Bio load question

[TheRealFF]

Alright, so the general reef bioload rule for beginnners is 1 in. of fish per 6G right? Why do only fishes count toward the bioload? Surely, inverts such as snails, shrimps, tubeworms, anemones, etc. have waste products too. That means the bioload would increase if the amount of inverts in the tank increases. So y isn't inverts count toward bioload? y isn't there an invert bioload rule?

(This question came up to me wheni saw my astrae released a big pile of waste. The pile was way bigger than my clowns')

Thanks

 

[john0087]

FYI....I AM NOT BIOLOGIST.....

I believe the answer lies somewhere in the difference between the metobolic rate of fish vs inverts. Fish exert and consume much more energy then inverts, which tend to be slower moving and in the case or corals, non-moving at all. This increased energy consumsion leads to greater waste in the water.

A second factor would be corals and annenome get a portion of their energy from photosysnthis, which I believe produced oxgen as waste. I don't think we are concerned about excess oxygen in our systems.

I am sure that you could pack a tank full of snails, shrimp, seastars crabs etc and "exceede" the bioload of their environment, but in the small populations that we are dealing with, I do not think that it is a problem.

Lastly, you have to look at your tank as a system, and not a tank. The 1" of fish per 6gal is a general giudeline. Constant monitoring of you Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate are better indications of how your system is doing and if it is in balance or not.....

If I am full of BS and someone can offer a more scientific answer. then I appologize in advance and I wuol dlike to know what I got wrong........

HTH

John


John

 

[Hara]

inverts have a negative effect on the bioload as they consume the waste that the "higher" forms put out.

 

[ryguy]

Hara, can you elaborate on that? Not sure I follow.

 

[Brenden]

Hara, can you elaborate on that? Not sure I follow.

She said they eat poop.

 

[Melissamustang]

Thats to funny!

 

[ryguy]

I was thinking that would be a positive effect on the bioload then. but now I get that the "negative" effect she was saying, is actually positive for the aquarist.

 

[TheRealFF]

She said they eat poop. Laughing

That's mean!

Hara, so ur saying inverts consume those higher form waste then turn them into lower form waste that is easier to be processed by the tank/system? I kinda got what yall are saying.

Btw. i get more poops from snails than my 2 clowns haha

 

[john0087]

so if they eat poop, what do inverts poop-fish food?

Ok so thats not that funny.........

Even if I am wrong..I like my answer....make me feel smarter then I am

 

[Jermz79]

makes you sound real smart too!!! You had me going!!!

I think some of what you say may be true actually!