Experiment Bioload

[shalegac]

I started a 1 gallon about 6 months ago. Since then I wanted a little life so I decided to experiment with a fish.
I added a blue damsel 4 months ago to this one gallon. It has 2.5 lbs of LR and an inch of crushed coral substrate. I have a 25-watt heater a small power head, no filtration. The light is only a 5-watt normal bulb (not florescent). There are no corals.


Well, with absolutely NO water changes and just a little top off once every two weeks, the fish is doing awesome. He has started a little nest. It's cool to see him cleaning up and moving things around building up his home. I know that’s all fine and well but what about ammonia?

I've tested every two weeks and still no hint! Nitrate and Nitrite test are also all gooooooood.

I feed him a few formula 1 pellets once a week.
The tank also has 3 blue-legged hermits, an unknown type of nudi (came with the rock) and 1 nasurius snail.

So far a blue damsel is doing well but I don't think I'd put any other type in a small tank except for maybe a goby or another type of damsel. Of course that would be the only fish.

Just thought I'd share.

Shaun Legacy

 

[brandon4291]

That sounds neat Shaun. What kind of nitrate/ammonia test are you using? If the nitrates and ammonia are low/none, then that speaks well of your current and LR surface area. As long as it is a mass-produced fish, I don't worry much about the ethics of pico-reef experimentation. I was always interested in what environmental alterations it would take to process a fish bioload inside a small area...not as cruelty to the fish but as a test of ecosystem design.

 

[shalegac]

Hey Brandon.
I've been using a tetra test kit, and recently I took a sample to a LFS. Everything is cool.

As far as fish go... I only buy tank raised fish. I've only seen tank raised damsels a few times so it might be hardier than other fish. I'm all about preservation. Except for 7 lbs. of LR and 15 lbs. of sand, all my tanks inhabitants are tank raised. I have even made some of my own LR with cool rocks my brother picked up for me on vacation. Lots of coraline on them.

I will keep updates on the pico- fish experiment.

Shaun Legacy