Estimate real water volume after substrate, hardscape and equipment displacement.
Open live calculator →A 180 litre aquarium with 12% displacement contains an estimated 158.4 litres of water.
Gross tank size is rarely the volume of water actually inside a finished aquarium. Estimate a more useful net value for maintenance and equipment planning.
The live tool updates immediately and shows the result in the units commonly used by aquarium keepers around the world.
Light décor often displaces less than a dense aquascape.
Water level below the rim reduces capacity.
For dosing, confirm the estimate conservatively.
A lightly decorated tank typically loses 8–12% of gross capacity to substrate, equipment and the air gap. Dense aquascapes with deep soil and large stone can lose 20% or more.
Medication and fertiliser doses assume actual water volume. Dosing to the advertised tank size in a heavily scaped tank can overdose by a fifth or more, which is dangerous with copper-based or antibiotic treatments.
Fill the tank with a container of known size and count—or note your water meter before and after the first fill. Do it once at setup and you will have a reliable net figure for the tank's whole life.