A site that will help you determine what & how much you can stock

[LadyLail]

Very neat! Some of my fish aren't listed. It's probably easier for you to check my sig to your DB then for me to list them, but just incase here's the one's I remember: Silver Dollars, Peppered Loach, Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish, Pearl Danio. Your Turquiose is the same as a Sepic Rainbow right? If not, then that's missing too. Unless I don't know all teh common names for them... and I sure as crap don't know scientific!!

Amazing site though. Very neat!

[yhbae]

Originally Posted by LadyLail

Very neat! Some of my fish aren't listed. It's probably easier for you to check my sig to your DB then for me to list them, but just incase here's the one's I remember: Silver Dollars, Peppered Loach, Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish, Pearl Danio. Your Turquiose is the same as a Sepic Rainbow right? If not, then that's missing too. Unless I don't know all teh common names for them... and I sure as crap don't know scientific!!

Amazing site though. Very neat!

Thanks!

One of the species you mention is in the site though - Silver Dollar.

I took a note on the rest of them - will try to accommodate them for the next release!

[tropicalcrazy]

Originally Posted by KyleBradley

Well, a pleco is rumored to reach 18", but I've never seen one that is 12", and I've been in a bunch of pet stores!! I just say the largest one I've ever seen the other day at about 11", and that was one that was in an 80 gallon tank for 6 years...

If mine grows to a size that is unfit for my tank, I'll give him to a pet store and start over...

here in des moines, iowa we have 2 different local LFS's, 1 is iowa pet foods and aquatics and the other is adams aquatics. both of them have plecos in their tanks at anywhere from 12" all the way up to 18" and they are in 55g, 75g, and at IPF&A they have them in i would say they are somewhere between 20-30g tanks. they are HUGE. also a buddy of mine had one in a 125g with turtles 2/3 full of water and that pleco was 19" measured him myself. they do get that big. my hifin is only 1 1/2 years old and he is 11-12". i see them all the time in those stores where they are that large. and if orangecones reads this he can 2nd this as he lives in my area and if hes been in those stores which i know he has

[tropicalcrazy]

nice site though and nice idea. i see where your trying to get with it. nice job. and good compiled info on one site that keeps on adding the knowledge of all those out there that are very skilled in this hobby. maybe one day it will probably be the main source of info for fishkeeping. good luck

[yhbae]

Originally Posted by tropicalcrazy

nice site though and nice idea. i see where your trying to get with it. nice job. and good compiled info on one site that keeps on adding the knowledge of all those out there that are very skilled in this hobby. maybe one day it will probably be the main source of info for fishkeeping. good luck

Glad that you see what I am trying to do...

[LadyLail]

Originally Posted by Avalon

Without having checked out your site, I must call into question the science of the approach. How do you account for individual personalities? That is something no database can account for. I've realized for years that people try to relate fishkeeping to a strategy guide walkthrough, and it doesn't work that way. Anytime you deal with a living being, you enter an area outside of controllable factors, an area a reactive approach becomes more effective. Obviously, it is in our best interest to be proactive and prevent the inevitable from happening, but there is also another area that few have realized: preparedness. It's not uncommon, just unrealized, and it can't always be accounted for. Regardless, it's up to the owner to be aware of what could happen, and this is learned through research. Research breeds knowledge, and knowledge translates to awareness.

However, I do applaud your initiative into helping others stock their tank(s). It's just that simple spreadsheets aren't very effective when it comes to safely stocking a tank. Now that I have looked at your program, I did so during this post, it proves my point: I stocked a 29g tank with only 5 Apistogramma agassizzii's. I can tell you now that fish will die. Your database appears to be bio-load oriented and you haven't taken into account the temperament of various fish.

I only wish to post a warning to others that there are many factors to account for.

Yeah, but honestly Avalon, any responsible fish keeper is going to try and take all factors into account anyways. I'm an Excel nerd, so I rather enjoy plugging in and creating formulas, so that's what intigues me the most. Generally, people that haven't the slightest clue of fishkeeping, but want to do things correctly, aren't gonna be searching for a database to let them know how many fish to put in the tank, they are going to be looking for forums like this for their information. That's when they'll get advice for temperments, skill levels, tank req, etc... then, with that info, they can stumble onto this and get a better idea of what might work, and if in fact they want to excel in the hobby, they'll return here for advice before they implement their ideas.

