Setting a NANO Guide

[Lester]

hi .. found this interesting and useful info

Hope it is useful for new bird

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Introduction

Setting up your own Nano reef can be quite simple and is almost the same as a traditionally sized reef. This article will go over the basics of setting up a nano reef, as well as the equipment that is necessary.

To start, you will need to pick out the aquarium you would like to use. Three good starter sizes are the standard 10 gallon, 15 gallon, or 20 gallon aquariums. Next, you will need to decide on the lighting system you want to use. Power compact retrofit kits and canopies are highly recommended. These power compact lamps will provide your nano reef with plenty of light for many types of corals. For the heater, we only recommend using a 50w or 75w Ebo Jager heater, as these are the only heater we have had success with in such a small aquarium. Lastly, you will need a small power head pump for circulation. We have found Marineland's Penguin power head 550 to be quiet and reliable, but all other similarly sized pumps will work.

For your filtration it's recommended to use an all natural method. Good quality live rock and live sand is the key to a successful system. You will want to use at least one pound of live rock per gallon, and about one-half pounds of live sand per gallon. More information on this can be found in the filtration article.

When you look for a location to place your nano reef, you will want to keep a few things in mind. The tank should be placed on a level and sturdy surface, which can support approximately 70-250 pounds depending on the size of the tank. You will also want to place it in a high traffic area where it will be seen often, so you do not forget to feed it or do maintenance work when necessary.

When the time comes to fill the tank and get it running, you will need to have purchased a good synthetic salt and a specific gravity meter. Fill the tank with water and add salt until the sg is 1.023. Place the power head in immediately so it will help mix the salt. Now is also the time to place in your heater and get the water temperature to 78 degrees. Once your s.g. has reached its proper level, you can add the live rock and live sand. Place the live rock in first, using an open pattern so the fish have room to swim through and hide in the rock. Be as creative as you want during this process and don't be afraid to go back and change it later. Once the rock is where you like it, you can pour the live sand around the rocks, keeping it at a fairly even thickness throughout the tank.

Is A Nano Reef Right For Me?

Reef aquariums are not toys. However blunt that may sound, it is true. As hobbyists we have the responsibility to maintain healthy systems to the best of our ability and to meet the needs of the animals we keep. For the sake of the animals, and your wallet, one should take some things into consideration before starting. With this in mind, here are some things to consider that will help you make the most of your reef keeping experience.

Most people start nano reefs for the following reasons:

• Space: Many cannot have aquariums larger than 10 gallons in the dorms or apartments

• Fascination: Choosing a nano reef because they like the uniqueness a smaller system provides

• Secondary: Setup a nano reef as a grow-out place to put coral frags from their larger system

• Costs: Some start nano reefs because they feel that they will cost less than a larger tank*

Common Myths about nano reef keeping:

• Nano Reefs Cost Less: This is sometimes true; however the cost per gallon is quite possibly more for a nano reef than a larger system, though the final investment is quite a bit less. Also, the more you get into coral collecting, etc. - the more you will find that nano reefs really aren't inexpensive at all.

• Nano Reefs Are Difficult: In most cases, they really are not. They do however require plenty of initial planning, research, research, and research. They also will require at least 5 minutes of your attention daily. As long as you follow your maintenance schedule, and do not make any sporadic additions, your tank will be quite easy to keep thriving.

• Nano Reefs Are Just Like Normal Sized Systems: Not even close in many ways. One of the biggest differences is what livestock can be kept in smaller systems. Nano Reefs DO has limits, and they need to be respected.

If you want a challenging and rewarding experience, and are willing to give the time and dedication it takes, then this hobby is for you. With any reef tank comes responsibilities and limits, but they are truly worth it. Nano Reefs have broken down a great deal of barriers that once existed, and have given many more people the opportunity to keep reef aquariums.

Nano Reef Critters

You will be amazed by the great diversity of vertebrates and invertebrates that you can keep in your small piece of the ocean. What you can keep all depends upon your nano reef equipment. Some corals will require higher light than others, and some fish will need a larger aquarium than others. All of the critters listed here are nano reef safe.

Nano Reef Fish

Fish are a great addition to a nano reef, but you must take extra care of you nano. You will have to be sure to keep up with your water changes, because a small body of water can collect nitrates quickly. The following fish are nano reef safe: true and false percula, banggai cardinals, pajama cardinals, royal grammas, fire fish, clown gobies, pseudochromis, basslets, and most damsels. While you are not limited to just those fish, these are hardy and good for beginners. You may find some people keeping fish that grow larger, such as dwarf angels or tangs, in their nano reefs. Often times they either do not know any better or they intend to move the fish into larger tanks. I strongly urge you not to try this. It causes more stress on the fish, and possible problems for the future.

