What is considered heavily stocked??

[Kershaw]

just wanted to know what your opinions are of what is a " heavily stocked" tank.

My tank is a 125 with 7 fish
3 wrasse, Midas Blenny, 2 clown, Kole tang. Just looking at tank it looks lightly stocked. My fish are small.

 

[mr11]

I think it depends on how well your system is handling your bioload more than x fish per y gallons of water. If you aren't able to keep nitrates down you're probably overstocked for what your system can handle.

 

[twilliard]

To me heavily stocked is when your bioload exceeds the ability of the bacteria to keep things in check.

 

[Untamedrose]

That doesnt sound over stocked to me.

Maybe a dwarf angel?

I think "heavily stocked" means two things... bioload is exceeded(cough problems with nitrates)...and natural habitat space is exceeded(territorial issues) you dont want to stock with a bunch of bottom dwellers or only free swimmers kinda thing.

 

[Kershaw]

I have another thread about a protien skimmer. After looking at skimmers I bought one. But while I was looking at ratings of them they are all over the place. Just trying to better understand what these company's say when they say heavily stocked

 

[Untamedrose]

Saw that IDK what goes into these companies thinking with ratings. I'd assume they would underrate..simply b/c they dont want people going why isnt this working?
but reef tanks arnt just one form of filtration you got the skimmer, biofilters with the live rocks/sand, the chemical filtration, mechanical.
It's all a balance with no fit all ta da your good answer.

I dont think your over stocked in 125 and I dont think that skimmer is a no go either.

 

[Kershaw]

Saw that IDK what goes into these companies thinking with ratings. I'd assume they would underrate..simply b/c they dont want people going why isnt this working?
but reef tanks arnt just one form of filtration you got the skimmer, biofilters with the live rocks/sand, the chemical filtration, mechanical.
It's all a balance with no fit all ta da your good answer.

I dont think your over stocked in 125 and I dont think that skimmer is a no go either.

Thanks. That was kinda what I was thinking. I have been reefing for 5 years now. I have had pretty good luck with used skimmers so I have never had a new one. I guess this one isn't really. This skimmer is the same size as the reef octopus it replaced in actual size. And even movesmore water and air then the octopus it just replaced. So it's hard to imagine it can't handle the same bio load. I know there is more too it then that. Just my .02