How many fish is too many? Tank Stocking

[Tigweldpro]

Originally Posted by Myka

The fact that you have to use bio pellets to keep nitrate down, and it's still at 5 to 10 PPM, shows that your tank is already stocked more than it can handle. Maybe your skimmer isn't big enough or good enough, or your tank is too young, or you're not cleaning it good enough, the system can't handle it.

The biopellets have been online since the tank was filled. skimmer is BM7.
I do spend a lot of time with the tank and do keep it quite clean.

When googling around the advice and opinions vary greatly, just wondering what other reefers here think.

Thanks

[kien]

The reason why the answer varies is because there are so many variables that contribute to this answer. You can put as many fish in a tank as your tank can handle. What your tank can handle will depend on how proficient you are with maintenance which includes but is not limited to: cleaning, nutrient export, feeding, behavioral (stress, aggression, etc) control, and so on. You already know that all of these things need to be a balance for a healthy tank. The more fish you add the more challenging it will be to control/balance the other variables. This balancing act differs from tank to tank, even among tanks of the same size.

So, the answer to your question is: whatever number of fish you have that puts your tank out of balance is too many fish. Probably :-)

[Tigweldpro]

Well just like all the answers to this question yours sounds right..... maybe

Originally Posted by kien

The reason why the answer varies is because there are so many variables that contribute to this answer. You can put as many fish in a tank as your tank can handle. What your tank can handle will depend on how proficient you are with maintenance which includes but is not limited to: cleaning, nutrient export, feeding, behavioral (stress, aggression, etc) control, and so on. You already know that all of these things need to be a balance for a healthy tank. The more fish you add the more challenging it will be to control/balance the other variables. This balancing act differs from tank to tank, even among tanks of the same size.

So, the answer to your question is: whatever number of fish you have that puts your tank out of balance is too many fish. Probably :-)

[calo247]

adding the hippo tang will massively increase the bio load as they are big fish and a full grown one should not even be in a 90 gallon.

the foxface is a large fish with a big bio load as well

[calo247]

i also see you have 4 clownfish, are they mature? it is VERY rare to see them all get along, chances are you will end up with 2


and 2 mandarins in a 90 wont work, even one will destroy the pod population in your tank, a mature 90 can support one though

[Tigweldpro]

The 4 clowns all came from the same batch of fry. They haven't shown any aggression yet and are always together in a ball. Maybe when 2 decide they will be a pair there will be fighting but nothing yet.

Both of my mandarins actively chase down and eat mysis, and have fat bellies.

The question being asked is tank stocking levels, not compatibility and feeding requirements.

Originally Posted by calo247

i also see you have 4 clownfish, are they mature? it is VERY rare to see them all get along, chances are you will end up with 2


and 2 mandarins in a 90 wont work, even one will destroy the pod population in your tank, a mature 90 can support one though

[DorySaid]

I don't think there is an easy answer. The whole aquarium hobby is filled with anecdotal advice and strong debates. Only a fraction of the information out there is halfway correct for the simple reason everyone's system is different and there are too many variables that can vary results or experiences.
Some basic obvious things can be 100% relied upon such as, a tank has to cycle before adding a bunch of livestock or corals need some levels of flow to survive. As soon as we start venturing away from those basic facts, there are many different opinions out there revolving around many subjects. People are really only going to rely on their trials and tribulations when giving their two cents even if literature says otherwise.
But to your point, I really think you have to take an overall perspective of what is in your tank and what is going on in your tank. Nutrients are something important to consider, but also how happy are the fish invertebrates and corals. If you set a threshold for nutrient levels ( not necessarily a set number read from the internet ), where your corals and other livestock are content with, and also how well do tankmates get along then I think you wouldn't need the internet to give you a magic number.
As long as your fish are eating and happy and not bumping into each other, and corals are doing well, I don't think you need to align your tank parameters with anything else or anyone else's tank set up.