Considering Starting A Nano Reef

[OscarWilde]

Hi there.

I have been keeping Freshwater tropical fish for a long time now and was thinking about getting in to Marine. I really like teh idea of a nano reef.

I saw this tank on eBay and was wondering if you thought it would be sutible. Would I need to get things like a protein skimmer? If I was to buy this tank how much more would I need to spend to make it sutiable for a nano project? It's only 5G which is very small. Its is too small?

Many thanks

 

[OscarWilde]

Actually, Im not sure I would be happy keeping any fish in a tank that small.

 

[Helen G]

That was my thought, and also acrylic tanks are a nightmare, they scratch so easily. The best small marine set up I ever saw was at http/www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194775 - Fabulous tank!

 

[Splatter]

Hey

I don't think you could keep fish in a tank that size, and I would definately advise against it. However you could turn it into a coral and invert tank 's what I'm doing with my 4gal tank

My tank of 4 gallons is costing me around £60/80 to set up, if you really want figures then I'd happily work them out for you. But a word of warning - tanks 5gallons and under are termed 'pico' tanks, they're difficult to keep stable - I'm not saying it can't be done, hell I'm trying to do it myself! But just a word of warning if you're dead set on a tank this small as it wouldn't cost too much more getting a bigger tank.

 

[dilbert]

You could surely add a yellow Clown Goby to that tank or another very small rather inactive sand or rock hopper.

But even such a small fish will add much phosphates to the tank.

My opinion is that a nano and overall a pico tank is for observing small things from a short distance. I got both nano and pico tank on a desk. Looking at fish can be done from a distance.

Many problems and disasters come from overstocking. Surely, it's tempting and there are lots of pico tanks even with only 2 gallons that have two or three fish and a dozen of different corals and then crabs and snails and so on.

In case of a power outage, such tanks loose earlier their oxygen. More food goes into such tanks and has to be get out somehow, mostly by more frequent water changes. Generally, it's already recommended to do water changes twice a week.

I use a simple 12 liter tank for £ 12, and 11 Watt PC lamp for £ 22, a short 25 Watt heater for £ 18, and a Hydor Koralia powerhead with 900 liters/hour for £ 23. Apart from a thermometer, a small digital ph meter, and sand and live rock that's it.

Until now, I can't say much as I have got my coral frags just today and the crab is in there only a week and has molted in this time and was rather shy and inactive.

So far, I have observed that the ph is more stable than the ph in the nano probably due to the fact that I don't throw food into the tank. In the nano, I have to add kalkwasser every night and in the pico I add nothing and the ph swing is always between the same limits.