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Carrying capacity

998 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Gatekeeper
Hi,

I finally have my 20 gallon cycled aquairum up and runnng. As I was showing it to my neighbor, I mentioned I had live plants not just for the look, but also because it helped with the waste the fish produced. Also, that if you had plants you can , in some cases, can add fish right away. He asked if that meant the carrying capacity of the aquarium was more than the 1 gallon per inch due to the the plants and the biological filter. I told him I wasn't sure. So, I'm posting here. Does anyone know? Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Genaro
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The 1" per gallon myth.

12" of Neons is a lot less fish than 12" of Pleco.
Varies by species too, goldfish are heavy poopers
OK, thanks. Currently, I have 10 neon tetras was thinking aoubt adding more fish. Maybe glow-lite tetra or guppies, but the 1 to 1 "rule" gave me pause. My tank has gone from medium planted to heavily planted as I plan to add some Wisteria and javas.
Based on my pond experience, I would say that yes, plants up the carrying capacity of a tank. They sure do in a pond, so I don't know how it wouldn't hold true for a tank as well.
I see no problem adding a few guppies ot tetras. just add a few at a time. you'll know when its too crowded...
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