I was wondering how this salt forum could have thousands of posts but the nano at the bottom of the page zero? I have only been here a day and am going to change that!
nano tanks are the best bang for the buck. Sure, when we all start out we think we can just do all sorts of things with that brand new 55 gallon we want, but truth be told, a large nano 12-24 gallon is really better for our animals, if you put the right ones in there.
Think about it - a 55 gallon with salt, lights, pumps, sump, live rock, and fish can run thousands of $$$ if you go all out. The most expensive nano, the 24 gallon M-Tank with MH lights runs $400 - and that is lights, filter, everything except substrate, rock, salt and fish.
I have two nano tanks now - one really is a pico tank as it is 2 1/2 gallons. I have had four runnning at a time, and will get those back up and running soon. I just love them. You can put those tiny fish that get 'lost' in a 75 gallon tank (or worse, eaten) and they become the stars of the show. I have kept a red-headed goby who is now MAYBE one inch long for over 2 years in the 2 1/2 gallon. My 24 gallon reef looks nicer than my 100 gallon as far as corals are concerned, and except for a couple all were frags from the LFS that cost $5 or $10 each, not $30 and up.
If nothing else, a nano is a great place to get those frags growing to the size needed to hold their own in our large tanks. I have fragged many corals, placed the frags in my 2 1/2, then my 24, and then back into my 100 only to get fragged back by a hungry angelfish..... such is the hobby - you only learn when you make the mistake.
David
nano tanks are the best bang for the buck. Sure, when we all start out we think we can just do all sorts of things with that brand new 55 gallon we want, but truth be told, a large nano 12-24 gallon is really better for our animals, if you put the right ones in there.
Think about it - a 55 gallon with salt, lights, pumps, sump, live rock, and fish can run thousands of $$$ if you go all out. The most expensive nano, the 24 gallon M-Tank with MH lights runs $400 - and that is lights, filter, everything except substrate, rock, salt and fish.
I have two nano tanks now - one really is a pico tank as it is 2 1/2 gallons. I have had four runnning at a time, and will get those back up and running soon. I just love them. You can put those tiny fish that get 'lost' in a 75 gallon tank (or worse, eaten) and they become the stars of the show. I have kept a red-headed goby who is now MAYBE one inch long for over 2 years in the 2 1/2 gallon. My 24 gallon reef looks nicer than my 100 gallon as far as corals are concerned, and except for a couple all were frags from the LFS that cost $5 or $10 each, not $30 and up.
If nothing else, a nano is a great place to get those frags growing to the size needed to hold their own in our large tanks. I have fragged many corals, placed the frags in my 2 1/2, then my 24, and then back into my 100 only to get fragged back by a hungry angelfish..... such is the hobby - you only learn when you make the mistake.
David
