Too much Bioload?

[blcktitanium]

Hello, I was wondering if the following would be too much of a bio-load for a 125g tank.

Bartletts Anthias (5)
Ignitus Anthias (5)
Dispar Anthias (5)
Royal Gramma (2)
Banggai Cardinals (2)
Mandarin Dragonetts (Matted Pair)
Firefish (3)
LTA
Flower Anemone

 

[gone fishin]

IMO yes. I don't have that much in my 180g. With that list you would likely end up with one firefish and one gramma eventually. I have not kept anthias so I am not sure of their compatibility together.

 

[stingeragent]

I'll agree with the firefish killing each other off until only 1 (unless they are different species). Otherwise, outside of compatibility with the anthias I don't think its end of the world scenario, but I'd say your on the high bio load side. There are for sure worse bio loads out there. I just watched a youtube video of a 125 with 8 tangs in it, not including all the other fish.

 

[mcozad829]

IMO it depends on how aggressive you are with your skimming and water changes... The only things that can tell you with certainty if you are over your bio-load carrying capacity are your water parameters. Each of those fish would be fine in a 125g, so if your overcrowded the indicator would be aggression. If your parameters are in check, and you are not having aggression issues then you are fine. IMO

 

[Nuluxe]

Typically, I go by 1 inch of fish per gallon.

If you want to keep a large bioload, you may want to consider a very heavy duty skimmer, also a nitrate and phosban reactor.

Or just do what I do, 30% water changes every 2-3 weeks.

 

[mcozad829]

Typically, I go by 1 inch of fish per gallon.

If you want to keep a large bioload, you may want to consider a very heavy duty skimmer, also a nitrate and phosban reactor.

Or just do what I do, 30% water changes every 2-3 weeks.

the 1" per gallon rule is as outdated as cycling with damsels, 10-1" fish do not have near the bio-load that 1-10" fish does.

 

[blcktitanium]

Thanks everyone, I may just shrink the load down then but I for sure want at least one purple fire fish and the anthias (probably reduce from 15 down to 9. 1 male to 2 females of each or 3 females of each and let nature take its course on which of the females will converts to a male) and eventually the mandarin pair. I can most definitely skip the others. That may be a better choice...

 

[Bent]

Hello, I was wondering if the following would be too much of a bio-load for a 125g tank.

Bartletts Anthias (5)
Ignitus Anthias (5)
Dispar Anthias (5)
Royal Gramma (2)
Banggai Cardinals (2)
Mandarin Dragonetts (Matted Pair)
Firefish (3)
LTA
Flower Anemone

15 anthias in a 125 is probably too much. The feeding requirements make them huge in the bio load department. I think a school of 5 would be plenty.

If this is a reef I woulnt get a LTA. I love nems, but after dealing with my BTA splitting and walking all over creation, it's not something I want to deal with again.

Depending on total volume a pair of mandarins might not be feasible. It really depends on how hands on you want to be with your pod population.

You may get away with two specimens of different species of fire fish in a tank that size, but not 3 of the same. Probably not any more than two either. It really depends on how much space they have to avoid one another.

Rock flowers are great choices. They don't split and they don't move much. Get a big wad of colorful RFAs and you won't even miss the LTA.

You are rolling the dice with a pair of grammas. If you end up with a male and female they will be fine, but two males will fight to the death. They are hermaphriditic, so one way to be sure they will be compatible is to buy two juveniles. Make sure one is bigger than the other. The dominant fish will turn male and the other will remain female and the pair will get along.

The cardinals are fine.

HTH

 

[blcktitanium]

Thanks Bent.... But my understand and reading is that LTA's do not split they reproduce sexually. Unlike BTA which naturally split.... Like said that is my understanding but I could be totally wrong, stranger things have happened.

I will for sure really think it over on getting one, because this will be a reef tank and I do not want my corals destroyed because of it, time to do more research....

 

[Giants13]

Thanks Bent.... But my understand and reading is that LTA's do not split they reproduce sexually. Unlike BTA which naturally split.... Like said that is my understanding but I could be totally wrong, stranger things have happened.

how old is ur tank?

 

[blcktitanium]

my tank is only 3 months old. I totally understand that I should not get Mandrains or an Anemone until the tank is at least 1 year old... this is just a list of the load I'm planning on getting and just want to make sure it will not be too much for the system as it grows...

 

[Giants13]

my tank is only 3 months old. I totally understand that I should not get Mandrains or an Anemone until the tank is at least 1 year old... this is just a list of the load I'm planning on getting and just want to make sure it will not be too much for the system as it grows...

i have been prepping for a pair of mandarins for awhile, the other challenge is actually finding the pair. You have a refug?

 

[Bent]

Thanks Bent.... But my understand and reading is that LTA's do not split they reproduce sexually. Unlike BTA which naturally split.... Like said that is my understanding but I could be totally wrong, stranger things have happened.

I will for sure really think it over on getting one, because this will be a reef tank and I do not want my corals destroyed because of it, time to do more research....

Macrodactyla doreensis does not split but reproduces like you said. However, there are some species sold as LTAs that look very similar but can and will split. So make sure you actually get a M. doreensis.

Also, on a side note, True M. Doreensis nems can get huge. I've heard stories of them overtaking good size tanks like in this photo, granted this is an extreme case and not the norm.

Just food for thought, not that I'm trying to dissuade you. Just throwing some information out there.

