# Bioload overload



## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

At Big Al's i tried to buy 3sm. turquois rainbows and 15 sm. glowlight tetras. When they read my clipboard they asked me about my tanks size and how long it had been running. After telling them that my tank had been running for 7 months, was 50g and had about 30 small fish they told me i couldn't add that many fish. I ended up getting only 5 tetras and the 3 rainbows. Would it be safe for me to pick up the ten other tetras on April 10th without putting too much load on my tank? (sale for the tetras ends on the 10th)

-I have an ehiem 2215 filter


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## ynot (Jan 30, 2010)

If you do not quarantine your new fish before putting them into your main tank then you have the possibility of wiping out all the fish in your main tank due to ich, bioload, and other problems.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Not sure how big are your small fish, but yes, it's kind of overloaded.
You can't expect your tank to be like those at the fish store. It's only a temporary basic and if kept long term like that, most won't even make it.
If in doubt, keep to the 1 inch per gallon rules, and measure this base on how big they will grow. For example, if the fish is only 1" now but will be 4" fully grown, then it's a 4" fish not it's current size. 
Having said that, there are lots of reason to break the 1" rule too. If you know your fish and are very experience with them or know that you will expand to a bigger tank in 2 or 3 months. Then it's OK to under measure. If you have another 4 feet tank around. Then that's OK too because you can just dump it to the other tank when it's grown big enough. If that particular fish is a slow growing fish and takes 3 or 4 years to grow to it's full size, then it's ok too.
2215 is a pretty good choice for a 50G tank. But don't think in terms that you can over load your tank. Although you probable can treat your tank like a 60G. It's better to think that because you over filter, you can get away with changing your water once in a while.
Also, small tetra types like neon, rummy nose and glowlite, you can probably count them as 1/2" each. This is because you will most likely lose 25% - 50% of them through out the year (for the average person, if you're good 25% is the most you can lose).
Big fish that grow over 6" breaks the 1" rules as well. They produce much more crap that six 1" fish. That's where the overfilter becomes useful.
And lastly, I agree, do consider about having a quarenteen tank. For a big tank like a 50G, it will be very very costly to treat if you bring home desease and stuff.
Also, who the nice kid at BA's? He's pretty good.
So the question to you is, what are those 30 small fish? Will they become big monster fish down the road?

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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

What is that 30 small fishes? Have they grown up already?


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## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

the small fish i was referring to are honey red gouramis, pearl gouramis and a ton of black and neon tetras. All the fish are either 2 inches or under. I was just wondering if adding only the 8 eight fish would overload my tank, and if in one week adding ten more tetras would be okay.

Im not sure what the name of the guy that helped me at big al's.


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## igor.kanshyn (Jan 14, 2010)

Dwarf gourami (honey red gouramis) is not so small. Pearl gourami can reach 4 inch. It's quite a big fish, you know. 
I would be very careful with adding more fishes.

Anyway, try One Inch Per Gallon Rule. Take into account that some of fishes will grow.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

The one-inch-per-gallon rule sort of works for fish under two inches, but really, bioload is more about the volume or weight of the fish than the length. A fish that's twice as long will have eight times the volume, and about 8 times the weight or more -- thus eight times the bioload.

If your tank is well planted and you do very frequent water changes, you can get away with some overstocking, but it puts your water quality in a delicate balance that can be tipped towards disaster too easily. If a fish dies in a concealed location, or something in your life means you have to miss or cut back on water changes, or someone overfeeds the tank, there's no slack before water quality deteriorates. Also, physical crowding, where the fish can't get away from each other, or out of each other's sight, adds social stress. Any stress contributes to poor health.

The guy at Big Al's gave you good, if unpalatable advice, that cost him sales. This is rare and commendable.


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## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

my question is not stocking limit but how quickly i can add fish.


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

How quick to add fish the answer is sort of never. The adult length of some of your residents will push the limit of your tank while they may be small now they will grow. Ultimately its your descision but you will be way overstocked and likely will have to deal with sick, stressed fish that may die or cause the death of others.


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## duckyser (Oct 4, 2009)

so i should not add any more fish? because of future growth?


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

duckyser said:


> so i should not add any more fish? because of future growth?


Yes, that pretty much sums it up.

But to answer your other question. For a new 50G tank, 5" per week. For an establish tank, about 20% load, so that's about 10" of fish per week.

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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Exactly your pearls aren't even half grown yet and will have alot more than double bioload then a full grown 2inch fish. I'd leave your stock as is you will have happier fish and more room for error should water conditions change.


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