5.5 gallon Nano 400 gallon sump!

Chump · 10-17-2006, 10:32 PM

Okay, maybe I am stretching it a little but I often hear of people’s 20 gallon nano tank with a 30 gallon sump. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Isn't that like buying a ninety gallon tank then just spray painting the glass so you can only see 1 tenth of it?

So really, how small are the smallest reef nanos? Any 10 gallon total systems?

Thanks you in advance for your responses.

Aaron

dobejazz · 10-17-2006, 10:39 PM

Hmmm I have a 5.5 gallon total water volume is probably 6g or so with displacement from the rock and the HOB filter that I use for flow

Leverage Lad · 10-17-2006, 10:43 PM

I have a 6 that is just about 5 gallons total. I was in atlanta over the weekend and seen (saw) a 3 gallon and a 2 gallon that had coral and fish in them. pretty cool. They do about 50% water changes every other week or so. So they can get prettty small.

Chump · 10-17-2006, 10:44 PM

Do you have corals in it?

Chump · 10-17-2006, 10:48 PM

So it can be done! I am building a nano out of a twenty gallon tank, but I want it all self contained. I will end up with about 13 gallons of water in the system. Actually, it will be less then that because of sand and live rock. Anyway, I started to get a bit worried my tank would be too small for anything to live in.

I am glad to hear they are working for some people.

Chump · 10-17-2006, 10:49 PM

I just went from a plankton to a little fishy!

Leverage Lad · 10-18-2006, 12:16 AM

They had some soft coral like zoo's and mushrooms. One had no fish and the other only had one. My 6 gallon Nano has one very violent shrimp in it. He was in my 24 but kept harassing and killing (I think) my fish. He has two small crabs and 4 snails. I have just one small frag of zoo's in there with him. The lighting on this nano is very bad. I am using a desk lamp to help suplement the lighting and it is very yellow. Anyway good luck and post pictures. We love pictures.

pledosophy · 10-22-2006, 02:58 AM

I have a 20g with a 40g sump. Over 100lbs of LR total in the system.

Just thought I'd rub it in.

I don't think the sump is defeating the purpose. I believe it is helping to provide excellent water quaility as well as provide a huge place for the pods to breed. Everything is healthy. Tank has been up for a couple of months. Plan to add a 20g gravity fed refugium next month and then maybe even in fish by January. Time will tell. I can count over 100 pods on my glass any day of the week. System rocks.