Fish Load

[gjw9]

Well after battling nitrites for the past month, everything seems under control so I am back to planning my tank. I need advice on bioload. I would like to add ten more neons, four black mollies, and four red velvet swords, however I think that may be too much for the tank. Any input would be appreciated and definitely listened to.

[Cherry Barb]

The rule of thumb on the average fish bio-load is about 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. I see in your 75g you have several small fish, including loys of tetras. I think if you add the fish named above you are gonna be right at what would be considered your tank bio-load.

Of course any good aquarium hobbyist will also tell you that it depends on your habits of feeding and cleaning as well. If you're good at keeping up with your tank you'll be more than fine. If not maybe reconsider.

I know myself in my 20g I have it pretty densely populated. I know this, so I do a 25% weekly water change and cleaning per week. I rinse out my filter cartridge every cleaning and change it once or twice a month or sooner if needed.

The longer you have the tank, the more familiar you become with the habits of the fish and how often you need to clean. If you make the additions you suggested just keep an eye on it. You'll be surprised how much you will see in just one week.

Happy Fish Hunting!

[TankGirl]

I think you are fully stocked now, and it is quite a nice assortment you have. Maybe another tank is in order here.... 8)

[docrak]

I’ve done some research into bio-load before stocking my tank. You’d be amazed at how many fish a tank could hold depending on species. I have a 60-gallon tank with predominantly tetras, low bio-load. Here’s a quick inventory.

12 head tail light tetras
8 pristela tetras
12 neon tetras
12 glow light tetras
8 flame tetras
6 diamond tetras
6 small (under 2�) angle fish
4 corries
3 lace cats
3 loaches
5 plecos (under 3�)
7 baby sword tails 1 ¼ inch
4 hachet fish

I calculated my length of fish at around 100 inches. A 1� neon will have a smaller bio-load than a 1� goldfish, so inches of fish isn’t always a good measure of bio-load. I have an Ehiem canister filter rated at 250 gallons per hour, an aqua-clear 500 and a hot magnum HOB canister filter. That gives me over 1000-gallons per hour of filtration. I do 15% water every other day or so and about 40% every three weeks. My nitrates never get above 40ppm and are usually around 20ppm. My only problem is water oxygenation. My tank is at its limit with the current tank temp being at 82 degrees F. I have to get rid of some fish soon because they are getting bigger to. I have a deal with my local fish store. He buys back my what ever fish I buy from him at whatever price I bought them. It’s a good deal for him because he gets bigger and healthier fish than his suppliers can provide him with. I get a nice busy tank and never get board with the same setup because I can change it whenever I want.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that yes you can add more fish to your tank as long as you have a good setup and a good maintenance schedule. But as TankGirl said you’re currently maxed out right now based on how big your fish will grow.