It's really pretty amazing to us how many hobbyists out there are unaware that most major aquarium manufacturers name their products by markets accepted
standard sizes, rather than by actual capacity. This practice is very much like your local lumber yard or hardware store calling a piece of wood that 1.5" thick
and 3.5 " wide, a 2-by-4. how do we really know the true capacity of our fish tanks then? How can we accurately figure this out? It's really very simple. Here we have the basic formula for determining the actual capacity of a square or rectangular aquarium:
Length*Width*Height /231
All measurements used should be in inches, and the result will be in U.S. gallons. To accurately measure the true capacity of an aquarium, it is crucial
that only inside measurements be taken.
We observe that the common 55 gallon fish tank measure approximately 47.5"
long, 12" wide and 19" high (again, all of these are inside dimensions).
When we input these numbers into our formula, we will find that the maximum
capacity of the fish tank is actually less than 47 gallons. after adding a couple of inches or so of gravel at the bottom, not filling the fish tank quite up to the top
rim and then tossing in couple of pounds of decorative rock could easily drop the water volume in that 55 gallon aquarium to less than 40 gallons.
So how do the aquarium manufacturers come up with their figures? Generally,
that will use the same formular that we use, but start with outside dimensions,
including the decorative frame. So by their standards, that same 55 gallon fish
tank measures approximately 48.25" * 12.75" * 21", for a total imaginary capacity of just under 56 gallons.
All major aquarium manufacturers appear to have been using these nominal size for decades, and we're sure each one would claim that their competitors
have forced them into continued use of these exaggerated figures.
just think about it, who would buy a 47 gallon fish tank
from brand ''A'' if they could get 55 gallon fish tank from bran ''B'' for same price, even if they were advertised as having exactly the same overall dimension? And for the most part, as far as marketing is concerned, it really
doesn't matter. Just as long as 55 gallon tank is bigger than a 45 gallon tank,
is bigger than a 40 gallon tank and so on.
Keep in mind though, there are some instances when it is extremely important
to know exactly how mush water is really in your fish tank. Two instances that
quickly come to mind: how many fish can I safely put in my new
aquarium, and how large of dosage should I use when medication needs to be
added? After all, treating 40 gallons of water as if it were 55 gallons of water,
then adding a little extra for good measure could harm or kill your prize fish.
This formula can also be successfully used if you should come across a custom
built aquarium and are unsure of it's capacity , or if you considering building a
fish tank yourself. Tank capacity and then overall full weight can be calculated
easily.
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