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Fish Tank Volume Calculator

Enter your aquarium dimensions and get volume (gallons + liters), loaded weight, filter flow rate, heater wattage, glass thickness, and stocking capacity. Supports rectangular, bowfront, cylinder, and hexagon tank shapes.

Water volume

Gross volume
Net (with substrate)
Liters
Loaded weight

Equipment sizing

Based on type, target temp, and tank size.

Filter flow (GPH)
Turnover/hr target
Heater wattage
Min glass thickness
Substrate (lb dry)
Surface area (sq in)

Stocking capacity

Conservative inch-per-gallon and bioload-per-surface-area guidelines.

Inches of fish (max)
Small community fish (e.g. tetras)
Medium (e.g. cichlids)

Common-sense disclaimers

These are baseline guidelines from common aquarium-hobby references. Actual stocking depends on fish behavior, territory, and filtration headroom — not just inches. Always cycle a new tank for 4-6 weeks before adding livestock, and research individual species needs before stocking.

Volume math by tank shape

Rectangular: L × W × H ÷ 231 = gallons (231 cu in per gallon).

Bowfront: rectangular volume + bow area (approximated as a half-ellipse).

Cylinder: π r² × H ÷ 231.

Hexagon: 3√3/2 × s² × H ÷ 231, where s is side length (flat-to-flat = 2s × cos 30°).

Cube: side³ ÷ 231.

Half-moon: half of a cylinder of equivalent dimensions.

Common aquarium sizes

TankDimensionsGallonsLoaded weight
10 gal "starter"20 × 10 × 1210~110 lb
20 gal high24 × 12 × 1620~225 lb
29 gal30 × 12 × 1829~330 lb
55 gal48 × 13 × 2155~625 lb
75 gal48 × 18 × 2175~850 lb
125 gal72 × 18 × 23125~1,400 lb
180 gal72 × 24 × 25180~2,000 lb

FAQ

Is the inch-per-gallon rule reliable? +
It's a rough starting point for small community fish. For larger or territorial fish (cichlids, oscars) bioload and behavior matter more than length. A 12-inch oscar needs 75+ gallons even though "inch-per-gallon" suggests 12.
How heavy is my tank when full? +
Water weighs ~8.34 lb/gal. Add the tank itself (1.5-3 lb/gal for glass, less for acrylic) and substrate (~12 lb per cu ft dry). A 75 gallon glass tank loaded weighs 850-900 lb — verify your floor can support it, especially on second floors.
What filter GPH do I need? +
Rule of thumb: filter GPH should be 4-6x tank volume per hour for freshwater, 8-10x for saltwater/reef. A 55 gallon freshwater tank wants a 220-330 GPH filter; same tank as reef wants 440-550 GPH.
How much heater wattage? +
About 3-5 watts per gallon for small temp lift (4-8°F), 5-7 watts per gallon for cooler rooms or higher tropical temps. Bigger tanks benefit from two smaller heaters for redundancy.
What glass thickness do I need for a DIY tank? +
For freshwater: 1/4" up to 24" tall, 3/8" 24-36", 1/2" 36-48". Saltwater and tanks with bracing differ. Always have a pro verify — a glass failure floods a room.
Why subtract substrate? +
A 2-inch sand bed in a 30 gallon tank takes up ~3-5 gallons of volume. That reduces both water volume and biological cycling capacity. Always account for it in stocking calculations.