settingupananoreef

I have been keeping small saltwater aquariums for many years... I started back in the time when everyone said it couldn't be done, that saltwater had to be in an aquarium of at least 100 gallons to survive. Now that the Nano reef has come into popularity life with a small tank has become so much easier the lighting is better, the products to promote coral growth greatly improved, and the new tanks are designed with small reef keeping in mind. Having said all that,I still believe there are certain formulas for having a successful nano reef that have worked for me and I will share them with you, keeping in mind that this is not the only way to set up a nano reef this is what has always worked for me.

Size of the tank..... It doesn't matter, any size tank can work as long as it has room for a few pieces of live rock and the corals that you want to keep I have gone as small as 3 gallons but my favorite is the 5 /12 gallon and the 11 gallon tall because I like the way the live rock can be placed to make a pleasing look these 2 sizes just allow for a nice foundation.

Getting the right amount of light for your nano reef is easy. With all the new compact florescent light fixtures and retro kits high out put lighting can be found to fit any size tank and with the wide variety of bulb spectrums and specialty bulbs most corals can be made happy. Because most small tanks are not very deep the lighting can be very intense. For most corals 5 watts of the correct spectrum per gallon will keep them thriving. With the newer smart bulbs ( half daylight ,half actinic) getting a good combination of lighting spectrums and wattage in a small space is a bit easier. Deciding how much light you want to have should be based on the types of corals that you want to keep in your tank. If you like a variety of different corals with different lighting needs then design your aqua scape so the corals that need less light can be placed on the lower areas where they can be shaded from the intense light. Mushrooms are a good example of lower light animals and can be placed along the bottom of the tank.

I recommend Ro/Di water for all tanks but I understand that many people do not see the benefits until they have high phosphates and poor coral growth and tons of hair algae! The cost seems less important then to buy Ro water and do many water changes to get their tank back to normal. The cost of starting a tank is expensive and many forgo the cost of ro water in the beginning. Starting a small tank and starting with Ro is much less costly, 5 or 10 gallons is a lot cheaper than 50 gallons or more

I like the small power filters for the nano tanks. My favorite is the aqua clears or cascades.Millenniums work well also any filter that has a sponge or media that is not removed is ok. If a small protein skimmer is wanted the skilter filter works well, it is a skimmer and filter all in one and can work very well on a small tank. If that is the only filter I add a small sponge in the filter or bio beads to keep the good bacteria in place when the cartridges are changed. What ever the filter just make sure that it is rated for twice as many gallons as you intend to have. If you have a 10 gallon tank get one that is rated for 20 to 40 gallons so that you can be sure that your tank is filtered enough times per hour to keep it healthy.

I believe in trying to create an eco balance no matter what the size of the tank. Everybody has a job, much the way life is in nature.

Live sand ..... at least 1 lb per gallon unless you want a deep sand bed then 2 lbs. per gallon.

Live Rock..... 1 to 2 lbs per gallon placed in a way to allow water flow around and between the pieces ( this is important) stagnant areas are created where there is no water flow. Live rock can be expensive but for a small tank needing only a few pounds pick quality rock with good color coralline growth and interesting shapes, it will be well worth it.

Reef Janitors.... I believe in having the same number of janitors as gallons, 10 gallons..10 redleg reef crabs or blue legs or a combination of small reef cleaner crabs to equal gallons. snails in a tiny tank turbo snails can knock things over if that are not glued in place so you can use margarita or nassarius snails in place of them but again as many as gallons.

Putting it all together.....I put my live sand in first, I like world wide import bagged live sand best, I add the sand and water in the bag first then I add enough ro salt water to cover the sand bed then I place my rock it is easier to arrange the rock to be sure it is secure and be able to see how it looks if done before the water is added. Next I add my already mixed salt water to fill up the tank, turn on the filter,place the powerhead to get the best current usually on the side of the tank on the opposite of the filter. Let the tank run for a few days then do a water test to see where you are when the tank water shows no ammonia or nitrite and the ph is in the correct range of 8.2-or above then it is safe to start adding a few small corals assuming you have your lighting in place. I put in most of my corals before I begin to add any fish. Continue testing the water every time you make an addition to be sure that there is no change in the water quality. I am not a person who does water changes at any set time I let my tank be my guide if my nitrates go to high ( above 10ppm) I change a little water out, if I see unwanted algae growth I change a little water out, if my corals are not opening up as normal I change a little water out. I use Oceans blend to keep my ph hardness and calcium and iodine levels correct Oceans Blend is a complete additive so I do not and anything else other than food. DO NOT OVERFEED!

This is the tricky part.... Most people that have trouble with a small tank,or any tank for that matter have too many fish! small tanks need tiny fish that are going to stay small they too should have a job. In my 5 1/2 gallon we have 3 fish a Bi colored blenny (very cute and fun to watch) who loves to eat algae, a 6 line wrasse(very active swimmer, great color) loves to eat flat worms that can come in on the corals and keeps them in check and a very tiny yellow watchman goby (very cute but will eventually get to big and will have to come out) a great sand cleaner that helps keep the bottom clean. Because the fish population will be small ask questions before you buy pick what you really like get it small and make sure that it will stay small and be reef safe. add one fish at a time and quit before there is too many, more fish will mean more water changes fish waste creates higher nitrates and corals do not like nitrates. when nitrates raise the water quality goes down ph levels drop, algae growth increases and over all health of the tank decreases. only frequent water changes will correct this problem.

With High output lights comes warm water, Many of the new small tank designs and new light fixtures come with legs to raise the lights above the tanks to allow air flow between the tank water and the lights this is wonderful help keep the tank water cooler. temperatures between 78 and 80 degrees are desirable unless you are keeping cold water species. warmer water will damage some corals and encourage unwanted algae growth over 82 becomes a problem and should be corrected, fans can be added to cool lights and water or glass tops can be removed for more air flow.