nano reef

[Freckles]

I'm thinking of tearing my 125 down and going with a 20g reef tank. I have an empty one sitting in my garage. Here's my equipment setup list:

• use about 2" of sand from my 125........ Is a DSB beneficial in a nano? And, if not, what do I do with the remaining sand?
• use my Prizm skimmer on the 20g (is a skimmer necessary in a nano?)
• powerhead
• heater
• either use 1 coralife ballast, or invest in a pc kit....... Any suggestions?

Which fish do you suggest I take back? Obviously, the tang will go back. This will leave me with: diamond goby, 1 percula clown, 1 blue damsel. Inverts include: few turbos, 3 queen conches, 1 starfish (sandsifter). I'd like to keep my cleaner shrimp and 2 feather dusters. I will also keep my mushroom and polyp.

DOes anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thnks

[bradsmack]

I wouldnt consider a 20gal nanoreef... more like minireef... i have a 29 gal i dont call it nano... nano is like 5 gal. or less.
I would invest in a PC kit.. 65 watt 24 inch smartlight.. The skimmer is a good idea for the 20 gal. Everything else is fine too. DSB is great for the 20 gal.

[mapster]

Which fish do you suggest I take back? Obviously, the tang will go back. This will leave me with: diamond goby, 1 percula clown, 1 blue damsel. Inverts include: few turbos, 3 queen conches, 1 starfish (sandsifter). I'd like to keep my cleaner shrimp and 2 feather dusters. I will also keep my mushroom and polyp.

I lose the Damsel for agression reasons, the 3 queen conch will outgrow a 20,in fact 1 queen conch would outgrow the 20, so I would get rid of those, the sand sidter star would prob get too big and I hear they are detramental to a DBS anyway, so I would also get rid of that.Thats just what I would do.

Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to tear down the 125?

Also, since you have the sand, why not go with a 4" DSB. If your tank has been up for a while and your sand is "live", I would think more than a few people here would like some.

HTH

[seahawkjohnny]

Originally posted by Freckles
I'm thinking of tearing my 125 down and going with a 20g reef tank. I have an empty one sitting in my garage. Here's my equipment setup list:

• use about 2" of sand from my 125........ Is a DSB beneficial in a nano? And, if not, what do I do with the remaining sand?
• use my Prizm skimmer on the 20g (is a skimmer necessary in a nano?)
• powerhead
• heater
• either use 1 coralife ballast, or invest in a pc kit....... Any suggestions?

Which fish do you suggest I take back? Obviously, the tang will go back. This will leave me with: diamond goby, 1 percula clown, 1 blue damsel. Inverts include: few turbos, 3 queen conches, 1 starfish (sandsifter). I'd like to keep my cleaner shrimp and 2 feather dusters. I will also keep my mushroom and polyp.

DOes anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thnks

HEY ....

i HAVE A 20 GALL.

A HOB remora skimmer
4x55 watt retro fit lights
4" deep sand bed
2 Maxijet 900s for cross circulation
1 maxijet with spraybar between the back wall, and the liverock 1" over sand bed to keep this area clean
30 lbs fiji and marshall island live rock

1 brittle star fish
2 small percula clown fish
20 nassirius snails
4 small turbo snails
10 red leg hermits
add ESV B-Ionic
seachem Magnesium
reef buffer
calcium


system does great...some say its harder to do a small system I say go SLOW, and start with a good clean up this is so important.....

[CAT]

Welcome to the "almost mini-reef club' I have a 28 gal bowfront with softies and one bubble, and I really like it.

DSB, skimmer and smartlights have worked well for me. Yeah, the tang and damsel should go. A couple of things I've found different from the larger tank I used to have: S.G. can change quickly with evaporation and heat build up is a problem if you don't have c/air.

Good luck

[Freckles]

I've chosen to go smaller because I just don't want a large tank anymore. I know it probably seems kind of kooky, huh!
If I were to sell the LS, how much is a good price? Here's the prob, though: I don't know how much of it is actually 'live' so, I'd hate to sell it and then ask why it isn't live. If you remember, back in April, I increased my bed from 2" to 4" and added approx. 30 lbs. of actual live sand. So, is the entire sandbed now live or are just parts of it live? I'd have no problem selling it then..... If I were to do it, I'd sell it in large sandwich bags (the big freezer ones).

My damsel isn't aggressive at all. In fact, him and the clown hang together

Oh, 1 more ?: how many powerheads do I need? I have 2 penguin 125 ph's ....... Do I need a HOB filter, too? Or will everything that I listed be ok?

[chess_wizard]

Like any tank, a DSB performs the same fuction on a nano reef.

You can go skimmer less or with a skimmer, its really up to you. I would recomend against it, why buy it/run it if you dont need, just another item that takes up space. Many nano reefers perform waterchanges more often to make up for not having a skimmer. You have to compare the pros and cons of a skimmer.

Any power head thats NOT a RIO would do the job. corals need the same current as in a larger tank.

I use the PC kits. Most use the PC kits, its the popular choice.

I would have few fish than to many fish just because waists seem to build up more quickly in smaller water volumes.


PS: nano tank = about 25 gallons or less, its really shady where the cut off it.

for more information, reef central has a good nano reef message bored and so dose nano-reef.com

[CAT]

Re. skimmer. If you plan on having 3 fish in a small tank and you already have the skimmer, you might as well try it and see how it goes. I've noticed that waste seems to build up more quickly in a smaller tank and it's more difficult use something like a cucumber for clean up because they need a fair amount of exposed sand to do well.

[Cam barr]

hey i have 2 reefs and ill just give u some basic info on a nano reef a nano reef is 20 gals or under and u do have a nano skimmers are not a must but you will probally appreacheat it in the long run a 2 inch sand bed will greatly bennifit a nano because they are so samll or smaller in your case they relay on good live rock and a nice deep sand bed with lots of critters i currently am running 2 reefs a 40 and a 7.5 gal nano what i would do first is get your tank set up and add add sand the more the better and then your water you might want to let sit a day or salvage water form your other tank and use that to start then add your rock you will probally have a small cycle but not bad one then add corals if u add 100 percent or the water in your tank from the main or one your getting rid of there should not be a cycle at all really ammona might spike but that should be the worst of it what type of lights are u using if u have any questions just post here
Cam barr

[Chris_Lupton]

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

I would recommend using a skimmer in any tank that is "fed". If you have fish or corals that require you to put organic material in the water, then I think there should be some means of removing the excess.

I tried running a small skimmer on my 5.5 nano, but cut it off after it produced almost 0 product. My tank contains no fish.

I rely on large (1/4 volume) water changes weekly in this tank to keep the water clean and eliminate the need for additives. The water comes from a bigger tank.

[Freckles]

Right now, I have a 18watt bulb on the 20g. It came with the light strip. I was at the lfs today buying salt, and the owner showed me the JBJ Fromosa Deluxe pc lighting. It was 130w. It was a hood w/ the lights. They normally charge $299, but were having a 30% off sale since they have so many in stock ....... On sale it was $199 Still expensive if you ask me ..... They had another one and it was only $89, but I didnt ask how many watts it had. And, ****, are those lights bright ..... the guy had to put his hands over them because they were so bright He was like "don't look at the lights.... they are bright."

[Doug1]

hey Freckles if the money is an issue and or you are handy you can check out
www.ahsupply.com
www.hellolights.com
They can supply you with a variety of PC lights for less that will work on your 20