Cleanup Crews

A good cleanup crew will keep your nano reef running smooth, and free from algae, detritus, and other unwanted wastes. Commonly kept cleanup crew critters are red leg hermits, left-handed hermits, emerald crabs, sally light foots, turbo snails, and astrea snails. Keep one snail per 1-2 gallons, and one crab per 3-5 gallons. Do not keep more than one of the larger crabs in a nano reef (sally light foots, emerald crabs, etc.)

Nano Reef Shrimp

Shrimp are a great addition to any nano reef. One of the best suited for the job is a cleaner shrimp. There are two different types of cleaner shrimp available to the hobby; the skunk cleaner shrimp, and a fire shrimp (aka blood shrimp). Not only will a shrimp provide extra help to the cleanup crew in keeping your sand bed and rocks clean, it will also rid your fish of parasites. If a fish in the tank gets ich, a sickness in which white parasites attach to the side of the fish, a cleaner shrimp will work to eat the parasites off of the fish. Other options for shrimp include peppermint shrimp, and camel shrimp.

Nano Reef Corals

The sky is the limit when it comes to what corals you can keep in a nano reef. There are just a few guidelines to follow when you choose a new coral. You will need to remember that some corals need more light than others, so be sure to take your lighting into consideration. Another thing to consider is whether or not the coral has sweeper tentacles. In a small aquarium, if one coral puts out its sweeper tentacles in the night, it will be able to sting almost every coral in the aquarium. An example of a coral that does this is the elegance coral. Be sure to research all of your corals before you purchase them to be sure they will make a good addition to your nano reef. Also, don't be tempted to fill your nano reef up with corals. You should provide enough room for the coral to healthily grow, before having to frag it back to a smaller size.

Natural Filtration

The methods used to maintain a nano reef can vary greatly throughout the hobby. The methods described below are what I (Christopher Marks) have found to work best in maintaining a successful nano reef. Simplicity is the key in nano reef keeping; inexpensive and easy to follow. This is of course by no means the only way to keep a nano reef. I will try to best explain everything, but should you have any further questions with this, feel free to e-mail me at chris@nano-reef.com.

The natural method of filtration consists of only live rock and live sand. No protein skimmers are used and no additives are dosed. The nutrient export is provided by frequent partial water changes of 10-15% about every week. Trace elements are replenished through water changes.

As you go about purchasing all of the supplies for your new nano reef, you're going to have to make a decision on which salt mix you should use. Because no additional dosing is usually done with this method, you will want to be using a good reef salt mix. Not all reef salts are created equal however. Unfortunately there is no set data that clearly shows which salt is better over another, which makes the decision even more difficult. The best recommendation I can make is to search around the online forums and see which ones people like best from their experiences.

When starting out your nano reef, your first livestock purchase will be live rock and live sand. You will want to purchase the highest quality live rock as you can possible afford. It will be the entire basis of your filtration so there should be no skimping. Only a small quantity of live rock is needed, so cost shouldn't be so much of an issue. For information on the different types of live rock, refer to the Live rock Selection article. Placement of your live rock can be nearly anything you like; just keep in mind that the more open it is the better.

In this type of system live sand is also important. You can purchase live sand from a variety of places, or create your own live sand by seeding dead aragonite with some sand from an established system. The depth of sand can vary to anything you like. Sand beds from 1/4" to 4" won't produce much of a difference in this system, but there are benefits to both. If the bed is deeper is tends to be a more efficient filter. If you choose to have a deep sand bed, make sure you have plenty of detrivores to keep the sand stirred.

With this natural method, no protein skimmers or dosing is used. Studies of skimmers have shown that they remove various trace elements, along with pods and plankton. When people run protein skimmers, they dose trace elements to replenish them after their corals and skimmers use them. Because the skimmer removes most of the elements, such as iodine, it is dosed back in causing almost an endless cycle. The main problem this holds in nano reefing is that many of the trace elements cannot be easily tested for, so no one ever knows where their level is. This can lead to overdosing which will crash a nano reef in a matter of hours. The skimmer also begins to starve your corals by removing their food source. It's simply too risky.

Protein skimmers are beneficial however, because they remove excess nutrients from the water, but this advantage is out weighed by the disadvantages. To remove the excess nutrients from this system you do a partial water change. The water change also doubles to replenish your trace elements, which are in your synthetic sea salt. Nitrates are removed, dissolved organic compounds are removed, and your trace elements are replaced. Your nitrates will always be at or near zero, and the elements will stay at a constant level.

The whole maintenance procedure only requires about 15 minutes a week, so everyone can handle it. You can take short cuts to save time by pre-mixing water in a new, never before used, 5 gallon bucket and keeping it circulating at all times. Then when it's time to change your water, just scoop it from there. More details on the water changes can be found in the Maintenance article.

