If you don't plan on running a sump with a skimmer then it's gonna be hard to keep good water quality in such a small tank, not that it can't be done, it's just a lot more work than a larger tank.a tank that size would require a water change about every week depending on the livestock that's in it.it could be done if you were just interested in a couple small fish but if you were looking into some coral and invertebrates as well that's when water quality has to be maintained at an adequate level all the time which can be taxing in a tank of that size.
how hard it is to start and maintain a salt water tank?
Experienced Nano keeper here! I started with an 8g bio-cube. Kept it running successfully for 2yrs until I upgraded to my present 26g. Which has been running now for going on 3yrs. It seems the majority of reefers think a nano is much harder to maintain then non-nanos. Personally I've had no issues not found with keeping a larger tank. Only difference is we need to do our WC more often. But the volume of those water changes are smaller therefore IMO easier.
Another thing I've noticed having been on these forums for 4yrs is.....I read about more non-nano tanks crashing then I do about nano's. Maybe because there's more of them? I think some are led into a false sense of security with larger tanks. With smaller tanks EVERYTHING is noticed much sooner. Our awareness is heightened so to speak.
I'm not saying I've had it easier keeping a nano. But I am saying I haven't had it any harder. Most reefers don't want to or don't have the extra time a nano requires. To them this is hard. Me? I got plenty of time
With all the equipment available to us out here nano's too can virtually run themselves. I do 20% bi-weekly wc. I have an ATO + Kalkwasser, a HOB fuge and a skimmer rated for a 75g My 26 is easy peazy! Lol I've actually left on weekend trips too!
Well,guess I will throw in my .02. After being in this wacky addiction for over 22 years there's merit in all the comments that have been posted. I find my self giving this advice more then anything. First,your not setting up a gold fish bowl! Second only believe half what the salesperson tells you Tell you speak the same language!! Reef geek is a language all in it's own. After all they are salespeople and they are their to sell. many are very good reefers but their are some that shouldn't be giving advice.Third read,read some more then read even more! Do this before you spend a single dime. Fourth,plan what fits your life style.SPS are beautiful but if your not home to care for them they will just die! Do not change your lifestyle to care for a tank,you will learn to hate your new hobby and then waste your money when you give it up. Reefing is like AA,it takes a total commitment . It is not a good hobby for quitters and to be honest it is expensive. Fifth and last,figure out a budget,plan your tank and equipment to it. Reef equipment that works cost money! A lot of money! Do not go hog wild but do not become a rabi either. Plan what your doing and save the money up to do it right the first time ! Save the pricey stuff for when your truly addicted! Go into this adventure well informed and prepared financially and you will enjoy it regardless of your tank choice! This is truly a hobby for those that enjoy learning and self improvement. Joining a forum like CR is a good first step! Good luck and hope to see you enjoy a great hobby and a successful tank!
how hard it is to start and maintain a salt water tank?
Originally Posted by binford4000
Well,guess I will throw in my .02. After being in this wacky addiction for over 22 years there's merit in all the comments that have been posted. I find my self giving this advice more then anything. First,your not setting up a gold fish bowl! Second only believe half what the salesperson tells you Tell you speak the same language!! Reef geek is a language all in it's own. After all they are salespeople and they are their to sell. many are very good reefers but their are some that shouldn't be giving advice.Third read,read some more then read even more! Do this before you spend a single dime. Fourth,plan what fits your life style.SPS are beautiful but if your not home to care for them they will just die! Do not change your lifestyle to care for a tank,you will learn to hate your new hobby and then waste your money when you give it up. Reefing is like AA,it takes a total commitment . It is not a good hobby for quitters and to be honest it is expensive. Fifth and last,figure out a budget,plan your tank and equipment to it. Reef equipment that works cost money! A lot of money! Do not go hog wild but do not become a rabi either. Save the pricey stuff for when your truly addicted! Go into this adventure well informed and prepared financially and you will enjoy it regardless of your tank choice! This is truly a hobby for those that enjoy learning and self improvement. Joining a forum like CR is a good first step! Good luck and hope to see you enjoy a great hobby and a successful tank!
Very good advice! Sounds familiar, oh wait you said this to me too 4yrs ago!! Lol
READ all you can. Also buy the biggest tank that will fit in the spot bigger is better. And sometimes you cannot believe anything some sales person tells you. Some will try to sell you stuff you do not need!! There are alot of people here that have many years in this hobby And good luck you chose a great hobby to get into.
There's a thread for a 38G complete set up for sale elsewhere on this site. I don't know anything about the company, but it sounds like a perfect set up. And the price seems very good. But to answer your OP:
Like, Miz... I have been running a 34G nano (and now a 66G ?nano?) for about four years. She has had far greater success than I, but I also believe it is in no small part because she has invested far greater time (and yes, money) into her tanks. She's probably smarter than me too, but... Like others, you get out of the hobby what you can put in to it.
The reason folks say a big tank is easier has a lot to do with percentages... If a gallon of water evaporates from a 200G tank, the salinity isn't affected too greatly. But, if that same gallon is allowed to evaporate from a 20G tank, the salt concentration really takes a climb. I once read that a fish tank is a well decorated toilet bowl. Fish and other wildlife are excreting in it 24/7. More water means lower concentrations of... er... let's delicately call it "algae food".
You combat the battle of percentages in a nano with constant topping off of new water, and more frequent water changes. But understand, unlike a FW tank, the water change involves a percentage of all water, say 10% weekly? You don't drain the tank dry as you might for those oscars and pleco cats...
When your tank is running well, you can spend hours just staring at it. Works better than bourbon at calming the nerves at the end of the day!
how hard it is to start and maintain a salt water tank?
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My 26 is easy peazy! Lol I've actually left on weekend trips too!
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Originally Posted by binford4000
Well,guess I will throw in my .02. After being in this wacky addiction for over 22 years there's merit in all the comments that have been posted. I find my self giving this advice more then anything. First,your not setting up a gold fish bowl! Second only believe half what the salesperson tells you Tell you speak the same language!! Reef geek is a language all in it's own. After all they are salespeople and they are their to sell. many are very good reefers but their are some that shouldn't be giving advice.Third read,read some more then read even more! Do this before you spend a single dime. Fourth,plan what fits your life style.SPS are beautiful but if your not home to care for them they will just die! Do not change your lifestyle to care for a tank,you will learn to hate your new hobby and then waste your money when you give it up. Reefing is like AA,it takes a total commitment . It is not a good hobby for quitters and to be honest it is expensive. Fifth and last,figure out a budget,plan your tank and equipment to it. Reef equipment that works cost money! A lot of money! Do not go hog wild but do not become a rabi either. Save the pricey stuff for when your truly addicted! Go into this adventure well informed and prepared financially and you will enjoy it regardless of your tank choice! This is truly a hobby for those that enjoy learning and self improvement. Joining a forum like CR is a good first step! Good luck and hope to see you enjoy a great hobby and a successful tank!
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