Is the general rule of thumb 1 gallon/inch of adult fish really sufficiant for these guys? Should they have more water/inch due to the fact that they are carnivores and therefore "dirtier"?
gallonage rule of thumb?
- Thread starter Dirty Fish
- Start date
BigShawn said:
Big Shawn is correct! the rule is about 20-25 gallon depending on the size of the fish and what species
i dont go bu any rule except dimensions of tank should be at least as wide as largest fish and three times longer this is my rule and why i have to keep making bigger ponds in my basement
The rule of thumb is just a rough guide and people forget it refers to cubic inches, a 10" long rbp is approx. 10"x4"x1 1/4" so a 50G tank is about right but then you modify it by habits, a 55g will be barely enough for 1-3 adult rpbs or 1 rhomb or elongatus. Another rough guideline is that the tank should be no less than 1 1/2 times as wide and 4 times as long as the adult size of the smallest species in the tank. Dirtyness is not really an issue when it comes to tank size, good maintainence and adequete filtration will take care of that.
Thank you all so much for your replies. I don't keep piranhas, but I was just curious. thanks again.
the whole 20g rule is a joke imo maybe ok for tanks smaller than a 90g but your much bigger tanks like 180g plus you can get away with a lot more.