The last key factor to this system is having good flow. Use a power head or two to give you a flow rate of about 7-10 times the tank's total water volume.

I encourage everyone to try this method for their nano reef. It is uncommon to not use a protein skimmer, but nano reef keeping isn't the same as a traditional sized reef (though this method also works great on larger tanks). It's simple, it's cheap, and there is no equipment to worry about. As I always say, the less 'toys' you have on your reef, the less there is to go wrong.

Maintaining a Nano Reef

Maintaining your nano reef is a very important task, and it can be quite simple. Usually you can do all of your maintenance in 15 minutes or less. The most important part of maintaining your nano reef is doing partial water changes. Water changes must be done religiously! You can do your partial water changes every week to every other week, depending on the bio load in your tank. If you decide to do them weekly, change out 10% of the tanks volume with freshly mixed saltwater. If you do them bi-weekly, then you will need to do a 15-20% water change. To save time, you will want to keep saltwater already mixed in a 20 gallon container, so when the time comes to do water change, you will always have mixed water on hand. Also, make sure that the water is the same temperature and salinity as the water already in the aquarium.

Next to water changes, evaporation top off is also very important. You may have to do this daily depending on the size and shape of your aquarium. Evaporation top off is simply adding freshwater to your aquarium to make up for the water that evaporates throughout the day. Remember to never use saltwater to top off evaporation, because the salt is left behind during evaporation and your specific gravity will raise.

You will also want to be wiping off your nano reef with freshwater to keep it clean of salt reep. Salt reep comes from the salt left over from the evaporated water. You will notice it collecting on the top of you tank and on the lights. Be sure to never use a chemical cleaner! If any of it were to get into the aquarium, it would kill everything.

If you have algae growing on the sides of your nano reef, you will need to clean that off as well. If you have a glass aquarium, you can use a strait edge razor and scrape it clean, or if you have an acrylic aquarium, you can use an appropriate scraper. If you use the razor, be sure to rinse it off after you use it, because the saltwater will corrode the metal.

Water Changes

A vital maintenance procedure in nano reef keeping is doing partial water changes on a regular basis. Roughly 10-15% should be changed each week. One must be very careful during this process because any error could potentially harm the reef. But don't let that scare you; it's a rather simple process. There are different water source options, and three main things to check your water for before you add it to the tank.

The source of water for your nano reef and its water changes can sometimes be a mind boggling issue. The most common options are tap water, reverse osmosis, or distilled. In most areas, tap water will not be good enough for nano reef keeping. There are simply too many hazardous chemicals and pollutants to effectively keep a reef. The most common side effect of using tap water is large algae blooms, caused from nutrients already in it. Reverse osmosis water is the most economical choice for nearly 100% pure water. Reverse Osmosis units can be purchased from anywhere between $95-$250 for a wide range of filter stages and output ratings. If you cannot invest the money in a reverse osmosis unit, most grocery stores have dispensers where you fill your own jugs. Usually $.45 $.50 USD will get you a one gallon jug already filled, and you can reuse the jugs after the initial purchase. Check for information on the grocery store's system or a number to call, so you can make sure it is a true RO system that is properly maintained. If reverse osmosis water isn't available, the next option is distilled water. The purity of this water is pretty close to RO water, usually a little better, but it does cost more. The average price is $1.00 USD for a one gallon jug of water.

After you have your water, the next thing to do is mix your salt in. Since typically more than one gallon of water is needed at a time, a good container should be used to mix the water in. A simple solution is to use a brand new plastic 5 gallon bucket, which can be purchased at a hardware store. In addition to the bucket, the only other equipment needed is a small power head & heater. Use the power head to keep the salt mixing and the water circulating. Set the heater to 80F degrees and let the water sit overnight.

When your specific gravity (salt level) is at 1.023 at a temperature of 80F the water should be ready to add to your tank. One thing to remember when testing your specific gravity with a swing needle hydrometer (the most commonly used) is that they're only calibrated to give a good reading when the water temperature is around 80F. If it is colder, your specific gravity will seem low. Some more accurate choices for test specific gravity are refractometers or floating hydrometers. When those levels are good, the only other thing you should test for is the pH. It should be at 8.3 before you use the water. If it is too low so you may need to add a buffer.

If all levels in the water are correct, you can go ahead and make the partial water change. Turn off any pumps in the tank that will be above the water level after enough is removed and all sump pumps if you have one. Since your change water will have the same specific gravity and temperature as the water already in the tank, it shouldn't cause much of a shock on the fish or corals. You will want to do the whole water change process as fast as possible, but take time to slowly add the water so the sand bed isn't disturbed. Once enough water is added to replace the amount you removed, you can turn all equipment back on.

