A small suggestion . . .

[MatsP]

No, tank-sizes are NOT standardized. In the US they are to some extent, but in Europe, including the UK, you'll find all sorts of different combinations of length/width/height (obvuiously not counting unusual custom sizes). Some are metric measures, like 0.8m or 1m long, others use traditionally "foot" measures, like 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2m lenghts. Since european producers sell tanks in the UK as well, we get some of the same sizes in the UK as most european countries - but not all brands are exported to the UK, and there is domestic production too - both large and small ones.

A combination of minimum volume (in Liters, US and Imperial gallons) and minimum dimeonsions (length, width and/or height) measures would be the idea to go by. So for instance, a fish may need at least 1m (40") x 0.5m (20") x 0.5m (20"), and at least 300 liter. This in turn means that you can either use a 1.2m x 0.5 x 0.5, or 1.0 x 0.6 x 0.5, but a standard US 55g (1.2m x 0.3m x 0.45m) doesn't cut it.

--
Mats

[Jools]

I know I'm inviting criticism, or opening a can of bloodworms as it were, but I wonder if it wouldn't be helpful, especially to new hobbyists, to have a minimum gallon/liter measure for a single specimen?

For example, from my marine hobby I know it's 30 gallons per Blue Devil Damselfish, but it's only conjuncture for something like a Sturisoma Sp. catfish, or any other catfish, for that matter. What would it be? Thirty, fourty, fifty gallons per fish?

OK, let's bring this to a close. See also http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 4682#94682 .

To meet this, can someone give me a forumla that takes the SL of a fish and gives a guesstimate volume of water they need in terms of a tank size. This won't fit to a standard tank size for the reasons above, but I can add a cm to inches conversion utility.

If this isn't finalised by end of August I'm going to give up on this idea for now and move this post to "resolved". That's not me being negative, just that it is recognition that a solution might not be possible and we can move on to other things.

Jools

[Shane]

To meet this, can someone give me a forumla that takes the SL of a fish and gives a guesstimate volume of water they need in terms of a tank size.

I would much rather be part of the solution than the problem, but SL just is not a measurement that equates to volume necessary for husbandry. Three 10" SL Sturisoma in a 20 gallon would be fine. Three 10" Mystus leucophasis in the same tank would be a disaster. I understand the interest in having a "minimum gallonage" feature, but at the end of the day no formula (not even the generalized one I tried to come up with) can turn apples into oranges.
People that have questions about minimum tank sizes can ask in the forums and recieve answers from people that have kept the specific fish in question rather than the site applying a one size fits all formula that will be hit or miss.
-Shane

[djw66]

Been a while since I've been posting on PC, but I have to say thanks to Jools, Shane et. al. for the thought they put in on the bee in my bonnet about suggested tank size for catfish.

Thanks guys,
Dave