Outdated "truisms" in the hobby

[Lewin]

My younger sister still lives at home and often her tank is crashed by my step-father who kept some freshwater fish in the 70's and is full of bad advice. So lets hear all the bad/old advice that you still sometimes hear in the hobby.

Mine is: "1-inch of fish per gallon of water." Often used as the reasoning to sell someone 5 mollies for their 5 gallon tank. My 75 gallon could then house 35 1" damsels and 10 4" tangs.

 

[mdhnatow]

I've always heard 3 in fish per 5 gallons for a marine tank. But then again it depends on their eating habits and aggression. I think most would agree that a carnivore adds more bioload than a sandsifter thereby changing the ratio. In your example, the damsels probably wouldn't get along too well!

 

[Alex T.]

Why can't you put 4 tangs in a 75 gallon? There's more than enough room for a grouper too!!:bounce2:

 

[mdhnatow]

Why can't you put 4 tangs in a 75 gallon? There's more than enough room for a grouper too!!:bounce2:

Im pretty sure he meant adding:
35 damsels and
10 tangs (4" each)

Recipe for a vicious and overstocked 75 gal IMHO

 

[lordofthereef]

Im pretty sure he meant adding:
35 damsels and
10 tangs (4" each)

Recipe for a vicious and overstocked 75 gal IMHO

And I am pretty sure the guy above was kidding... :worried:

 

[lordofthereef]

The watts per gallon rule for keeping various corals is my contribution

 

[unclejed2]

X amount of watts per gallon. That thinking is outdated today with T5s, LEDs etc.

 

[donpachino1983]

Lfs guy said you can keep as many tangs as you want in your tank as long as they do not look the same (body shape and color) also have heard do a 100 % water change every year and clean your sand bed also

 

[allsps40]

Outdated advice and tech:
X amount of fish per gallon
X amount of watts per gallon
HOB power filters
Under gravel filters
MH only for sps and clams
100 gallon+ tank for sps LOL
Wet dry filters

 

[strike2867]

Why can't you put 4 tangs in a 75 gallon? There's more than enough room for a grouper too!!:bounce2:

Well if you follow the 3in per 5gallon rule and for example use a Blue Tang with a max length of 12 inches. You'd have 3 of them in that tank. Now put them all in at the same time, work your *** off, and you might have a shot at keeping them for a long time.