The basic things to remember are: Make sure the water temperature & specific gravity match those of the tank, be sure your water is at a proper temperature before you test the specific gravity, and let the salt mix in for at least 12-24 hours. Stress on the nano reef inhabitants can be avoided by having proper levels, starting with quality pure water, and working quickly.

On a side note; improper readings on a swing needle hydrometer can also be caused by salt deposits in the tester. Even if you always rinse out the hydrometer with freshwater after use, you will still need to periodically clean it. An easy way to clean it is to fill the hydrometer with vinegar and let it sit for a few hours. Make sure you thoroughly rinse it out after cleaning.

Cycling Your Tank

Every new nano reef must first go through a process that is referred to as "cycling." This involves the creation and growth of the biological filtration that will keep your system alive. The nitrogen cycle will be the most painful waiting period you will ever have to endure. It is vital that the cycle is allowed to complete.

The process begins with the conversion of solid wastes put into the system by fish, into ammonia. In a cycled system there are bacteria known as nitrifiers that transform the toxic ammonia into less toxic products. The ammonia is transformed into nitrites which are then converted into nitrates. Nitrate removal is done via the weekly partial water changes of 10-20%.

When a new aquarium system is created, these bacterial colonies are not immediately present. They will be introduced into your system when your live rock is added and will grow within the porous rock. The process that triggers the cycle into starting is kind of like a reverse process. There will be denitrifying bacteria present on the rock that you add, but there will be no waste available to feed them. As the bacteria and other life dies off on the rock, ammonia will be created. This new ammonia feeds the remaining bacteria, which will then start the cycle process. Other methods may be used to start the process sooner, such as adding a small piece of uncooked shrimp, which will decay into ammonia.

The amount of time that the cycle is going to take in a new system is difficult to predict. On average, it can take anywhere from two weeks to a month. If the rock is 'uncured', it may take longer for the existing die off to decay. If the rock is 'pre-cured' or 'cured', then the cycle process should complete quicker. More information on these live rock choices can be found here.

So what should you do during the cycle? Keep your lights running on their regular 10-12 hour schedule. Do not cycle your tank with the lights off, unless you want the life on the live rock to die off. Do not perform any partial water changes during the process, as doing so will 'stall' it from completing. Some people have experimented with doing very small water changes during the cycle to keep the ammonia levels from getting extremely high. The thought behind this method is that it will help preserve the life that came on your live rock. The benefits, if any, are not well known at this time however.

Animals to Avoid

As a nano reef hobbyist, you must realize that a nano reef does have certain limitations as to what can be kept within it healthily. There are certain corals, invertebrates, and fish that should not be kept in a nano reef, due to their instincts, size, habits, or quick growth. The following are some more common items that hobbyists should not keep in their nano reef. Please keep in mind that this does not include all things that should be avoided. Even though some of these animals might be able to live in a nano reef environment, it is our responsibility as hobbyists to give them the best environment possible for their well being.

Fish

Mandarin dragonettes [aka mandarin gobies] is a fish that requires a large tank for its feeding habits. They will not accept prepared or processed foods, so they eat the copepods and amphipods within an aquarium to survive. Nano reefs are not large enough to provide a replenishable supply of food for mandarins, and they should be avoided.

Other common fish that simply require a much larger tank than any nano reef can provide include; tangs, surgeon fish, butterfly fish, lionfish, puffer fish, angel fish, and dwarf angels. Please keep in mind that whiles some people may keep these fish in their nano reef, that doesn't make it right. Some people will also keep these fish in their nano reefs for a short period of time, and move them to one of their larger tanks.

Invertebrates

Carnivorous star fish should not be kept, as they can easily corner a fish or shrimp in such a small tank and eat it. Nudibranches and sea slugs are also something to avoid, as certain types can be toxic, and have special needs. Turbo snails are alright in larger nano reefs, but older turbo snails can sometimes become very large and knock over corals. If you already have turbo snails, I would not be very concerned about them, but if you are starting your tank, go for astrea snails.

Corals

Gonipora [aka flowerpot coral] will not survive easily in captivity, especially not in a nano reef. Their exact needs are not entirely known at this time, but whatever it is that is missing within our tanks, it is enough to kill them in a matter of months.

Corals with stinging sweeper tentacles such as galaxia and frogspawn corals should be avoided in smaller tanks. If they are kept near other corals, their sweeping tentacles will come out and night and sting or kill the surrounding corals. These will do ok in larger nano reefs, as long as they are somewhat secluded to a certain area.

Live Rock Selection

Choosing the right live rock for your nano reef is very important. It will be your main source of biological filtration, and will create the entire look for your nano reef. There are many different types of live rock to choose from, but all will do the same thing. When looking for sizes that suit a nano reef, many people will use just one large, nice piece, or lots of small 'rubble' pieces and build it up. There are three main types of live rock available to the hobby today; Pacific, Atlantic, and Aquaculture. The following will help you know what to look for as you select the right live rock for your needs.

