What's Bioload anyway?- discussion thread

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Squeakfish

Fight the current!
Jan 9, 2008
837
0
0
SoCal
But certain small fish have more of an effect than other small fish. Is it carnivores have more of an effect than herbivores?
 

Rbishop

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 30, 2005
40,727
452
143
70
Real Name
Mr. Normal
I would think the diet definitely has some factor in it, as well as what you feed.
 

nikitanain

AC Members
Jul 5, 2006
92
0
0
The size of the fish and the diet of the fish play an important part in determining the bio load.. Also the number of fish, water changes and tank size are important factors..
 

ianab

AC Members
Sep 19, 2009
515
0
0
New Zealand
I think you could measure bioload.

Set up a tank, add the fish in question and measure how much the nitrate level went up each week.

You could end up with a standard unit, that says 1ppm, per gallon per week is 1 "Bio"

So if your Oscar raised the Nitrate level by 10ppm in a 50gal tank, then it's 500 "bios"

If 10 guppies in the same tank took 5 weeks to raise the level by 10, then they would rate 10 "bios" each.

Size of the fish of course has an effect, but their diet and metabolism will have a big effect too. I have an Oscar and Pleco of similar size, the pleco makes more visible waste, but it's mostly recycled algae and cucumber. The Oscar is pooping out recycled fish etc

But I guess, as the article is pointing out, it's the amount of food going into the tank. "Messy" fish like a healthy young Oscar eat more than an adult Betta of the same size. But generally more and/or bigger fish eat more, so produce more waste.

Ian
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store