how do we measure impact a species would have on like a medium size tank?

[Ballyhoo]

Of course I ask because I have a 41 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. And I wonder when I add something like a Gobi or a firefish, what are these guys like 5g 10 grams with a 41 gallon tank does a fish so small in size have much impact on the ideal chemistry of medium size reef tank? I mean, I understand the rules we are supposed to go by to maintain good reef chemistry, they say half an inch or inch of fish per gal and I don't know how they came up with these rules since they're not hard and fast, but, definitely ominously limiting. Would a 40 gallon tank hold a school Gobi fish though since these species are so, how do the Irish say, wee? interesting how people can cultivate corals until they are literally growing and spilling out of reef tanks, but people with medium sized tanks are admonished to keep the live fish stock to a bare minimum. Well of course corals dont have digestive tracts like members of the animal kingdom

 

[MoshJosh]

I think the answer is complicated. . . nutrient export, interspecies aggression, extra-species aggression, establishing territories, etc

I do think you very well could put a ton of "micro" fish in a "big" tank, but will depend a lot on the factors I mentioned above.

I do not think the comparison to corals is really applicable as they are vastly different. Also, they are members of the animal kingdom and do have a digestive tract (well it's kind of a mouth, stomach, anus hybrid. . . )

 

[Tripod1404]

Corals are in animal kingdom.

 

[Ballyhoo]

Corals are in animal kingdom.

OK, corals are animas. but they don't have organs like I mean, do they poop? I know post 2 mention anuses, but is that really the same thing? not think so because we can have a ton coral in a tank but with fish we can't have a ton because they're bio wasting much. The organic structure of a fish is much more, I'm looking for the right word I want to say complicated but I know that will be challenged, but they have more organs. They have a digestive tract, intestines. brain etc and each little organ involves more cellular metabolic activity then I think a coral. Isn't that why we have to limit the number of fish ik a medium size tank, because of their bio waste? we have to deal with aggression, but aggression aside we couldn't have a tank full of friendly ocellaris.

 

[MoshJosh]

Yes, corals do poop. They catch pray, pull it into their stomachs, digest it, then poop it out. But the lions share of their energy comes from photosynthesis (though corals are not the ones doing the photosynthesizing, that is symbiotic algae that live inside them), the biproduct of which is not waste but oxygen.

But waste is only part of the equation as I mentioned above.

 

[lil sumpin]

People keep goldfish in tiny little bowls and tanks all the time without considering the fact that goldfish eat and poop a lot and actually require mid sized tanks. It’s important to consider bioload with smaller and mid sized systems.

 

[xunhe]

f course I ask because I have a 41 gallon tank with a 10 gallon sump. And I wonder when I add something like a Gobi or a firefish, what are these guys like 5g 10 grams with a 41 gallon tank does a fish so small in size have much impact on the ideal chemistry of medium size reef tank? I mean, I understand the rules we are supposed to go by to maintain good reef chemistry, they say half an inch or inch of fish per gal and I don't know how they came up with these rules since they're not hard and fast, but, definitely ominously limiting. Would a 40 gallon tank hold a school Gobi fish though since these species are so, how do the Irish say, wee? interesting how people can cultivate corals until they are literally growing and spilling out of reef tanks, but people with medium sized tanks are admonished to keep the live fish stock to a bare minimum. Well of course corals dont have digestive tracts like members of the animal kingdom

I think it is ok. If n\p are both zero, it doesn't mean it's good. Nutrient sources are what corals need. Otherwise, the water is too clean and it will be difficult for the corals to open.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, the limiting factor in many reef tank fish loads is not what happens when things are normal, it's how fast things go bad when emergencies happen, such as a power failure.

 

[Ballyhoo]

i'm sure no one here has had their local power company fail on them!