 

[Bent]

my tank is only 3 months old. I totally understand that I should not get Mandrains or an Anemone until the tank is at least 1 year old... this is just a list of the load I'm planning on getting and just want to make sure it will not be too much for the system as it grows...

My tank is only about 3-4 months old and I've had a rock flower anemone since the tank was first cycled. The BTA was in there after it was set up about a month. I think as long as the params are stable, you should be fine prior to a year with a nem, especially with the amount of water volume you have. Though there's nothing wrong with a little patience and it can only help.

The mandarin I have was a rescue and it's been doing well and I have a pretty healthy pod population in a 30g refugium. They are like ants covering the entire thing. The DT isn't quite as dramatic. Point is that there really is no set time frame, it's all in pod population. Stereo dosing with phyto in the refugium has also really helped with my pod population.

 

[blcktitanium]

i have been prepping for a pair of mandarins for awhile, the other challenge is actually finding the pair. You have a refug?

Yes I do and I'm also making sure I do not put any fish in my tank until I have all the corals I want first. So with that said I have started a pod culture in both my display tank and my fuge and I stereo feed phyto so that my pods will explode and it has.. I'm still going to my my mandarins my very last fish addition to the tank in about 1 year from now. So I will not have to worry about a pod shortage at all especially if the pods keep going the way they are now.

 

[davocean]

Just keep in mind 15 anthias make a much heavier bioload than say 15 chromis or something similar in size since anthia require multiple feedings daily.
I would keep one gramma and one firefish.
Bartletts typically all turn male and can be more aggressive unless your tank is really big, I probably would stop at 2.
6mo is min for nems, though even longer is usually better.
LTA's normally hit about 18" in diameter, and they are sand dwellars, so that does help in a mixed reef to keep traveling across corals to a minimum.
Malu are also sand dwellars, and max at about 8-10" and can come in very bright colors, another good option for mixed reefs, though I normally advise getting a natural host nem/clown match, and I don't see clowns on your list.
Your tank may be big enough for a pair of mandy's but only if you have enough established LR w/ pods and good fuge.
Plan to have a good skimmer and keep up on WC's

 

[blcktitanium]

Just keep in mind 15 anthias make a much heavier bioload than say 15 chromis or something similar in size since anthia require multiple feedings daily.
I would keep one gramma and one firefish.
Bartletts typically all turn male and can be more aggressive unless your tank is really big, I probably would stop at 2.
6mo is min for nems, though even longer is usually better.
LTA's normally hit about 18" in diameter, and they are sand dwellars, so that does help in a mixed reef to keep traveling across corals to a minimum.
Malu are also sand dwellars, and max at about 8-10" and can come in very bright colors, another good option for mixed reefs, though I normally advise getting a natural host nem/clown match, and I don't see clowns on your list.
Your tank may be big enough for a pair of mandy's but only if you have enough established LR w/ pods and good fuge.
Plan to have a good skimmer and keep up on WC's

thanks, yeah thats why i have decided to to change my life stock fish wise to 6 anthias 3 dispar and 3 Ignitus 1 male and 2 female of each. (1) purple firefish, (1) Royal Gramma, (1) Mandarin, (2) Bangaii Cardinals.... Still on the fence about clowns though but i totally understand your point on the natural Nem/Clown match.....

 

[Giants13]

thanks, yeah thats why i have decided to to change my life stock fish wise to 6 anthias 3 dispar and 3 Ignitus 1 male and 2 female of each. (1) purple firefish, (1) Royal Gramma, (1) Mandarin, (2) Bangaii Cardinals.... Still on the fence about clowns though but i totally understand your point on the natural Nem/Clown match.....

i think ur tank is big enough for some tangs. You don't like tangs? they also eat algae, i have one that eats poop heheh, yesterday my girlfriend was yelling at me cause the tang was chasing my cardinal but it was because there was poop hanging.

 

[Grkgod36]

15 anthias in a 125 is probably too much. The feeding requirements make them huge in the bio load department. I think a school of 5 would be plenty.

If this is a reef I woulnt get a LTA. I love nems, but after dealing with my BTA splitting and walking all over creation, it's not something I want to deal with again.

Depending on total volume a pair of mandarins might not be feasible. It really depends on how hands on you want to be with your pod population.

You may get away with two specimens of different species of fire fish in a tank that size, but not 3 of the same. Probably not any more than two either. It really depends on how much space they have to avoid one another.

Rock flowers are great choices. They don't split and they don't move much. Get a big wad of colorful RFAs and you won't even miss the LTA.

You are rolling the dice with a pair of grammas. If you end up with a male and female they will be fine, but two males will fight to the death. They are hermaphriditic, so one way to be sure they will be compatible is to buy two juveniles. Make sure one is bigger than the other. The dominant fish will turn male and the other will remain female and the pair will get along.

The cardinals are fine.

HTH

If the grammas are in qt together and introduced together in the tank they will. Be fine . In my 90 I have two grammas and a black cap basslet same qt introduced in the tank at the same time and I have no issues in my 90 . In fact they all hang out together on the right side of my tank and live in the same cave

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Macrodactyla doreensis does not split but reproduces like you said. However, there are some species sold as LTAs that look very similar but can and will split. So make sure you actually get a M. doreensis.

Also, on a side note, True M. Doreensis nems can get huge. I've heard stories of them overtaking good size tanks like in this photo, granted this is an extreme case and not the norm.

Just food for thought, not that I'm trying to dissuade you. Just throwing some information out there.

Those are BTA's in that picture not LTA's