So, good point Avalon, and still a cool site (forgot your name)!

[homebunnyj]

Originally Posted by Avalon

Research breeds knowledge, and knowledge translates to awareness.

Very true. And it is true that there are factors that you just won't be able to predict that will pop up in fishkeeping.

Now that I have looked at your program, I did so during this post, it proves my point: I stocked a 29g tank with only 5 Apistogramma agassizzii's. I can tell you now that fish will die. Your database appears to be bio-load oriented and you haven't taken into account the temperament of various fish.

I only wish to post a warning to others that there are many factors to account for.

Avalon, have you looked at MOA's FishsheetA6? Although it is a spreadsheet and can't account for individual differences in living creatures, I do feel it is a good solid beginning for developing a stocking program. Maybe I'm easily impressed, I don't know. But, if you enter the dimensions of a 29g tank and try to put 5 apistogramma agassizii in, it won't let you. You are limited to one. However, enter the dimensions for a 72g and you can choose up to 4; a 100g, you can have 6. Never having kept this fish, I ask if that sounds right to you?

Also, although I don't think the compatibility column is in a finished state in this version, under Cichlids - Large and - Small, it says 'do research!!!'. I have to give MOA credit for that at least.

I think there's some pretty scholarly work in this FishsheetA6. I know there's no way to predict everything with living beings, but having a start of knowledge could help a newbie on his/her way.

[yhbae]

This release attempts to handle some of the aggression issues. Please let me know if you don't agree with the result - I'm sure it will require further fine tuning.

What's new for 2009 09 30 build
- Bioload for snails have been adjusted down significantly.
- Some aggression logic have been implemented. This is still work in progress.
- will take into account size differences
- will take into account their natural aggression between their own species and against other species.
- will take into account species that cannot tolerate its own kind within a limited space. Male betta is the first guinea pig in this category.
- will take into account tank space needed if teritorial bottom dwelling breeding pair(s) form. Will handle multiple breeding pairs of different species based on your tank size.
- Added Texas Cichlid
- Added more loach species.
- Added more tetra species.
- Added more barb species.
- Added Salvini Cichlid.
- Split betta species into male and female to handle aggression issue better.
- Algorithm refined for small tanks (under 10g).
- Algorithm detects if the tank is not high enough for selected species.
- "Clear selection" button has been fixed. Previously it was clearing all fields.
- Total number of species in DB has been increased to 235.

Once again, here's the link: AqAdvisor site.

[yhbae]

What's new for 2009 10 07 build:

- Updated scientific name for Dwarf Loach.
- Filtration capacity algorithm has been implemented.
- Some commercially available filters are listed.
- Filtration capacity estimates used are somewhat lower than manuacturer-claimed numbers to be more realistic.
- Will warn if you don't have sufficient capacity.
- Will take into account your tank's bioload.
- For unknown filters, calculations will not be performed for now.
- Fixed a defect: territorial species are always considered bottom dwellers before this fix.
- Fixed a defect: "Display all species" vs "Display only suitable species" sometimes didn't work correctly.
- Fixed a defect: did not display temperature recommendation all the time.
- Added Fancy Gold Fish.
- Added Longfin Zebra Danio.
- Added more loach species.
- Recommends pH and hardness for selected species.
- Ability to display in Celcius and Farenheit.
- Ability to display in Gallons and Litres.
- Total number of species in DB has been increased to 246.

As usual, please check out AqAdvisor.com to access the online tool.

[yhbae]

What's new for 2009 10 14 build:
- Common Pleco attributes have been updated.
- Added Sparkling Gourami and other Gourami species.
- Added Olive Nerite Snail.
- Added more pleco species.
- Does not display water parameter ranges when no species are selected.
- Added AquaClear Mini/150/200/300/500 series filters.
- Added Lustar Hydro Sponge 1-5 series filters.
- Added Electric Blue Jack Dempsey.
- Added Reedfish.
- Added Elephantnose fish.
- Added Peacock Eeel
- Exception List has been implemented. First application for this is to define interbreeding possibilities. Platy-Swordtale-Molly group selected together now reports warning and so does Bolivian Ram-German Blue Ram pair. This will need to expand over time.
- Allows for 2 filter setup.
- Allows user to define filter capacities for those who own filters not on the list already.
- Total number of species in DB has been increased to 259.