How many fish can I put in my tank?
"How many fish can I keep?" doesn't have a gallons-per-inch answer — a small, calm fish and a large, active one place very different demands on the same tank. ReefPicker weighs bioload against your tank's volume and filtration, not just a fish count.
How many fish can I put in my tank?
There's no fixed number — ReefPicker adds up each fish's bioload contribution (which varies by species, not just size) against your tank's volume and filtration capacity, and flags it once the total gets ahead of what your system can handle. Two small, low-bioload fish can be lighter on a tank than one larger, heavier-bioload species.
What counts toward bioload besides fish count?
Adult size, activity level, and species-specific waste output all factor in — a fish that looks small as a juvenile but grows large, or a naturally messy eater, contributes more than its size alone suggests. Cleanup crew (snails, hermits, shrimp) count too, at a much lower weight than fish.
Is it just about ammonia?
Ammonia/filtration capacity is the immediate risk, but a heavily-stocked tank also means more competition for space and territory even when the water chemistry holds up — which is why ReefPicker treats bioload and territory as related but separate checks, not one combined score.