Possible to keep 12 gallon reef tank?

[reef-n00b]

I wanted to put a small reef tank on my desk. I currently have large FO and FOWLR systems. I wanted to try something different. I have seen this thing called the nano cube online and was wondering if it would actually work for a few corals and an anemone with a clown perc that is currently in my other tank.

this is the tank right here

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004

I know it is not that large like my 240 or 75 but it is something different. Although i dont see any place to put a heater or protein skimmer on it, if it is necessary on a reef tank that small? Would the filter in the hood be enough for this tank and you can buy a 24 watt reef light bulb for it seperately, would this be enough lighting to house a couple corals and an small anemone? Let me know what you think. Thanks

 

[ambulocetus]

IME the nano-cubes are the best way to maintain a really nice, small sw tank. We made a couple up at work, one of which successfully houses a small ricordia, a frogspawn coral, a massive pulsing xenia, which has split itself about eight times already! several small colonies of green star polyps as well as yellow polyps and a nice sized brain coral. What sets the Nano-cube apart is that it contains a compact flurescent light, which enables you to keep and mainatain an outstanding and small tank. With a nice stack of lr in the middle the possibilities for this are endless (and easily achieved) - fwiw I would borrow lr and ls from your larger setups (possibly even the water) to enable an almost instant aquarium !

 

[reef-n00b]

Thats great! However is it easy to maintain w/o a protein skimmer or a heater? And are the lights strong enough for anemones?

 

[ambulocetus]

i don't know about anemones, they can be tough in a large tank (with much more stability) so in a small system gonna be quite difficult (some anems do great in two month old tanks 10 gallons, other people can't keep them in their 4 yr old 200 gallons!) - as far as the heater, as long as your office isn't too cold your compact will provide the heat necessary for the small system. The ones we keep we don't use anything for protein skimming for a number of reasons:
1. There is no room for the skimmer!

2. The bioload is tiny, maybe a couple chromis or damsels, a clownfish and a gramma - so minimal waste produced (plus use a couple crabs and a snail or two)

3. Water changes: with such a small tank water changes are very very simple (a couple coffeemugs-worth scooped out, a couple added back and your done (about once a week)

4. Small bioload means that only a small amount of food needs to be given, again producing less waste!

as far as keeping anems, you might have to resign yourself to the fact that corals might be the only stuff kept. (if time and budget allow, then go ahead and try one - might get lucky)