Fish bioload: understanding gobies in nano-sized AIO systems.

Micro-Reefs Aquarium · Jul 5, 2021

May I get some assistance in understanding bioload in aquariums. How does one know how much is too much? I have two 12 gallon AIO systems each with 20 lbs livesand and 10 lbs live rock. There are 5 fish in each system; all from the small family of gobies.

Greenbanded Goby(Tigrigobius multifasciatus)
Red Head Goby(Elacatinus puncticulatus)
Yasha White Ray Shrimp Goby - Captive-Bred(Stonogobiops yasha)
Neon Blue Goby(Elactinus oceanops)
Tiger (Tigrigobius macrodon)
Panamic Barnacle Blenny(Acanthemblemaria hancocki)

The tanks have both been running for 6 months and are divided by SPS corals in one system and LPS corals in the other.

Nitrates in SPS are under 5ppm
Phosphates are .03 ppm

Nitrat3s in LPS are under 10ppm
Phosphates are .25 ppm

I have cheato growing in AIO media basket trying to find a balance in nutrients for about 2weeks.

Can anyone here with experience with these particular fish and smaller AIO systems please come in to educate me about bioload with these tiny fishes. I want to know if I am at my limit or could get more for the 12 gallon systems.

I looked all over the board to find others that have my system and these fish, but I come up short. Everyone here mostly has the larger systems that house many, many larger variety of fish.

This thread could give other some feedback wanting to go this route, the gobies are so awesome to watch in tiny tanks like mine.

Thanks,

Mike G

monkeyCmonkeyDo · Jul 5, 2021

Id say with 5 fish each your probably at normal to heavy bioload. Its a self contained eco system. Unless ur doing constant wcs or implementing heavy filtration...I wouldn't add more.
My opinion.
D

brandon429 · Jul 5, 2021

I have never seen any reefing arrangement where bioload exceeded carry ability

your limiters are disease and behavioral

too much bioload= algae, invasions…you’ll hate the setup if it does downhill

Micro-Reefs Aquarium · Jul 5, 2021

brandon429 said:
I have never seen any reefing arrangement where bioload exceeded carry ability

your limiters are disease and behavioral

too much bioload= algae, invasions…you’ll hate the setup if it does downhill

I was worried about finding the correct balance between fish, feedings and export of nutrients and losing the balance and thus stripping phosphates/nitrates to tip below zero and then RTN/STN setting or worse Dinos show up.