Nanos compared to big SW tanks.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Just discussing things here...
I figured I would ask the people who keep them.
Are Nano tanks harder to keep then larger SW tanks?

[Tigerbarb]

A reef expert can better explain this than I, but nano tanks are not as stable and you will have to do top-offs, water tests, and water changes more frequently than you would with a larger system.

Don't be discouraged if you want to try SW and only have the money for a nano tank, as many aquariusts have started this way and done great! I would suggest a 20g as a minimum nano tank size, but if you want something smaller a nano cube is pretty much all your technical equipment selected for you and offered at a discount price.

Many aquariusts reccomend that a beginning marine hobbyist should try and get the biggest tank he/she can possibly afford or accomodate in his/her home, and a 30-40g is preffered for beginners by many aquariusts.

[Rue]

Yes...considerably...

But I agree...if you really want one...and understand the difficulties and are prepared to deal with them...go ahead!

[Abbeys_Mom]

I was think of going SW in the future, but I don't have the money right now. I have already been half way there with a brackish tank, so I have some of the equipment.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

They are considerably more work. I have a 125gal reef with a 20gal sump so 145gal total system volume and it is very stable and very easy to maintain. Because of the large volume, the nutrient build up is minimized and also the salinity swings due to evaporation are minuscule. I recently started a 2.5gal reef and everything that I mentioned above is magnified to the extreme. I have to top the water up every day in the 2.5 to keep the salinity from going too high. Thanks to the fact that there are no fish in the tank there are no nutrients to speak of in the tank but I still perform water changes every week to replace used elements in the water. The water volume may change but the element consumption by the corals does not, and with a small volume, the amounts of each element is much smaller. To help combat element depletion, I add the trace elements to my top off tank and then they get small amounts added daily.

[TowBoater]

Nanos require a LOT more work but in return, they are not as expensive.

[cocoa_pleco]

they are more work, the reason i love big reefs is if you ever make a little screw up, theres alot of water to dilute it in, but in only 10g or 5g of water a tiny mistake can kill everything.

I also like like the look of larger reefs, ive kept nanos for 8 years, but late last september i was bored and i thought how cool it would be to rip my 55g planted down and make a reef, that night i spread out all of my 55g fish to a 27g long, 20g, and 10g, and put the stock from my 20g nano (20lbs LR, brain coral, zoas, royal dottyback, clown goby, clownfish) into the 55g.

my worst memory with a nano was my first 10g, in late 2000. one LFS told me that i would need 30 chemicals, etc. and they said for me not to do SW, another LFS said just get LR, salt, and aragonite, thats it. same lights, filter, etc. needless to say, i had a 10g with a black molly, 3 damsels, purple starfish, sea urchin, 3lbs LR, HOB filter, and 30w of incandescent lighting. Tank went awesome for a while, then my starfish got head rot from me not drip acclimating, and at first i read the hydrometer wrong and had like a half bag of salt in a 10g. the condy was always open surprisingly, and lived fine. i tried a xenia coral and it died within a hour of being in my tank. One day eventually i came home and all but the urchin and condy were dead, i ran and grabbed the survivors and gave them to a good home, and after that i gave a way all of my saltwater equipment.

[Dave66]

I wrote a thing some time ago about the pluses and minuses of tank sizes. Thing with the reef tanks is the weight of the live rock and the weight of the water in the main tank and sump. That's coupled with the weight of the stand holding it all.
My big reef, with over 900 gallons of water in the system, weighs, inclusive of everything, over 16,000 pounds. That's 8 tons, folks.
There are innumerable pluses and minuses with a nano reef tank. Yes, they are less expensive to buy and set up. Yes, they are far more work to maintain, and disaster is always just around the corner. They are subject to the vagaries of it's environment; temps will rapidly vacillate. Power outages in cool or hot weather would spell doom for a little tank.
Yet, I've seen literally gorgeous nano reef tanks. Though they exist on the razor's edge all the time, they are truly marvels.
But to me, they are too much work. I'll stick with my 220, 350 and 720 gallon reefs. Just have to bolster the floors . . . .:)

Dave

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, with plenty of work, you can get some nice looking nanos, like this 5.5g

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9241/dscn0461largehy6.jpg

but im with dave, i'll stick to larger reefs, more stock options and room to play around with

[Halelorf]

yep, with plenty of work, you can get some nice looking nanos, like this 5.5g

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9241/dscn0461largehy6.jpg

but im with dave, i'll stick to larger reefs, more stock options and room to play around with

wow, that is an amazing tank!

[Tigerbarb]

wow, that is an amazing tank! Yah got that right!!!

I was thinking of trying a 5g long for a reef sometime in the future. It seems alot better than the standard 5g.

[cocoa_pleco]

but the 5.5g has NOTHING on this 16g

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/images/nov2004/fa/images/gen.jpg

[Halelorf]

but the 5.5g has NOTHING on this 16g

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/images/nov2004/fa/images/gen.jpg

:18: :18: :18:

[Tigerbarb]

All I can say is; WOW-MFAO

[cocoa_pleco]

the 16g is 110% real, a guy on a reef forum im on owns it, its a amazing tank, no photoshopping or anything

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Nice tank, I wouldn't want to do the WC on that, those Zoanthids have got to be releasing a lot of toxins.

[Tigerbarb]

Yeah, just imaging the maintenance you'd have to do on that thing.

[NickFish]

Wow that's a sweet tank! That's what I want mine to look like when I'm done, nothing but corals!

I like my 72g reef, it's got over 120 gallons of water in the system which is great for stability, and it hasn't cost me too much (relatively speaking).

But I'm starting up a 20g reef for my desk, I can tell you exactly my experiences when I get there, but I have learned that nanos are harder to maintain, but not as expensive.

Me personally....I would rather spend the extra grand or two on a big tank than have a little one that crashes at the drop of a pin. But, like TB said, many aquarists have started this way and they do look very nice. I too wouldn't recommend anything less than a 20g to a starting reefer.


Oh, and here's another pic of a sweet nano. Some guy's on another forum.