Mini-Reef

[urville]

i've read extensive books on marine tanks but never have they covered mini-reefs. So i was wondering if all you wonderful saltwater people might share your favorite links and info on Mini-Reefs and their care. i assume it cant be to wholly different but...

also, you know i always liked the Jaubert system. thats just me, but whats currentlly the popular method out of curiosity since it's been awhile for me. or is it still just preference? has anything new came out? just cathing up since i'm returning to salt.

ian

 

[nyghtone]

Dude, I don't know how long it's been since you kept a tank, but it seems that the hobby has almost completely changed in the last 10 years it seems, haha.

I'm new to the Reef hobby, but I've been keeping FW tanks my whole life off and on. Welcome to AA, when you say mini-reef, what size do you mean exactly, I consider my 75 a mini, but I've seen peeps call 20 gallons mini's, lol.

HTH, Joshua...

 

[skipper]

www.nano-reef.com and www.nanotank.com are 2 that I know of.
www.reefcentral.com also as a nano section in their forums that has been helpful.

 

[Atari]

Jaubert system is definitely old-school and not something I would personally recommend to anyone anymore.

I think the best method is still a modified Berlin system though.. but with a shallow bed of aragonite instead of Jaubert's plenum. I also have my doubts about agressive skimming, but for the moment it seems to be more beneficial than harmful.

 

[urville]

nyghtone:
Changed? How juch and like what? oh no.... it's been since like 95
minireef? this guy at my LFS has a 5 gallon mini, but i definitly want more than that...

skipper:
thanks for the info!!

atair:
really? skimming? i know when i was last in it peopole were playing around with outboard bacteria beds called... uh.... darn... i'lll remember sometime. so do you just not like skimming or is this like widely thought now?
ian

 

[Atari]

Don't get me wrong, I believe skimming can be very helpful.. I just think people get carried away with it and assume the more the merrier. It's similar to the argument that carbon removes beneficial trace elements... true again but to what extent is the question.

I'm not sure about the official definition but I think 5 gal tanks definitely come under the "nano" label.. I would consider a "mini" reef to be anything bigger than a "nano" and smaller than the ocean, lol.

 

[Atari]

I should add that a big shift in the last several years is the general consensus the UGF's are bad bad bad.