Bioload

[jcattanach2012]

Hey all,
So I know about the basic one inch fish/5 gallon ratio, and am in the midst of planning out my livestock list for my up and coming 125 reef. Here's my question: how do shrimp, nudibranchs, etc affect the bioload? Do I need to factor in these critters?
Thanks!

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by jcattanach2012
http:///forum/post/3118766
Hey all,
So I know about the basic one inch fish/5 gallon ratio, and am in the midst of planning out my livestock list for my up and coming 125 reef. Here's my question: how do shrimp, nudibranchs, etc affect the bioload? Do I need to factor in these critters?
Thanks!
They are part of the cleanup crew. Please do not go by the 1-5 ratio. That is terribly false. There are other things to consider than size. For example, a yellow tail blue damsel tops out at two and a half inches. One can terrorize your whole tank and does not think twice about the size of the other fish. Damsels will terrorize a fish three or four time their size.
A yellow tang does not get big but needs a lot of swimming room.
You have to look at the personality and needs of the fish that you buy.

 

[jackri]

I agree. Filtration, water change schedule, etc all play a part as well.
The "rule of thumb" can be terribly misleading in this hobby.

 

[jcattanach2012]

Well, I mean, I know that there are aggressive fish, some fish have special eating habits, etc., but I was talking strictly on a bioload can-my-bacterial-colony-handle-it basis.

 

[jackri]

Again, depends on filtration, housekeeping, and other factors.

 

[cmaxwell39]

I agree, there are a lot of factors that determine how many fish is too many. The best indicator is the nutrient level in the tank.
To answer your original question, inverts do not add significantly to the bioload in the tank, and a cleanup crew is essential to helping to keep nutrient levels low.

 

[ophiura]

Anything that lives, IMO, is part of the bioload so absolutely shrimp, snails etc need to be considered to some degree. They are relatively small contributors compared to fish.
But they can for example starve to death, including snails and certain nudibranchs (most of which are predators of corals). Many should not be left to scavenge (eg brittlestars), they need to be fed, and they can impact water quality as a result. this is true also of many filter feeding invertebrates.
Some do considered them basically neutral...but IMO, in a closed system like this, everything is contributing to the bioload. While IMO critical to a reef system, they all produce waste, regardless of what they eat on the other side. Also they may impact things like calcium levels, etc.
Nutrient levels are a product of what goes in the tank and a clean up crew will not necessarily equal that out. JMO though. They are necessary, but do not work miracles