Measuring bio load

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ekean45

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Messages
154
Location
Marietta, GA
I wonder what the opinions are on how to measure bio load and the limitations of what you can have in your tank.

In the past 1 inches of fish per every 5 gallons for a SW tank. With the advent of more advanced and better equipment, it seems that the 1/5 rule might not be applicable anymore. I've seen tanks around that seem to be stuffed with fish and have almost no issues and then seen tanks almost empty and the chemical balances are off.

Assuming regular water changes are performed (every 1 to 2 weeks), what are your experiences? When you answer, please display your tank specs/livestock. :thanks:
 
To me it`s impossible to go by the inch/gallon rule. SW fish are so different that it will not work. 6 inches of triggers is not the same as 6 inches of cardinals. There are messy eaters and there are quaint eaters that dont make a mess. There are herbivores and there are carnivores. It just wont work in a Sw setting. All you can do is look at what you have and determine what effect the fish will have on the bioload.
 
Completely agree and that's why I'm interested in experiences.

Here's are my tank specs:

· 60 gallon tank was started in end of November and finished cycling beginning of January


· Marineland Emperor 400 BIO-Wheel Powerfilter


· Octopus Reef BH1000 protein skimmer


· Small hang on custom refugium with sand, macro algea, live rock rubble made from an old cyclone protein skimmer. T8 18" full spectral bulb on for about 8 hours a night (opposite the main tank lighting)


· 24 watt UV sterilizer


· Solarmax HO T5 lighting system - 54 Watt X 2 - white 10k, blue actinic - on a timer for ~7 hours a day


· 2 powerheads in tank on opposite sides

Livestock:

· Yellow Tail Damsel
· Yellow Prawn Goby
· Clown Fish
· Foxface - One Spot
· Six Line Wrasse
· Various Snails
· Emerald Crabs
· Arrowhead Crab
· Various Hermit Crabs
· Banded Coral Shrimp
· Sand Sifting Sea Star
· Sleeper Gold Head Goby
· Feather Duster
· Court Jester Goby
· Small Conch
· Sand Dollar
· Green Polyp Leather
· Feather Duster
· Frogspawn coral frag

I test my water 2-3 times a week and 2 weeks after a water change, my nitrates are usually around 5ppm. Fish are very active, good colors, and eating well. So it appears that my tank could probably handle a bit more of a bio load.

What are some of the metrics you look at when you say, I should not add anything else to the tank?
 
I have often wondered this. If you dose to 4ppm ammonia when cycling, couldnt you add fish and corals that equal that much waste and be fine? Problem is: How many fish and corals is the same as 4ppm pure ammonia? Kind of like "what came first, the chicken or the egg".
 
spoonman said:
I have often wondered this. If you dose to 4ppm ammonia when cycling, couldnt you add fish and corals that equal that much waste and be fine? Problem is: How many fish and corals is the same as 4ppm pure ammonia? Kind of like "what came first, the chicken or the egg".

You wouldn't be able to do that because there isnt bacteria yet to handle the ammonia. The ammonia will be around for while until the bacteria grows. Leaving your fish and corals in highly toxic water. Even after the ammonia is converted, you'll have to wait the nitrites out until they are converted into nitrates. Nitrites are also toxic, although not as much.
 
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