Just curious: If you had a 230g tank, how many fish would you put in it?

[fishoholic]

I have always liked having lots of fish, I don't have as many as I used to, but I still have a fair amount. The difference is now I have a lot more smaller fish then larger fish.

I know many people talk about how "this is my last fish" but then end up adding just one or two more. So I got to thinking: I wonder how others would stock a 230g tank.

So for those willing to play along (simply out of curiosity) if you had a 230g tank what fish/how many would you stock it with. Would you go mostly large or small fish or a mix? Or if you already have a 230g (or similar sized tank) what is your current stocking list and do you plan to add any more?

[Delphinus]

Hard to say. Depending on what fish and how they were getting along, maybe as much as 20-30 for me. Or as few as 6 .. I really don't know.

IF and I do mean IF I get my 280g online, I'm not rushing out to put more fish in there beyond what I already have in my 110g. I have .. um, let's see. Eel, tang, rabbit, butterfly pair, chromis pair, dottyback, bellus pair, and potter's angel. So around 11 I guess.

Totally depends on the group dynamics and whatever hits my interest at any time. I'd love a lavender tang or a lieutenant tang or an achilles one day. Or a crosshatch trigger but they get so darned big and I don't think the 280g is enough tank for a pair (and I really prefer pairs of or small groups of fish over solitary individuals, whenever possible)..

[untamed]

I had not planned that it would end up this way for me, but I fell in love with Nasos...

I have 16 fish in my 400 gallon system...that's .04 fish/gallon...so by the same math you get to have 9. Ha..ha

Hmm..maybe total fish-inches/gallon is better math. Those 16 account for about 90" worth of fish, so by the same ratio you get about 51" worth in 230 gallons. At 1.5" each, that would be about 34 fish.

So there you go. If you get a larger tank it opens the door to keeping larger fish, in which case you end up with fewer.

I wonder what everybody else's inches/gallon is? Only display gallons count!

[Delphinus]

Interesting question. In my 110g cube, those 11 fish work out to about 42". Haha, I have a way higher ratio than you do in your 400. :eek:

I have an eel though which sort of skews the numbers. Well, actually, I guess it doesn't skew since he puts a pretty heavy load on the tank, at 8" he's probably way "heavier" than the 8" tang, for example.

[Lance]

I have 16 fish for a total of 63" in my 225g. or 3.6 inches of fish per gallon. And that is probably too many; it's a struggle to keep nitrates down.

[lastlight]

NONE.

Please see my old thread for ideas.

LMAO!

[Eb0la11]

For my 165G so far I have:

Tomini Tang
Oscellaris Clowns x 2
Regal Tang
Fox Face
Blue/Green Chromis x 2
White Sleeper Goby
Lawnmower Blenny
Yellow Clown Goby
Green Clown Goby

I plan on getting at least 6-8 more fish on top of this list. Right now they are all small, I know they wont stay that way but I too like to have a nice amount of fish. Some of the ones above stay very small too though, at least 4 of them do. So thats my stocking list right now but I wanna get some mandarin(s), another tang or two, and likely a dwarf eel eventually, so we'll see where I end up. I like this thread though.

[fishoholic]

Hmm..maybe total fish-inches/gallon is better math. Those 16 account for about 90" worth of fish, so by the same ratio you get about 51" worth in 230 gallons. At 1.5" each, that would be about 34 fish.



I wonder what everybody else's inches/gallon is? Only display gallons count!

I suck at math so I'm not sure :redface: When I get home later on I'll try to hold a measuring tape up tp the glass so I can get a better idea of how big my fish really are (I tend to guess bigger then they really are) and I'll try to figure it out.

I like this thread though.

Thanks, I thought it would be interesting to see what people would or have stocked their tank with.

[kien]

If I had a larger tank, say the 230 of the topic here, I would definitely do more schooling fish. My 4 chromis whenever they feel like schooling look cool and I always wish that i could put more in. Perhaps other schooling fish like cardinals or anthias. A massive ball of schooling fish, that would be golden.

[muck]

If I had a larger tank, say the 230 of the topic here, I would definitely do more schooling fish. My 4 chromis whenever they feel like schooling look cool and I always wish that i could put more in. Perhaps other schooling fish like cardinals or anthias. A massive ball of schooling fish, that would be golden.

For sure... about 100 orange-stripe cardinals would be Fantastic!!

[The Grizz]

155 Bow Front

Livestock
Regal Tang
Coral Beauty
Six Line Wrassel
Yellow Tang
Jewel Damsel
3 Ocellaris Clowns
Blue Fin Demsel
Spotted Hawkfish
2 Blue Green Chromis
Fox Face Lo
Azure Damsel
2 Sand Sifting Stars

Would like to add:
Korean Angel
Emperor Angel
Powder Blue Tang
Orange Spotted Goby
Yellow Goly
Thread Fin Butterfly

[lastlight]

I had read somewhere that there are no fish available in the hobby that truly school. That the few fish we think are schooling are schoaling and there is some difference. Random comment without a reference!

[michika]

I had a 230g tank and I had it quite stocked. In my new system I plan to have lots of smaller fish, a few medium fish, and some larger ones. I guess it depends on what kind of tank you like, a busy one, or a calmer more laid back one.

