Are corals considered bio-load?

jjvanb · 06/04/2016, 07:05 AM

What the question says. If I didn't have any fish at all in my system, only corals, and had no need to add 'food' would there be any need for the various nutrient export methods we employ? Just something I'm curious about. I have no intention of running a fishless tank.

shifty51008 · 06/04/2016, 07:17 AM

while they do add load to your system it is very very tiny, to the point no one really add's it to the system's load. same with CUC.

Sk8r · 06/04/2016, 07:37 AM

True. They are living filters, and the stonies consume calcium hand over fist, so they need that input constantly as they grow. The softies can affect water quality---they spit when annoyed, and need carbon to cleanse the water from that spit, but they also are filtering the water for food. Both live on light, as well, photosynthesizing.

Timfish · 06/04/2016, 08:01 AM

I don't consider corals as bioload but essential to filtration. Corals need nitrogen and phosphates for their various simbionts and will actively pull ammonia and urea released by fish from the water column. Corals or maybe more correctly the coral holobiont is autotrophic in nature, promoting an oxygen enriched environment.*

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23882445

jjvanb · 06/04/2016, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timfish

I don't consider corals as bioload but essential to filtration. Corals need nitrogen and phosphates for their various simbionts and will actively pull ammonia and urea released by fish from the water column. Corals or maybe more correctly the coral holobiont is autotrophic in nature, promoting an oxygen enriched environment.*

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23882445

Whoosh! that was the sound of that article going right over my head!

But thanks all for the responses.

06/04/2016, 07:05 AM	#1
jjvanb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 159	Are corals considered bio-load? What the question says. If I didn't have any fish at all in my system, only corals, and had no need to add 'food' would there be any need for the various nutrient export methods we employ? Just something I'm curious about. I have no intention of running a fishless tank.

06/04/2016, 07:17 AM	#2
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	while they do add load to your system it is very very tiny, to the point no one really add's it to the system's load. same with CUC. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

06/04/2016, 07:37 AM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	True. They are living filters, and the stonies consume calcium hand over fist, so they need that input constantly as they grow. The softies can affect water quality---they spit when annoyed, and need carbon to cleanse the water from that spit, but they also are filtering the water for food. Both live on light, as well, photosynthesizing. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/04/2016, 08:01 AM	#4
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	I don't consider corals as bioload but essential to filtration. Corals need nitrogen and phosphates for their various simbionts and will actively pull ammonia and urea released by fish from the water column. Corals or maybe more correctly the coral holobiont is autotrophic in nature, promoting an oxygen enriched environment.* *http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23882445 __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek