mercurybebe

I have been trying to get my head around bioloads and stocking tanks, but I am still pretty confused!

Is there a way to figure out the bioload of any given fish? Does it go by the adult size of the fish, or shape of the fish, or breed of the fish, etc?

Is there somewhere to look to get that info easily?

I ask because it seems like every fish I have has a max length of 2" but I have read about their bioloads being very different and how that must be taken into consideration when stocking tanks.


I have 3 large tanks and I want to make sure that as I add fish, they are all stocked appropriately...

Lucy

There was a thread around here, I think Pepe posted it with a way to calculate bioload.
But remember, it's not only the length of the fish you need to look at, it's also it's bulk and characteristics. Things like swim room, area of the tank they occupy, aggression.

harpua2002

This is a really great question, and one that I'm sure you'll get many different answers on.

For me, there's no way to quantify "bioload." Experience has taught me what works for me when stocking tanks, and it gets a lot easier with time. I take into account not only the adult size of the fish, but also how much of a waste producer it is relative to other fish. For example, 5 adult neon tetras and a 5 inch adult bristlenose pleco are MUCH different in terms of waste production, but according to the inch per gallon guideline, the neons would count for more. The many exceptions to this guideline renders it completely inaccurate IMO. Also (although this doesn't count so much for "bioload"), try to take into account the activity level of the fish. Will a 5 inch yellow lab cichlid overstock a 20 gallon tank? No, but it will be miserable. This is a very active and social fish and should be stocked in at least a 4 foot tank, with a group of the same species. Similarly, try to take into account what area of the tank the fish occupies most of the time. Let's consider a 20 gallon tank again. Say there are 8 cories in the tank already and you're fish shopping. A school of tetras is a better choice than a small pleco or pair of rams in this case, since the pleco and rams will stick to the bottom of the tank. It would be pretty crowded at the bottom if you went with either of those options.

Planted tanks allow you to sort of "push" stocking and keep a higher bioload than in a non-planted tank, because plants use waste products in the tank to grow. However, a planted tank should NOT mean a reduction in maintenance; if anything, I think they require a little more maintenance. I change large amounts of water every week regardless of whether or not the tank is planted.

I hope this helps somewhat.

mercurybebe

Harpua...wow, thank you so much, it was very helpful! Do you know if there is a way to determine which fish give off more waste vs. others and stuff like that? Unless I have run across it by accident (like with pleco info) I haven't had much luck getting the correct info...

Lucy, what you said is exactly what I am talking about...there are so many factors it seems!

Where a fish hangs out in the tank is something I have paid a lot of attention to, and as I have had fish for the past few months, learning the personalities of each kind has gotten easier. It amazes me how *little* (not that I know much now either!) I knew about fishkeeping when I set up my first tank in May.

I've been thinking about this a lot because I have 2 tanks that are for male livebearers and there has been aggression and I've had to move quite a few fish around....plus I have platy fry that will need to go into tanks in a few weeks! Then there is the dwarf gourami that my partner wants and I refuse to buy until I know more about them!

Right now we have cory cats, platies, guppies, mollies, neon, bloodfin and glowlight tetras, danios, cherry barbs, rasboras and one CAE. They are spread out among both of the 30g tanks and the 55g, but like I said, I want the best distribution of bio-load possible, as long as my male and female livebearers do not reside in the same tank!

harpua2002

I just go by experience, and you will get there too. If you're not sure, ask! Others' experiences can help you too, and there are a lot of folks around who could give you plenty of info.

Slug

And just remember the more you feed, the more wastes produced. Not only fish wastes but uneaten food wastes.

kimb

Thanks Harpua...sounds like you helped the OP and you certainly helped me! I totally agree, that everything depends on the individual needs, size, swim area etc. of each fish. I have one tank that I know must be changed like clockwork every 7 days, and one the same size with more fish that easily goes 10 days! Very helpful, and easy to understand...thanks again