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This is a vague question, but how many small damsel fish can i put in a 50 gallon aquarium? ( all damsels would be about an inch or so.
thanks in advance

john

even more vague than that, what fish in general would fit comfortably in a 50g? i have one i've been thinking of switching over some day

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

The number of damsels you keep depends on the potential size of the species you choose. You don't want to pack a bunch of small damsels into a tank, because you'll end up needing to remove them. Trust me, damselfish do not like being removed from anywhere.

Other factors that determine saltwater stocking levels are things like the amount of live rock in the tank, what kind of protein skimmer (if any) on the tank, and whether or not there is a live sand bed. And of course, you have to take into account the eventual size and compatibility issues that go with your fish. For example, you'd be able to stuff bunches of neon gobies in a fifty gallon tank, but only a single juvenile triggerfish would fit in that same aquarium by itself. Most species of triggers would outgrow a fifty gallon tank, too.

If you're looking at fifty to seventy pounds of live rock, some live sand, and a decent skimmer, I'd say that about five typical peaceful three to four inch fish would fit in a fifty gallon tank.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Much too vague on both counts. Too many fish to list. The damsel one is easier though. As damsels will get to 3-5 inches, and when they get larger are not very tollerent of each other, so in a 50gal, I would say only one or two.

As for the bioload of the fish, in question of how many, in SW the rule of 1 inch of fish per 3-4 gals is the general rule for smaller sized fish. Smaller being under 5 inches. This is just a general rule to get an idea of the bioload and not a rule of thumb. There are many other things dependent on how many and what sized fish to place in a SW tank.

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There is always a bigger fish...