How do I measure my bioload?

[lectraplayer]

By what standard is bioload measured by? Say, I've done my research on a particular fish and compared it to my current stock. Everything looks compatible with fish requirements and behavior. Next I need my bioload so I can tell how many fish I can get up to my desired school size. Where can I find that info?

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[anteatergoanna]

I would be interested to know that too, just bought a lovely Ghost Knife, but don't know what sort of Bio Load he would add to my tank.

 

[Camescu]

People recommend aqadvisor as a good starting point. It won't load for me anymore but it might still be operational

 

[xstream]

There are a few that I have found on these boards. Aqadvisor.com is useful but some people say it is inaccurate and should be used just as a rough guide. It does use your filter set up.

I recently downloaded My Aquarium Guide from the App Store. It seems to be more conservative, but doesn't use your filtration in the calculation. Hope that helps, and I will be watching for any other recommendations by board members.

 

[Mebbid]

By what standard is bioload measured by? Say, I've done my research on a particular fish and compared it to my current stock. Everything looks compatible with fish requirements and behavior. Next I need my bioload so I can tell how many fish I can get up to my desired school size. Where can I find that info?

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It's really hard to explain and bio load isn't measured in particular. AQAdvisor is a good start but most people here can throw out suggestions about stocking. What size tank and how many of what fish do you have?

I would be interested to know that too, just bought a lovely Ghost Knife, but don't know what sort of Bio Load he would add to my tank.

A lot, black ghost knife fish get HUGE and need a 125g tank minimum.

 

[BBradbury]

How Many Fish?

Hello lec...

There's no such thing as a table for how many fish you can have. I wish it was that simple. If you're a good water changer and not a water change "slacker", you can have a few more fish.

If you plan to keep small to medium sized adult fish, then you can certainly have 15 in a 20 gallon tank. If you're willing to change half the tank water every week, then you allow a little "wiggle" room. In this case, 20 is enough. I wouldn't go more than that, especially if you keep livebearing fish.

So, do the math according to the size tank you have. If you want fish that get larger when they get to be adults, then you'll need to allow more tank room. But, there's not a standard rule for stocking a tank.

B

 

[Camescu]

Also, the heavier your tank is planted there is more allowance for stocking IMO.

 

[pip walters]

Bioload is the aquarium hobby term for BOD..... biological oxygen demand, which is the biological burden placed on the ecosystem within an aquarium by its inhabitants (and its owner if one feeds with a heavy hand! ). Most hobbyists will only consider numbers of fish in this scenario.

The health of any living ecosystem is limited by the amount of available oxygen.

Don't confuse bioload with biomass, which is the total weight of organisms within a system.

As far as numbers of fish per tank are concerned, it is ultimately the amount of ammonia produced that is our main concern and that is governed by the our fishs' daily nutrient requirement. This is difficult to quantify, which is why it is always best to have as large a surface area as possible within a filter system, regardless of tank size, to maximise the population of nitrifying bacteria.

 

[lectraplayer]

I knew I had to input food, oxygen (air), and light and would have CO2 and various nitrogen and phosphorous compounds output into the tank. I guess my proper question is where I can find bioload output of particular fish per inch of length/ounce/etc., primarily the nutrient output that must be processed by the biofilter. I can always add more air but can only filter so much before I'm blowing my fish around. Is it strictly proportional to the fish's mass or are some fish, like goldfish, simply greater nutrient sources, than, say, a cichlid of the same mass? What about an oto cat vs. a bloodfin tetra of the same mass?

I have been playing with AQAdvisor and am finding it all over the place. It looks like it may be helpful though.

 

[Mebbid]

This hobby is nowhere near that specific. Aqadvisor has developed a system for calculating bio load but even that is kind of a secret. If you're looking for specifics like that I honestly doubt you will find it.

In general, the wider the fish the more ammonia its going to produce, however there are a ton of factors to this such as individual fish anatomy and diet preferences.

Bio load isn't the only thing you have to worry about either, cramming too many fish in a tank is going to contribute to disease no matter how good of a filter you have.

 

[lectraplayer]

I know. They need a certain amount of room to roam without "fighting traffic" like we do.

While I'm not looking for great precision, I want to have an idea how much bioload output a fish will create without having to plug them into a web app before dealing with the "error" in trial and error. Something about like "watts per gallon" in lighting for planted tanks. It gets me in the ballpark.

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[Brookster123]

I know. They need a certain amount of room to roam without "fighting traffic" like we do.

While I'm not looking for great precision, I want to have an idea how much bioload output a fish will create without having to plug them into a web app before dealing with the "error" in trial and error. Something about like "watts per gallon" in lighting for planted tanks. It gets me in the ballpark.

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Plecos poop a lot, gold fish poop a lot.. if you have one of either for every 10 gallons with any small amount of other smallish schooling fish you're well well stocked... if you had 2 plecos,2 goldfish alone in a 29 gallon tank?? That is a tremendous bioload... test your water...nitrates don't lie.. if you're changing 50% a week and your nitrates stay under 20ppm? Ok you're doing it right.. if you have to change 50% every 3 days to keep trates below 40ppm?? To much poopies and not enough water. . It's really about keeping water not fish if you think about it..

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[Mebbid]

I know. They need a certain amount of room to roam without "fighting traffic" like we do.

While I'm not looking for great precision, I want to have an idea how much bioload output a fish will create without having to plug them into a web app before dealing with the "error" in trial and error. Something about like "watts per gallon" in lighting for planted tanks. It gets me in the ballpark.

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What I've been trying to say is that there isn't anything like that. AQAdvisor and fellow aquarists are really your only help on that.

 

[lectraplayer]

I was wondering exactly where the trip point was on the nitrates. I have been changing water every weekend whether it needs it or not. I'm showing between 10 and 20ppm with my kit, but it's hard to tell with my kit.

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[Mebbid]

I was wondering exactly where the trip point was on the nitrates. I have been changing water every weekend whether it needs it or not. I'm showing between 10 and 20ppm with my kit, but it's hard to tell with my kit.

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Personally, I try to keep my trates below 40 but everyone has their own preference. 40 seems to be a little on the high end of that spectrum. This is also going to depend on which fish you keep as well. More sensitive fish need a lower nitrate level.

 

[lectraplayer]

I know platys in particular are on bottom with nitrates around 40ppm. ...or at least mine were.

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