tndad
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Post by tndad on Jan 26, 2012 10:21:54 GMT -6
So what I have been reading it is generally recommended that you have no more than 1.5 inches of fish per gallon.
My question is do inverts and other tank life count toward that ratio?
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tndad
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Post by tndad on Jan 26, 2012 10:28:07 GMT -6
obviously that should be 1.5 inches per 5 gallon. The button graphics are not loading on my work PC so I can't find the edit button.
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fuzzylogic
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tankoutlaws.com
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Post by fuzzylogic on Jan 26, 2012 10:47:57 GMT -6
I personally think that rule is ridiculous. 1 inch per gallon by that logic would tell me I could put a 10 inch Oscar in a 10 gallon tank. There are many things to consider filtration, footprint, and maintenance to name a few. I would imagine anything that contributed any to the bioload has to go into consideration when thinking about inverts and the like.
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Post by ree123 on Jan 26, 2012 12:03:28 GMT -6
I agree Fuzzy ! I have read that golden rule of 1" of fish per gallon for years and years and have always thought it was a poor guide to follow. Some authors over the years have explained it has to do with the bulk of a fish, but no matter the bulk, a 10" fish is a 10" fish and in a 10 gallon volume of water ? The way you worded it makes it more plausible to understand.
Let's think about this too,.....in the Ocean, or even a lake, there are hundreds, if not thousands of gallons of water per fish mass. In our tanks, the key is filtration and h2o changes to over compensate for our eagerness to overstock. This applies to all of us.
Yet another good opportunity to say, as was said just a few days ago in another thread, a double filtration system on all tanks is an excellent idea for all of us as well.
And,...tndad, IMO anything alive in your body of water, even a snail, is a part of the biomass, and must be considered as a part of the living system. All living things have waste, even the lowly snail, and for that matter, even live plants and algae have waste to be considered as a part of a tanks bio mass.
Keep us posted on your decisions and how they turn out for you.
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Post by davidtcb1 on Jan 26, 2012 20:01:33 GMT -6
The inch per gallon rule is bogus, but a decent way to get novices to thinking about what they can have. I'm sure for all of us, there was one point in time when we took that as the gospel, but once you get some experience under your belt and have some successes and failures it goes out the window. lol.
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Post by jon carman on Jan 27, 2012 10:10:58 GMT -6
That is correct, all the cookie cutter rules are for beginners. Once you know the concepts, rules are made to be broken.
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Post by mruble on Jan 27, 2012 13:16:07 GMT -6
Another way it is worded: The bioload produced by one 10" fish is not the same as the bioload produced by ten 1" fish.
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Post by glenoweth on Jan 27, 2012 17:24:34 GMT -6
The inch per gallon rule is bogus, but a decent way to get novices to thinking about what they can have. I'm sure for all of us, there was one point in time when we took that as the gospel, but once you get some experience under your belt and have some successes and failures it goes out the window. lol. LOL I dont think i ever followed that rule (1 fish per 10gal) If i didi i would save alot of money though! lol... Fish are like pokimon to me "Iwant to collect them all" |
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Post by davidtcb1 on Jan 27, 2012 21:33:39 GMT -6
I agree Glen, I want everything in the shop.
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angel
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My Husband's A Birdbrain
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Post by angel on Jan 26, 2013 16:46:33 GMT -6
But a year later and back to the original question--no, snails shrimp and starfish etc do not count toward the bioload as we know it. They are cleanup crew. They make very little waste. However, sea urchins do make a mess! A good skimmer is a must! Corals are also inverts and although you can crowd them in, they waste, and the skimmer takes that off.
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