AquaCalc

Exact aquarium math, no guesswork.

No more estimating. Get precise calculations for tank volume, floor load, stocking capacity, and CO₂ injection.

PRECISION TOOLKIT

Aquarium Calculators.

Select a tool below to calculate exact tank capacity, stocking capacities, structural weight, or chemical dosing parameters.

QUICK REFERENCE

Essential aquarium constants.

WATER DENSITY
8.34 lbs / US Gal
Freshwater · 1 kg / L at 25°C
STOCKING RULE
1" fish per gallon
Freshwater · 1" / 3 gal marine
CO₂ TARGET
20 – 30 ppm
Planted tank standard
FILTER FLOW
5× turnover / hour
Typical community target
HEATER RULE
3 – 5 W / gallon
Depends on temp delta
SUBSTRATE DEPTH
1 – 3 inches
Fish-only to planted
WATER CHANGE
20 – 25% weekly
Moderately stocked
FLOOR LOAD
~40 – 60 lb / ft²
Residential live load
PLANNING WORKFLOW

How to plan an aquarium setup without guessing.

STEP 01

Start with real volume

Every other number — stocking, weight, heater size, filter flow — depends on how much water your tank actually holds, not the number printed on the box. Measure the interior glass, pick your shape, and use the tank volume calculator to get gross and net volume. If you're comparing tanks in litres and gallons, the liters ↔ gallons converter handles the exact conversion including UK imperial gallons.

STEP 02

Size the structure and equipment

Water is surprisingly heavy at 8.34 pounds per US gallon. A filled 55 gallon commonly exceeds 600 pounds once glass, substrate, and stand are included, so check your floor and stand before filling. Then size the heater and filter flow against the real volume, not the label. Substrate depth comes next — the substrate calculator converts footprint and bed depth into the bags you'll actually carry home.

STEP 03

Stock conservatively

The one-inch-per-gallon rule is a rough ceiling, not a target. Plan around adult sizes, group minimums, and how much maintenance you'll actually do. The stocking calculator turns your net volume and filter turnover into a safe bioload estimate, and the stocking guide gives realistic plans for 10, 20, 30, and 55 gallon community tanks. For planted tanks, read the CO₂ injection guide before you buy a regulator.

WATER PHYSICS MATRIX

Built on verified aquatic fluid standards.

Every calculator on AquaCalc uses calibrated fluid dynamics and bio-load constants derived from standard aquatic chemistry benchmarks:

  • 01/ Water Density: 8.34 lbs / US Gal (1.00 kg/L at 25°C)
  • 02/ CO₂ Equilibrium: pH - log10(dKH) Henderson-Hasselbalch
  • 03/ Substrate Density: ~1.4 - 1.6 kg/L for Aqua-Soil & Sand
pH_dKH_CO2_Matrix.json
UTF-8
// Recommended Planted Tank CO2 Targets (Target = 30 PPM)
{
  "dKH_1.0": { "pH_6.0": "30 ppm (OPTIMAL)", "pH_6.4": "12 ppm (LOW)" },
  "dKH_4.0": { "pH_6.6": "30 ppm (OPTIMAL)", "pH_7.0": "12 ppm (LOW)" },
  "dKH_8.0": { "pH_6.9": "30 ppm (OPTIMAL)", "pH_7.3": "12 ppm (LOW)" }
}
            
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

How AquaCalc works, what it does with your data, and how much confidence to place in each type of result.

Are the AquaCalc calculators free to use?
Yes. Every calculator on AquaCalc is completely free, with no account, sign-up, or subscription required. There are no usage limits and no paywalled results.
Is my tank data sent anywhere?
No. All calculations run locally in your browser using JavaScript. The dimensions and water parameters you type are never transmitted to a server, stored, or logged. Because the maths happens on your device, results appear instantly as you type.
Do the calculators support both metric and imperial units?
Yes. The volume and substrate calculators let you switch between inches and centimetres, and the weight and CO2 tools let you switch between US gallons and litres, plus pounds and kilograms where relevant. Results are reported in US gallons, litres, and UK gallons so you can use whichever your equipment is labelled in.
How accurate are the results?
The geometry and unit conversions are exact, and the water chemistry uses the standard formulas the hobby relies on. Anything involving materials or livestock is necessarily an estimate, because substrate density, glass thickness, and fish bioload all vary between products and species. Treat structural and stocking figures as planning guidance and verify anything safety-critical.
Can I use these calculators for a saltwater or reef tank?
Yes. Volume, weight, and substrate maths are identical for marine systems, though saltwater is marginally denser at about 8.55 pounds per gallon. The stocking calculator has a dedicated marine setting that applies the stricter bioload ratio reef systems need. The CO2 calculator is intended for planted freshwater tanks and is not applicable to reef chemistry.
Which calculator should I start with?
Start with <a href="/calculators/tank-volume">tank volume</a>, since almost everything else depends on knowing your real water capacity. Once you have a net volume figure you can feed it into the <a href="/calculators/stocking">stocking calculator</a> to check bioload, the <a href="/calculators/tank-weight">weight calculator</a> to confirm your floor and stand can carry the load, and the <a href="/calculators/co2-rate">CO₂ calculator</a> to set an injection rate.