Pacific Rock

Pacific is the most common live rock that hobbyists choose. It is very porous, light, and usually colorful with coralline algae. This live rock also has many different shapes. You will hear Pacific live rock called many different names; fiji, hapai island, samaoan, tonga, marshall island, vanuatu, etc. These names refer to the island region that it was collected from. The shapes and density may vary from region to region. When picking, choose nice pieces that you like, and try to get 'cured' rock, because it is less likely to have pests in it. A good rule of thumb is to have 1-1.5 pounds per gallon.

Atlantic Rock

Atlantic live rock is becoming less and less popular. It is dense, and the shapes are not as neat or intricate as Pacific rock. The advantage is that it is quite a bit cheaper. The pieces are just as life covered and coralline encrusted as Pacific rock too. This rock usually comes from the Gulf of Mexico or Florida. When selecting Atlantic live rock, look for smaller pieces and ones with more holes or features. At least 2 pounds of Atlantic live rock should be used per gallon.

Aquacultured Rock

Aquacultured rock is still new, but becoming very a very popular alternative to 'wild' live rock. Aquacultured live rock is created when regular dry rock is placed in the ocean and then harvested many years later. The shapes and sizes all depend upon what rock the creator used. Some rock can be rather plain and bulky, whereas some is quite porous and nicely shaped. Much of the aquaculture live rock is good because it is pest free, so you won't have to worry about things like bristle worms and mantis shrimp. The best thing to do when looking for which aquaculture rock supplier has the best rock, is to get opinions from others. See if their rock was pest free, if it looked nice, and if it has lots of life on it. Depending on the density of the particular rock, use 1-2 pounds per gallon.

Cured & Uncured Rock

When all live rock is collected, it's usually cleaned off with some brushes to remove any mud that might be on it. It's fresh from the ocean and usually crawling with life. Crabs, shrimp, corals, and macro algae are present. Not all the animals that are in the rock are wanted however. Pest anemones and mantis shrimp are the two most common pests on live rock. Uncured rock basically comes to you in this state. Cured rock goes through a longer process to help 'clean' it up a bit. It's often times kept in vats which are cleaned out regularly to allow time for some of the dead things to be removed. Other methods of curing involve the rock being sprayed with a higher salinity saltwater to make some of the pest animals run out, and remove any die off. Cured rock usually costs more too.

So which should you buy? It doesn't particularly matter which you chose, but there are some benefits to choosing one over the other. With uncured live rock, you're going to have a lot more life present on the rock, and maybe even some hitchhiker crabs or shrimp. But with the good comes the bad; uncured rock is more likely to contain pests, and usually will take longer for the tank it's in to cycle. Cured rock is less likely to have pests in it, and aquariums starting off with cured rock have a shorter cycle time.

Always choose the rock you like best. Your nano reef is your own creation, so make it look however suits you best. Since you don't need a lot of rock, be willing to spend a bit more money on cured, quality live rock. Also remember that live rock that has been in an aquarium is better than rock that is fresh from the supplier, or shipping box, because it is likely to be free of pests and die off from transit.

Reef Tank Pests

As our nano reefs progress over time a few new corals, fish, cleanup crews, and live rock are typically added to our systems. But sometimes we get more than we bargained for - pests. Commonly called hitch hikers, most reef aquarium pests come along with livestock added to the tank. Other reef tank pests appear when there is an issue with water quality. Worms, algae, anemones, crabs, and shrimp are the most commonly seen aquarium pests.

• Aptasia [Glass Anemones, Rock Anemones]

Aptasia anemones can pose a serious threat to your nano reef if left to spread. They sting or kill other corals around them, and reproduce rapidly. The sooner aptasia is removed; the better your chances are of erradicating them. It is absolutely vital that these do not go unattended.

The most successful method of removing aptasia is by injecting them. Using a syringe, inject each anemone with a concentrated solution of kalkwasser [Calcium Hydroxide, Limewater]. However, if you have a large population of aptasia and your tank is under 10 gallons, this method may cause too much of a calcium change. The secondary solution is to use very hot - near boiling - water. If successful, the anemones will shrivel up and die within a day or two. If you do not have luck the first time, repeat the process until they go away. Be sure to move quickly or else the anemone will retract.

• Bubble Algae [Valonia]

Bubble algae are a fairly harmless reef tank pest in small quantities. It's not uncommon to see bubble algae in nano reefs with good water quality. It becomes a problem, however, when it spreads. It can grow over corals in the tank and snuff them out. Bubble algae are able to spread fast because each bubble releases algae spores when broken. It's seen either as one large bubble or a small cluster of little bubbles.

