Stocking tank for low bioload

[Letterkenny]

I’m currently stocking my JBJ 45 and am shooting for having a very low bioload so that my tank will hopefully be able to go 2 maybe 3 weeks without a water change if the wife and I go on vacation (I really only trust our pet sitter topping off the ato and feeding). It’s a reef tank and has two premium Picasso clowns right now. What can I add that would also result in a low bioload overall? I didn’t know this but cleaner/fire shrimp count as a small fish? In the end to make it work, I’m fine keeping just the clowns and getting a shrimp but would like to get a flame angel or another dwarf angel and maybe a watchman or diamond goby but worried about the bioload then. Thoughts?

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

I would personally forego any angels in a tank this small (no saying it hasn't been done-just personal opinion). If you want another couple small fish then perhaps lean more towards gobys. I would recommend neon cleaner gobys, clown gobys, redhead gobys, or even a court jester. I've never heard of counting a shrimp as a fish, only a CUC.
If you add a diamond or watchman (both larger goby species) your bioload is still gonna be pretty small with 2 clowns and a shrimp.

 

[Skibum]

You can forego water changes period. Obviously this isn't what most people do however. I have a 54 Gallon Red Sea with 8 fish:
2 Dispar Anthias
1 Yellow Tang
1 Velvet Fairy Wrasse
1 Linespot Flasher Wrasse
1 Ocellaris
2 Orange Stripped prawn gobies with a shrimp
1 Scarlet Cleaner
Several SPS, LPS a couple of softies and numerous clean up crew.

I haven't done a water change in over 2 years. I'm not trying to persaude you to the DSR method or anything, most of the time it's a pretty radical step for most people. And admittedly my tank could be cleaner. I'm just saying 3 weeks w/o water change with a heavy bio-load is doable.

 

[BeejReef]

Sounds like you've got a real good thought process.

Many tanks can probably do just fine for a few weeks without a water change.
Depends on a lot of things... like are you running any other sort of export, or relying only on water changes... are you dosing major elements, or relying entirely on water changes... Are you keeping extremely sensitive corals or fish.. u get the idea.

Really ballpark, if you added everything you mentioned, you're maybe in the low-medium bioload range? It's real subjective. Certainly nothing that a small skimmer or refugium wouldn't be able to hold down for a few week. Seems like most vacation nutrient spikes are caused by a fish-sitter with a heavy feeding hand anyways.. lol

 

[Letterkenny]

I haven’t gotten into dosing just yet as I have never done so on my old tanks. I’m running a 9004 DC skimmer, purigen, and chemipure. I was only planning on dosing calc and alkalinity if needed. Only keeping LPS and softies in my tank.