How many fish?

Everyone knows the old " 1" per gallon" axiom, but in a properly managed reef, what is the reccomended bio-load? I have a 72 bow and am looking to build a community of compatible gobies with a few other fish thrown in for variety. Realistically, how far can I go to stock to a "medium" level?

 

I was taught 1" per 10 litres!

 

Depending on the power of your skimmer and amount of live rock, sand, employment of a sump and refugium(water volume and surface area), carbon addition and weekly water changes, you could bend the rules some what!

 

STUFF EM IN LIKE SARDINES!!

lol j/k.

Depends on the required niches of your fish. A fish like a goby or a jawfish actually has a very small niche to fill and don't require much room on the reef. However, tangs and anthias' require quite a bit more room to roam the reef.

Evan.

 

I am in agreeance with Froc3 to a point, but you have to take into consideration the stress placed on the skimmer and other filtration methods as well as respiration, waste and other factors when determining the amount of fish to maintain successfully!

 

Its all a crock I think. Take a pair of 15 inch engineer goby's are they as much a load as say 2 4inch tangs ? I'll put as many as I feel is needed hell you can only look at so many I mean I'd never try to crame 10 tangs into a 55 but 5 or so with a few other type fish no problem .. I have ran them for yrs like that and would again..

 

+1, as long as your system can sustain a chemically healthy environment. Also, if you add fish slowly, your system can adapt a lot more slowly and progressively rather than cramming a huge bioload in all at once. Your system would never develop the bacteria fast enough.

 

In all honesty, I have never had an overstocking problem either, but I am probably a fairly light stocker because I like to be able to individaully learn the personalities of each fish. This time around, I am jsut trying to do everything "right", although I am mainly learnign that "right" is a function of experience and opinion more than anything else.

 

Of greatest importance is fish compatibility and living space needs...next, it is just a matter of the maturity of biofilter, skimmer efficiency and willingness to do necessary water changes as required...


Go slow and add fish over time.

Keep an eye on water params...they will tell you when limit reached.



Good Luck.


Scott
(Also once an "Airbourne Guy..." - 82nd 1972-74 ;D)

 

10th SFG 98-01