When removing bubble algae Be careful not to pop any bubbles. If the bubbles are large (about the size of a marble) you should be able to gently pull them from the rock. If possible, remove the rock the bubble is on and pull it off outside of the aquarium. If your bubble algae is a small cluster, consider adding an emerald crab [Minthrax] to the tank. They are nano reef safe and great for controlling bubble algae.

• Mantis Shrimp [stomatopods]

Mantis shrimp can enter into a nano reef when it is first setup, or new live rock is added. They come as hitch hikers within the rock, from both the Atlantic and Pacific. Not all batches of live rock will contain a mantis shrimp though. Mantis shrimp are predators, feeding on crustaceans and fish by smashing or spearing them. Signs that one is in you nano reef are: loud clicking sounds, missing fish, killed snails/crabs, or broken shells. They hide in small crevices within rocks or corals.

Removing a mantis shrimp is not a simple task. It would be wise to wear heavy gloves before handling a mantis shrimp. Most mantis shrimp that make it into aquariums are small, but larger ones have been known to break fingers. Fortunately nano reefs are not very large, so it should be easy to find. With this in mind, the following are methods that have been know to work:

1.) If you know which rock the mantis is hiding in, remove it from the aquarium and place it in a bucket with water from your tank. If there is no life on the rock that needs to be preserved, place the rock in a bucket of carbonated water. If the rock has other life on it, you can use a turkey baster to squirt carbonated water [club soda] into the hole the shrimp is in. Either way the shrimp should evacuate the rock in time.

2.) Buy or make a trap specifically for mantis shrimp. There are quite a few traps available at fish stores or online catalogs. DIY plans can also be found online. You may also want to research a trap before you buy it, to make sure it has been effective for others.

3.) If the rock cannot be removed from the aquarium, the shrimp can be taken out with a net. This is, however, not easy. At night time, with the tank's lights off, simply wait and watch for the shrimp to come out and feed. Try using live bait to lure it out as well. If you can move quickly, it's possible to net it while it is away from its burrow.

Not every method will bring success for everyone. Remember that it takes patience to win the battle. If one method doesn't work out, try another.

Choosing an Aquarium

As you begin to plan out your nano reef, the first decision you will have to make is what aquarium to use. If you have been to any large aquarium shop lately, or just browsed through the member's nano reef area, you have probably noticed there's a vast amount of different aquariums in use. Between the standard cut and dry glass rectangle and the custom bow front with integrated filtration, you might get a little lost. So which aquarium will work best for you, and last in the long run? The following discusses a few factors which should be considered before making your decision.

Factor 1: Size

The old rule used to be, "Buy the largest aquarium you can afford to maintain," but clearly this doesn't apply very well to nano reefs. Ideally before you pick an aquarium, you should have a place set aside where you intend to place the aquarium. Take careful measurements and decide your target aquarium size. If you've not chosen a place yet, most tanks larger than 5 gallons will typically need about 16 to 24 inches length by 10 to 14 inches width. If you're going to place your aquarium underneath something, cabinets for example, you need to make sure that the aquarium you choose will leave you with at least 12 inches of room above the tank for easy access. Also keep in mind that the larger the aquarium, the more livestock options you will have. If you're not looking for the challenge of a very small nano reef, then a good beginner size is 12-20 gallons.

Factor 2: Material

Aquariums are made of one of two things; glass or acrylic. The point of this article is not to fight out the age old battle between aquarists of acrylic vs. glass; it's only to state the facts behind both. Depending on your location, your choice may or may not be very important. If you're located in an area prone to earthquakes, then it's probably going to be in your best interest to get an acrylic aquarium. Acrylic is more forgiving when it comes to stress from slight twisting or bending. The other issues about acrylic are:

• Acrylic is prone to scratching easily (external scratches can be buffed out with special kits)

• Acrylic can be drilled with typical household wood drill bits (good for you avid DIY'ers)

• Acrylic is 4% clearer than standard glass, and weighs less too.

• Acrylic insulates better than glass (good for unusually cold rooms)

• Acrylic is available in opaque colors (for colored backing)

• Acrylic costs more than glass, in small aquarium applications

• Acrylic can discolor if non acrylic safe chemical cleaners are used

Glass's issues are:

• Glass typically costs less than acrylic

• Glass is difficult to scratch, thus easier to work in and clean

• Glass scratches can never be removed

• Glass aquariums are more widely available in most areas

• Glass requires special drill bits to drill it

• Glass must be painted if colored panels are desired

Factor 3: Aesthetics

Aquariums are available is more shapes and styles than ever before. Some styles that are available in small aquariums are bow fronts, curved 90 degree corners, cubes, internal filtration, internal overflows for sumps, and flat back hexagons. Some aquariums even come with options of color backings or different colored trim/rims. It's best to stay away from tanks that come with integrated lighting systems, as they are almost always inadequate for nano reefs. Most importantly, choose which one you will like best.

