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Nano reefing has become very popular amongst aquarium hobbyists over the past few years. There’s just something about having a mini piece of the ocean on your desk that many find fascinating. Surprisingly though, nano reef tanks can be harder to keep and maintain than larger aquariums. Here are some tips for having a successful nano reef tank!
Beginners often overstock their nano reef tanks. This can be extremely harmful to all of the livestock in your tank.
Having too many fish, or too big of a fish for your aquarium size can restrict the amount of oxygen your fish is getting, which is needed for their survival. Having too many fish can also cause them to become aggressive or territorial, leading to fights and the possible deaths. Too many fish in a nano tank will also lead to high ammonia levels in your tank which is toxic to fish. Most importantly though, you fish will not be able to thrive if it is in an aquarium that is too small or too overcrowded.
As water evaporates from your aquarium, the salt is left behind causing the salinity levels to rise. Salinity swings are one of the biggest problems for nano reef tanks, as frequent drastic swings in salinity can stress and ultimately kill your fish, coral or other inverts. Topping off your tank with a little bit of fresh RODI water is a good way to keep your salinity levels consistent and your tank members happy. If you have a busy schedule, adding an Auto Top Off to your tank setup could be a game changer. Auto top off systems automatically add freshwater to your tank as the water level decreases!
Overfeeding fish or corals will become very apparent in nano reef aquariums. Uneaten food that sinks to the bottom of your tank will create ammonia and nitrates in your tank as it breaks down. This will lead to a major algae spike that can be a pain to get under control. Managing the position sizes you feed your fish is one way to avoid the effects of overfeeding. Another way is to gradually train your fish to eat their food right from your fingers so none of the food is left to breakdown.
Setting up your nano reef tank with oversized or undersized equipment can be harmful to your fish and other livestock. Temperature, lighting, flow and filtration are very important things to have correct in order to have a successful nano reef. A heater that is too big will overheat your tank, and a heater that is too small wont be powerful enough to heat your tank to the temperature your fish need. Lighting is also a big one. Too big of a light can bleach your corals and cause an algae spike as well. Too small of a light won’t be strong enough to aid coral growth. Your filter should be big enough to handle the volume of your tank. Having an adjustable flow is also a good idea so you can tailor to the needs of your tank and prevent algae from building up in dead areas (spots that don’t get enough flow)
This may sound overwhelming, but as long as you set your tank up correctly from the start, you won't have a problem maintaining your nano reef! Luckily the CoralFish12g 12 Gallon Aquarium Kit comes with everything you need to do just that. The kit includes a 12 gallon all in one tank, filter media and basket, return pump and a marine and freshwater comparable light fixture! All equipment is perfectly sized for the 12g nano aquarium, so you’re already ahead of 90% nano reefers who make the mistakes listed above.
The 12 gallon aquarium kit will be available for preorder soon. The first 100 people to preorder their tank kit will receive the perfect amount of sand, rock and turbo start for free to get their aquarium up and running, so you don’t want to miss the announcement of their release!
