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Different regions of the world use different scales of measurement. The two scales are known as the Metric System and the Imperial system. This article is not to judge which is better, or why division has occurred, but to tell you of the four important ways they affect fishkeepers.
Think of temperature, volume, distance and weight.
With the equipment you purchase (I.e. Tanks), or the products needed for maintenance (I.e. water ager), the packaging should list both scales for your convenience – but this is not always the case. Even books and information you will read that were created for a local market but have traveled may only list one scale.
This page has been created to offer you a convenient directory of conversion tools when the need arises. It is important not to guess what the measure would be in the alternate scale, as many areas of fishkeeping are an exact science (like medicating tanks) and there is no room for error.
Let’s start with temperature. The two scales of measure are Celsius and Fahrenheit. They are different ways of measuring the same thing. With Celsius, water freezes at 0 and boils at 100. With Fahrenheit, the freezing point is 32° and the boiling point is 212°.
The fishes you keep will determine the optimal temperature of the water in your tank. Normal room temperature is usually fine for fresh water fish, being sure to keep them away from drafty windows and doors, bright windows and radiators. Most tropical fishes prefer water around 72 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit / 22 to 24 degrees Celsius. They do not like fluctuations in temperature, so if your environment becomes cooler than that overnight, a heater is needed.
There are several styles of aquarium heater available, but the most common is a submersible glass tube with a built in thermostat. Once it is set, this heater responds to the water temperature and only turns on when needed. Remember that the heater is a thermostat (regulates temperature), not a thermometer (which measures temperature). You must have a separate thermometer in the main body of the tank to get a true representation of the water temperature.
Volume is the next unit of measure to consider. Volume is measured in either Gallons or Liters. 1 gallon = 3.785 liters, and 1 liter = 0.264 gallons. Water volume is important when adding chemicals to your mix, medicating your tank, or looking into how much stock it is safe for you to keep.
Aquarium Capacity in gallons = Length x Width x Height (in inches) / 231
Aquarium Capacity in liters = Length x Width x Height (in centimeters) / 1000
Distance, or Length, are the dimensions of your tank, and it plays an important role. Firstly, when choosing a tank to fit into an exact space. If you know you have 1.2 meters and you get to the store and they show you a tank that is 40 inches long, will you be confident in your purchase?
A meter has been officially defined to be the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second. All other length and distance measurements in the metric system derive from the meter (e.g. km= 1000m, 1m= 1000mm) Imperial measurements have a less logical progression, with a yard defined as the length of a pendulum that causes its arc to swing in exactly 1 second.
Weight is measured in Kilograms or Pounds. 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds. This can be important when ordering bulk foods or salt for example. Use one of the conversion scales below to determine the measure in the scale most familiar to you.
If math on the fly is not your strong point, or calculators give you more problems than they solve, there are several free websites that can assist you greatly. Please use this below as a guide to ensure you are accurate when converting between Metric and Imperial scales.
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World Wide Metric
http://www.worldwidemetric.com is the best site I have found for the conversion tasks most relevant to fishkeepers. It is simple to use, as you enter the measurement you know (in Length, Weight, Volume or Temperature), click the calculate button, and it gives you the equivalent in every other scale of measurement.
Online Conversions
http://www.onlineconversion.com/ is a website that converts anything to anything. The list of variables is amazing! It may be overkill for what you will need, but is the most extensive conversion tool available.
Convert Me
http://www.convert-me.com/en/ is the last option I will list. Although the design is a little more confusing than the other two options, they offer a downloadable tool to allow you to do conversions without accessing the internet. I thought that may interest some of you.
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