Factor 4: Dimensions

An aquarium's dimensions are another thing that can save you from, or cause, a lot of problems. For the sake of aqua scaping, a wide aquarium is ideal. Many people with narrow aquariums find it very difficult to fit live rock in the tank, let alone shape it into anything appealing. Having a wider aquarium will also allow for a larger sand bed, as well as be easier to work in. You should also stay away from excessively tall aquariums. If an aquarium is too tall, it will not have enough surface water to allow for proper oxygen exchange.

Over the past two years as more and more people have started nano reef keeping, there have been some aquariums that just didn't stand up to the test. There are others that just plain won't work for a nano reef unless modified. The one system that comes to mind is the Eclipse System. Please understand that I'm not saying that these aquariums cannot be used, or will cause failure; I only bring them up because there are some issues with them that are not always evident. Eclipse systems look quite nice and are seemingly the perfect nano reef aquariums. However, the eclipse system 3, 6, and 12 tanks do not come with stock lighting that will be sufficient for keeping more than low light corals. Their built in filtration systems were designed for freshwater aquariums, and are not very useful for anything more than water circulation. These tanks will require modifications to the hood to install new lighting, and you may even choose to ditch the over-tank filter just to make room for new lights. While people have done this, and it is possible to keep a nano reef in a modified system, it just ends up costing more than building your own customized setup.

If you come across any aquarium that you like, but just aren't certain that it will work out, search the message board for the aquarium's name or manufacturer name. Chances are someone is using one, or has used one in the past. Good luck and happy hunting!

Lighting Options

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of a nano reef. Like all reef aquariums, it is necessary to have relatively high intensity lighting for your corals. There are many different ways to achieve proper lighting on a nano reef.

Power compact Lamps

Power compact lamps are arguably the best light source when it comes to nano reefs. Although they are very small, they pack a lot of power. These are superior to other fluorescent lamps because they come in short lengths that can easily fit across small aquariums. The following chart shows the various lamps and their approximate lengths.

Lamp Wattage Lamp Length*

9 Watts 7.5"

13 Watts 7.5"

27 Watts 7.5"

28/32 Watts 13"

36 Watts 16.5"

55/65 Watts 23"

*Please note that the lamp lengths are rounded up.

There are certainly more power compact lamps and sizes available, but those are the ones that are most commonly used. The 27 watt lamp is called a quad lamp. It is like 2 13 watt lamps side by side. Those are very useful when a lot of light is needed in a small amount of space. Power compact lamps come in many different color temperatures so you can have the proper spectrum lighting in all size lamps. If you are limited for space, there are new lamps out called "smart bulbs" that have one tube actinic blue and the other tube of the lamp daylight white. Most power compact lamps are rated to burn for 14 months.

There are also many different companies that offer power compact lighting solutions. Custom Sea Life Inc. has many lighting systems that are perfect for nano reefers. A good unit for small nano reefs (10 gallons or less) is their Sea Lights unit. It holds a 27 watt daylight lamp and a 9 watt actinic blue lamp, and it only takes up 8.5" x 6.5" x 2" of space. If you have a bigger tank, they offer many different retrofit kits and abs fan-cooled hoods starting at 15" long up to 24" for 10-20 gallon nano reefs.

If you are more of a Do-It-Yourselfer you can custom build your own power compact lighting systems with the DIY kits at Aquarium Hobbyist Supply and Hello Lights. They have kits ranging from 13 watts to 55 watts that you can customize any way you want. With some simple wiring and a nice canopy to install them in, you could have yourself a better lighting system than you could buy.

Very High Output Fluorescent

VHO lamps have always been a very good choice of lighting for reef aquariums. Although they don't come in many small sizes, they can still be used on the larger nano reefs. (15-20 gallons) The Lights provide as good of light as power compacts and have a long burn life when run on good ballasts. The only bulb lengths that are practical for most nano reefs are the 24" lamps. These also come in various color temperatures for proper lighting spectrum. There are many ballasts and end caps for VHO available.

Metal Halide Lighting

At one point, metal halide lighting was thought to be far too intense for our small and shallow nano reefs. Through some experimentation and an advance in technologies, a wide range of metal halide systems are available for use on nano reefs. The new smaller sizes, such as HQI double ended 70w lamps, are now available in the proper color spectrums needed for our corals. These are great over a nano reef as they are not extremely intense. When used in conjunction with actinic blue VHO or PC lamps, you can create a very effective lighting system for your reef. Many people even use the brighter lamps all the way up to 400 watts, but be aware that this is not something for a beginner to try, and we do not recommend use of these on tanks smaller than 20 gallons. If you do decide to use MH lamps with your system, keep in mind that they do require a separate ballast and they will generate a lot of heat. You must use high power fans in your canopy to keep the heat from transferring to your water.

