saltwater and freshwater fish newbie Question

Discussion in 'Freshwater Aquariums' started by ferretfish, Aug 20, 2011.

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  1. ferretfish

    ferretfish Sea Dragon

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    why in freshwater can you keep a 12" texas cichlid happy in a 50 gallon tank but why cant you keep a 7" rabbit fish or a 8" yellow tang happy in a fifty gallon tank. just curosity
     
    ferretfish, Aug 20, 2011
    ferretfish, Aug 20, 2011
    #1

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  2. tom.n.day

    tom.n.day Eyelash Blennie

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    Well, a 12 inch fish shouldn;t be in a 50 gal. In fresh water is has to do with swimming room (mostly ability to easily turn around). In Marine habitats it the bio load is even more important. Often times with less swimming room (boredom) the fish resort to nipping each other/corals. This can get quite costly in lives and expense!
     
    tom.n.day, Aug 20, 2011
    tom.n.day, Aug 20, 2011
    #2
  3. Mr. Bill

    Mr. Bill Native Floridian

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    To add to Toms post, SW can't hold nearly as much dissolved oxygen as FW, and bigger fish absorb a lot of DO. Also, SW fish have to drink a lot more water and pee way more than their FW counterparts to maintain body fluid levels and keep the excess salt flushed out. That's just a couple more reasons why there is such a difference between FW and SW in the number and size of fish we can keep in given size tank.

    You may also notice that the minimum tank size can vary between 2 species of the same adult size; that will depend a lot on if it's an active swimmer that requires a lot of open space, or a sand or rock skipper.
     
    Mr. Bill, Aug 20, 2011
    Mr. Bill, Aug 20, 2011
    #3