rules will just not die... the problem is that when you try to replace it no one can come up with a REALLY simple rule. I have heard all sorts of ideas but nothing that a person would remember in the fish store isle.

I think one of the huge problems is how big fish get from the time you buy them. Oscars being the prime example 2 inches now... and 18 inches later...

awesome post, thank you very much. Couldnt have said it better myself. I see people woith mounds of fish in tanks and ot drives me crazy. But, all you can do is educate them on the proper things and hope for the best.