Cooling a nano tank

Keeping your nano reef cool is a very important issue. The most common reasons for needing to cool a nano are to offset heat from lighting and offset heat from the room itself. There are two methods used to chill a nano reef that are reliable. The best method is to use a micro chiller. This is a new product that uses heat exchange to cool the water, and can cool the water 5-10 degrees. It is housed in a small hang-on-back filter, so it will also provide some circulation. They are a bit expensive, usually around $200, but you can easily make one yourself buy buying a heat exchange module and mounting it inside a hang-on-back filter.

The other option is to use a small fan. A fan provides a cheap way, usually $15, to cool a nano reef. To do so, position it so cool air is blown across the surface of the tank. You will notice a temperature change of about 3-5 degrees. Remember that this method will cause a lot of evaporation, so you will need to be sure to compensate with top off water.

If the heat is coming from your lights, and you don't already have one, install a fan to blow air into to canopy, or reverse so it pulls the hot air out. Be sure to leave another hole opposite the fan for air to leave/enter. If you have a large enough fan, this may stop heat transfer to your nano altogether.

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cheers

[LoReNsIa]

bro.. soo long.. read already will abit crazy leh.. hahax.. eh.. after all.. thx for the posting.. hahax..

Cheers..

Lorenzo..

[RawKnMetaLNemO]

very educating dude

alot

-GinGerFisH86

[Hokag3]

Wow....good info. Thinking of setting up a nano w/o a skimmer during the holidays already.

[RawKnMetaLNemO]

hi hokage bro....

im also a newbie....and with all the advice from other bros....think u should add a skimmer....possibly a cheap one....maybe an air-driven one....cost roughlt $10+

juz my 2cents

-GinGerFisH86

[Hokag3]

for the advice bro nemo...

Thinking of setting up a 2ft cube(is it considered a nano?). Now I'm contemplating whether I need a sump. If possible, looking for cabinet+tank+sump for abt $300...

[Lester]

for the advice bro nemo...

Thinking of setting up a 2ft cube(is it considered a nano?). Now I'm contemplating whether I need a sump. If possible, looking for cabinet+tank+sump for abt $300...

hi ... i think anything less then 20 gallon is a nano IMO, it will be even better with a sump

[elimmel]

very useful info... but it'll be good to give ref to the original author or where you got the info from

http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/

[Copperband]

imo..... if you want to keep nano... it will be a good idea to install a skimmer..... a wooden bubbler skimmer is better than no skimmer at all.....the advantages of skimmers in a marine system outweigh the disadvantages .... so it will be a god idea to have 1....

[jeane]

imo..... if you want to keep nano... it will be a good idea to install a skimmer..... a wooden bubbler skimmer is better than no skimmer at all.....the advantages of skimmers in a marine system outweigh the disadvantages .... so it will be a god idea to have 1....

HI

can tell me what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a skimmer?

[acidjazz]

HI

can tell me what are the advantages and disadvantages of having a skimmer?

u sld be asking ur bf!

anyway a skimmer is vital for the aquarium. Like wad AT mention b4, its not the chiller or the lightings that will save your tank, but the skimmer" *correct me if i quoted wrongly* Its meant for skimming out all the wastes from the tank, hence ensure tt the water is in gd quality.

cons: might skim out important elements as well.

[elimmel]

if weekly water changes are done for a nano setup, skimmers aren't really needed.

nanos are supposed to be low stock setups. i.e. less than a handful of fishes/inverts.

by having a skimmer, some of the trace elements needed by the corals might be skimmed out.

note: no dosing is done and trace element replenishment is also via the weekly water changes.

imho, it takes more discipline to keep a nano than a larger tank... less fish, less feeding, water changes etc etc

[acidjazz]

For me, the concept of a nano is just the tank with sand bed and live rocks as filtration. Is a sump or caninster really necessary?

[elimmel]

For me, the concept of a nano is just the tank with sand bed and live rocks as filtration. Is a sump or caninster really necessary?

tank sizes below 20gallons are usually called nano setups.

there's even setups below 5gallons that called picos.

anyway, there are some who have sumps, fuge for their nanos.

they want the increased water stability but not the increased tank size... real nano fans

[acidjazz]

tank sizes below 20gallons are usually called nano setups.

there's even setups below 5gallons that called picos.

anyway, there are some who have sumps, fuge for their nanos.

they want the increased water stability but not the increased tank size... real nano fans

thanks bro, i am looking into my next nano project. Just solely for fishes. Still considering if a sump is necessary, cuz i feel safer with it. . maybe i am paranoid. will post pix of my next set-up soon.