I'm considering just doing a nano-reef after we move

[swishyfishies]

We just found out that the housing we're going to be put in at our new base is smaller than the house we live in now & doesn't have a basement. We will have to find room for the stuff we have in these ares so I may not have the room for our 55 gal tank. Especially if the livingroom is smaller.

We also have an African grey parrot & there is a bird store in the town we're moving too. Because of the fact that he is an expensive pet we need to be focusing more on his care (especially nutritionally) to insure is fulfills his long lifespan (50 yrs). So over all I think doing a smaller tank will fit our limited space we will have & allow us to save some money on the tank & use it for our parrot.

 

[fishfreek]

How nano are you thinking? 20 Gal? 10 Gal? Sub 5Gal?

 

[loganj]

I'd suggest at least a 20. I had a 10 for a while and it was just too limited. There wasn't room for much in there. I upgraded to a 20 high, but a 20 long might be easier to light. I use a 10g as a sump with a Maxi Jet 1000 as a return pump...works great so far. Only other filtration is a small "no name" skimmer in the sump. It's about the size of a SeaClone. I have had great luck with it and have never had any trouble.
Logan J

 

[d9hp]

I would love to do something like that, but i dont have the money to, also, a 5.5 would be fun, but lighting would be about 70 bux

 

[Guest]

I have a 5 gallon at work that is going to be a reef. it has 12lbs LR and Flamingo Pink Sand with 2 cups of sand from my home tank. It is cool. I am using the Eclipse light for now, but I found 13 watt PC's at Wall mart for $10 a piece. I am going to purchase 4 of them. That will be 52 watts on a 5 gal. Can't wait to get it to where I can start stocking it.

 

[aimeovaldi]

I also have a 5 gallon at work and light it with 2 X 13W pc 6500k bulbs I found on closeout at a Walmart in Salem, IL. I have a yellowtail damsel sone red legged hermits, a turbo snail and 2 sm fraags of zoos and some green thing I got from a friend. All seems to be going well. The tank is about 4 months old now. You really got to be on top of the water in a small nano.

 

[swishyfishies]

I was considering a 10 gal actually. I have been on nano-reefs.com & read up some in the past & going to go back & get more info. My main thing is the expense of lighting. The smaller the tank the lower the cost in my mind. But I'd be way new to corals so I'd probably start will the beginner low light ones then work my way up when I got better & more confident with them. And with a nano I can definitely use LR & it not cost much since I wouldn't need much. Since that was of some concern in my last post about a tank with no LR.

 

[tyler]

a ten to limited logan? try a 2.5. now that's limited space. i can hardly fit my hand in there, but i still like it.

as for lighting a 10, i have a friend who went with the 2x36 deluxe bright kit from http://ahsupply.com over his with bulbs from http://hellolights.com the cost wasn't so bad, and he could keep whatever he wants.

 

[tyler]

just checked out your website. cute baby.

 

[d9hp]

I am planning on doing a 5.5 nano. My lighting is going to be 2 13 watt actinics, one blue one 03. and then what ever else i can fit/find at wal-mart.

I have wood left over from the hood i just made for my fresh planted 5.5, so i know how to make it. I am looking forward to setting this tank up. It will consist of LR and LS, one heater, and no other means of filtration. I talked to candybass (john) last night, and he said that shrooms, leathers and most softies did fine under only 4 watts a gallon, is this true? Thanks a lot

I think i will get one clown, but i will do a fishless cycle.

P.S. I finished staining my other hood, man it looks good. I also got a small peice of scroll work, i like it. I should have pictures up soon. (inside has a metal reflector and painted white)!

 

[loganj]

The 2x36w was what I had on the 10...it worked great. Now I run 2x55w PC's on the 20 with good results. I think if you'll look at it hard, you'll find that it really won't cost much more to set up a 20 though. Not a lot more room taken up either...a 10 is 20" long and a 20 high is 24" long.
Logan J