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Re: definition of a light fish load
Josh Liechty wrote, Sept. 7:
..........Now, I have another (sort of related) question. What is
the definition of a light fish load? My 20 gallon aquarium has 3 glass
catfish and 1 spotted pictus catfish (the tank is planted about medium
density; not packed with plants such as the aquaria of Chuck Gadd, George
Booth, Tom Barr, and others). There is also a slight algae problem at the
moment. So what fish load is this? Is it light? Or medium? I doubt that this
many fish would be considered a full load in a tank of this size. I would
appreciate any advice on this question, as I need to determine whether the
Plant Gro fertilizer would be OK for my aquarium, or if I should wait and
order some Flourish fertilizer instead.
I havn't seen any answers to this question, so I will have a try at it.
The definition is subjective. You look at the tank and say, "I could have
3 or 4 times as many fish in there". :-)
Actually, I thought of one possible objective way to define a light fish
load. If you test for nitrates and ammonia and, with sensitive test kits,
you get no measurable amounts, then you have a light fish load based on the
fact that your fish are not producing enough nitrogen to saturate your
plants' uptake mechanisms. This is assuming, of course, that you are not
adding any nitrogen-containing fertilizers to your tank.
Paul Krombholz, in bone dry central Mississippi