[Skimmerking]

Laurie I would go with say 10 bangi cardinals, 20 Anthias, 20 Chromis, 10 wrasses 30 blood shrimp./ now that would be cool with a bunch of acans and leathers

[Zoaelite]

In my 165g 6 foot I have:
1 Unicorn Tang
1 Yellow Tang
2 Mimic Tangs
1 Barine Tang
2 Yellow Corris wrasse
2 False Percs
2 Psychedelic Mandarins
1 Lawnmower blenny
1 bi color blenny

So 13 in a 165g

[Parker]

In my 265 I have 5 Chromis..lol

I have not put together a fish list for my tank and I really should. I tend to like a tank that's a not quite calm but not busy either.. Know what I mean? :mrgreen:

[Lance]

[QUOTE=Parker;474558]In my 265 I have 5 Chromis..lol


Christ Parker, your feeding bill must be atrocious! :lol:

[shrimpchips]

I'd go for a big tank of small fish - like 20 - 30 Chromis viridis, a few centropyge (a harem or two different species), a good mix of small gobies, a few hawkfish, a few cardinals to make a small school, and maybe a wrasse or five. Oh and 7 - 15 pearly jawfish :D

In any case, I'd opt for small fish - large fish (8"+) look out of place in any tank smaller than several hundred ~ thousands of gallons, IMO.

[globaldesigns]

You know what, you will get alot of views on this topic, from the so many inches of fish per gallon to you should only have this many and no more...

In my opinion, let your parameters dictate what you can do or have. Some may say that I am overloaded, but I have setup things in such a way that all is good and my parameters never fluctuate much. Parameters meaning Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, ALK, and so on.

Take the advice of all and then you determine what method will best fit you. And most importantly have fun!

Happy Holidays

[The Grizz]

Well said Rick, I have been told I am overstock but no one has seen my tank to see how small my fish are and my parameter's have stayed on the money.

[PoonTang]

Christ Parker, your feeding bill must be atrocious! :lol:

Mine too...I have 4" of fish in 120G. A Kole tang and a Lawnmower Blennie.

[my2rotties]

You know how many fish I have in mine and they all do well. I have no plans on adding more since everybody gets along and lives happily together. No point in disrupting things. I added my Achilles in early May and he's the last fish in.

[my2rotties]

Naso tang
Achilles tang
Purple tang
Sailfin tang
Sargassium trigger
Banana wrasse
Regal angel
Copperband butterfly
Horrible damsel fish
Five chromis
Maroom clown
Saddleback clown
Dragon goby
Yellow headed goby
3 scooter blennies
Foxface
Lawnmower blenny
Coral beauty angel

[fishytime]

Been waffling on whether or not I should post.....apparently I would have a lot of fish in a 230g....I have too many fish!!!.... I will be the first to admit it....110g display, 150g system total, prolly 180ish pound of LR throughout...Im gonna get flamed hard for this methinks....

5" regal tang
5" yellow tang
3" blond naso tang
4" lineatus wrasse
3 1/2" mystery wrasse
3 1/2" pyramid butterfly
6- 2 1/2" bartletts anthias
2- 2" ocellaris clowns
2 1/2" royal gramma
2" neon dottyback
2- 2" mated mandarins
3" flame angel
1 1/2" talbots damsel
3" candystripe shrimp goby

[Delphinus]

No flames from me but I must say I'm curious what your nitrate sits at?

[fishytime]

No flames from me but I must say I'm curious what your nitrate sits at?

Less than five.....Im surprised its not higher than that myself.....good skimmer and lots of rock....

[Delphinus]

What do you measure it with? Next time I come over I'd like to bring my NO3 probe and we can try some measurements with it. Reason I say that is I find it's a bit startling how differently my probe reads a nitrate level than what my test kits read out at. For example, I get about 5ppm NO3 readings using both Elos and Salifert .. which suggested to me that maybe my NO3 was around 5ppm, but when I use the probe it tells a much different story (30ppm).

So I'm not disputing your 5ppm, it may well be that, but I'm just curious what readings I'd get on different water.

[my2rotties]

I'm with you Tony on the probe. Keith brought his over and tested my water and it was out of this world!!! I don't even bother with testing the water anymore, it is just frustrating. My fish let me know when they need a water change, but now that the tank is a year old we don;t have any issues at all... touch wood.

What do you measure it with? Next time I come over I'd like to bring my NO3 probe and we can try some measurements with it. Reason I say that is I find it's a bit startling how differently my probe reads a nitrate level than what my test kits read out at. For example, I get about 5ppm NO3 readings using both Elos and Salifert .. which suggested to me that maybe my NO3 was around 5ppm, but when I use the probe it tells a much different story (30ppm).

So I'm not disputing your 5ppm, it may well be that, but I'm just curious what readings I'd get on different water.

[kien]

What do you measure it with? Next time I come over I'd like to bring my NO3 probe and we can try some measurements with it. Reason I say that is I find it's a bit startling how differently my probe reads a nitrate level than what my test kits read out at. For example, I get about 5ppm NO3 readings using both Elos and Salifert .. which suggested to me that maybe my NO3 was around 5ppm, but when I use the probe it tells a much different story (30ppm).

So I'm not disputing your 5ppm, it may well be that, but I'm just curious what readings I'd get on different water.

I'd love to use your probe!

I find the test kits I use are useless as I never get a colour reading in them which suggest a low nitrate but I know I have nitrates.

[fishytime]

Im using an API test kit ATM(not the best, I know).... I would really like to see as well....or maybe I dont....I would think that if my nitrates were really high, I would see signs of this in my SPS....anytime you want to come over Tony....really....please:biggrin:

[lastlight]

I'd love to use your probe!

Begin laughter.

[phillybean]

Dreaming of course...

Mated Pair of Cross Hatch Triggers
Blonde Naso Tang
Hippo Tang
Achilles Tang
Copperband Butterfly
6 Pink Skunk Clowns with a Large Green Carpet
Various Clown Gobies
Shoal of 5 Blotched Anthias
Cleaner Wrasse
Solar Wrasse