juvenile stocking density

Kathy55g

In Memoriam
With my latest success at getting larvae past meta, I am wondering about the size of my newly expanded system. I've recently doubled my water volume, but, through no fault of my own, I've tripled my survival rate. Now I think my volume may be too small, even though I just finished the overhaul.

I have been laboring under the rule of 10 juveniles per gallon. Is this what you experienced breeders maintain?
 
You can go very high on the load as long as you keep water quality in control. Larger skimmer, good filter, and water changes would allow 50+ per gallon.
 
I reduce the concentration as they grow but I keep as many as 700 3/8" oc's in a 5-1/2 gallon tank ( part of a 100 gallon "early growout" system). After 60 days they move to "final growout",
200+ in 8 or 10 gallon sections of the syetem. That system volume is 375 gallons. 175 of it is sump/ filter with a large wet/ dry tower and a G-5 skimmer. 1500 gph pump ( less head loss) recirculating the 8 25 gallon sectional tanks.

I guess what I am saying is I am way beyond ten 10/gallon at smaller sizes but well under it by marketable size. I just can't see 3750 grown juvies in my growout system, BUT they won't all be grown at the same time, so yeah, I can see 4-5000 in there total.
 
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