All,
I've been working on a project that would help quantify the swimming space actually needed for "open water swimmers" in captivity. There are a huge number of variables, but it seems that this is something that can be "ballparked" without too much difficulty.
I would like folks to help me run some real home aquariums through the process to see if it works. As a public aquarium curator, I can't really use my own exhibits, because the volumes are too large, and the results would not apply to regular home aquariums.
Here is the set-up:
1) Please, do not be critical of the model until I've tested it. Opinions about tank size should be held until I've had a chance to see some data.
2) First; calculate the open water volume of your aquarium in gallons. To do this, measure the water in front of any live rock/coral in inches, length x width x height and divide by 231. This gives that volume in gallons. Please do not use your aquarium's rated volume unless it is completely open water with no obstructing decorations.
3) Select the fish to use. They need to be open water swimmers, so tangs, parrotfish, pterocaesio, wrasses, anything that is mostly "on the move". Angelfish might be borderline, Anthias, Pseudochromis and the like won't work. Measure the fish's total length in inches, round off to the nearest half inch.
NOTE: the fish must be in good condition, and have been in the aquarium for at least six months!
4) Divide the gallons of open water by the length of each fish, and put a "1:" in front of it to produce a ratio. Round off to one decimal place. Do this for each fish.
5) Post your results here. I really appreciate it!
Example:
A 55 gallon aquarium that has a 10" long pile of live rock in one corner, and has an open water measurement of 38" x 12" x 12" = 5472 divided by 231 = 23.7 gallons of open water.
3" coris wrasse 23.7/3 = 1:7.9
2" hepatus tang 23.7/2 = 1:11.9
4.5" kole tang 23.7/4 = 1:5.3
Thanks!
Jay Hemdal
I've been working on a project that would help quantify the swimming space actually needed for "open water swimmers" in captivity. There are a huge number of variables, but it seems that this is something that can be "ballparked" without too much difficulty.
I would like folks to help me run some real home aquariums through the process to see if it works. As a public aquarium curator, I can't really use my own exhibits, because the volumes are too large, and the results would not apply to regular home aquariums.
Here is the set-up:
1) Please, do not be critical of the model until I've tested it. Opinions about tank size should be held until I've had a chance to see some data.
2) First; calculate the open water volume of your aquarium in gallons. To do this, measure the water in front of any live rock/coral in inches, length x width x height and divide by 231. This gives that volume in gallons. Please do not use your aquarium's rated volume unless it is completely open water with no obstructing decorations.
3) Select the fish to use. They need to be open water swimmers, so tangs, parrotfish, pterocaesio, wrasses, anything that is mostly "on the move". Angelfish might be borderline, Anthias, Pseudochromis and the like won't work. Measure the fish's total length in inches, round off to the nearest half inch.
NOTE: the fish must be in good condition, and have been in the aquarium for at least six months!
4) Divide the gallons of open water by the length of each fish, and put a "1:" in front of it to produce a ratio. Round off to one decimal place. Do this for each fish.
5) Post your results here. I really appreciate it!
Example:
A 55 gallon aquarium that has a 10" long pile of live rock in one corner, and has an open water measurement of 38" x 12" x 12" = 5472 divided by 231 = 23.7 gallons of open water.
3" coris wrasse 23.7/3 = 1:7.9
2" hepatus tang 23.7/2 = 1:11.9
4.5" kole tang 23.7/4 = 1:5.3
Thanks!
Jay Hemdal
