Care Capacity

[CrayolaViolence]

I have a 90 gallon tank with a 70 gallon lagoon display (24x48x12). I am wondering if anyone has any idea of the care capacity for a tank this size. I don't have a lot of fish but I do have quite a few corals (mostly zoas, shrooms, leathers, gorgs). The tank is about 4 years old now and has been doing great. I do a daily water change and I feed coral food since I have quite a few filter feeding gorgonians. I have no interest in more fish but there are a few coral pieces I would like to add. Was just wondering how others have done with a high population of coral in a reef tank.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

The only thing limiting coral population is physical space, outside special cases ie chemical warfare - but that is more a factor of overall compatibility, not total population size.

Corals don't contribute to a "bioload" in terms of waste production in the way that fish do. You can't create a nutrient problem by over populating a tank with coral. In fact the opposite is true, corals consume nutrients and adding more can (subtly) help control nutrients.

Along that line of thought, as you increase coral density, you need to make sure they're not stripping anything from the water. Calcium and alkalinity are the major parameters but there are others.

So, add away, as long as you're not putting things so close that they're stinging each other or growing in a way that shades other corals out.

 

[nereefpat]

Good advice above.

As long as they aren't stinging each other, and you are running activated carbon to remove allelopathic chemicals from leathers and others, you can't go overboard with corals.

 

[mcgyvr]

Is "care" supposed to read "coral"?

 

[nereefpat]

Is "care" supposed to read "coral"?

lol... I was assuming carrying capacity was meant.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Care capacity=the limit of ones ability to care for an organism (s) based on the availability of resources. Resources in this case being space, nutrients, water quality, etc.

 

[Cliving1]

Theoretical or actual capacity? Lol. I think the problem is different coral require different "care", and therefore running a tank that tries to meet all tends to be unsuccessful.