Low maintenance college reef tank- seeking advice.

[Tired]

I'm looking to set up a nano/pico tank, and be able to take it with me to college in August. I'm not new to saltwater, I had a 30gal before chronic fatigue made it too much to deal with, but I mostly kept fish, shrimp, and a couple of mushroom corals. I've kept freshwater tanks, dart frogs, and am keeping orchids, so I'm familiar with basic troubleshooting of unhappy organisms. 

 

Are there any of those all-in-one tanks that have a decent light on them, and some good space in the back for a filter? Something in about the 3-5 gallon range. I like cubes, especially ones that are closed off at the top. The Biocubes have a nice, clean look to them, but I think the smallest they go is 8 gallon, and the dorm at college will only allow up to 5 gallons. Does anyone make a 5gal (or 5.5gal I can pass off as 5) with that general aesthetic? 

 

Can anyone suggest me a good light? I like the lights that mostly look white, with just enough blue in them to make the colors really pop. Those full blues just don't look all that good to me. 

 

I want to keep this simple. Change a gallon or so of water once a week, sprinkle in some food every few days or so, top off as needed. Something I can ignore for a day or so if I forget, without hurting it any. I love the colors on zoas, and mushroom corals are fun shapes. I'd like to shoot for those, and maybe a small invert or two. Probably no fish, to keep things easily maintained and easily ignored. 

 

The guy at my LFS (and they usually have good advice there) said that, in the case of soft corals only, regular water changes with a good-quality salt mix are enough to keep trace elements up without dosing. He says they have customers who do that and get good results. The logic seems sound- a good reef mix should have all the trace elements in it, after all. 

 

So, what would y'all suggest I go with? Low-maintenance tank with some soft and fairly hardy corals, maybe some sexy shrimp or a few mini hermits eventually. Micro brittle stars if I can find some, definitely. From what I'm reading, it looks like zoas prefer a dirtier tank, and maybe an occasional feeding- what do y'all suggest giving them? I know mushroom corals like the occasional frozen mysid, and I see some people just giving their whole tank the juice out of frozen foods. 

 

Is there anything I'm not thinking of, sessile-creature-wise, that would also work? I love the look of those, what are they, mini-max anemones? But I'd imagine their feeding requirements make stability harder. And I love the look of LPS, of course, but it seems like most of them sting other corals and are harder to maintain. 

 

As for transporting the tank, I know people generally break them down entirely. I don't want to bother everything that much, though. Would it be possible for me to just stick with a low-lying and sturdy rockscape, put something between the rockwork and the tank wall to prevent scratches from minor shifts, and transport the whole tank? It's about a 45-minute drive from the dorm to my house, so bet on an hour. Could I just drain the tank about halfway and stick it in the car? I'd wager I could get a rockscape that would survive the jostling, especially if I got some putty to glue everything into one piece. Seems a lot less disruptive for the corals than bagging 'em all up- more like a storm than anything. 

 

Also, what are some tips for avoiding crashes? I might stay away from all but the really small motile inverts, so that when they die, they hopefully don't crash the whole thing. Everything that dies of old age, I'll stick to tiny ones. For heating, I'm going to get one of those temperature probes that can shut things off if it gets too hot. That way, both the heater and the probe will have to fail for the tank to cook, which is possible but very unlikely. Take out anything that looks like it's on the verge of death and not saveable, make sure no one sprays anything near the tank, anchor the light so it can't fall in, and I think that's about all the likely crash sources. Barring catastrophic explosive-or-electrocuting equipment failures, which aren't really anything that anyone can do anything about, beyond not skimping out on the equipment. I'd hope the tank would be in a state where it would survive for awhile if the circulation shut off somehow- that shouldn't kill things immediately, I wouldn't think. Especially given that they're all things with relatively low metabolisms, compared to fish. I suppose they'd have a hard time going to the surface to gasp, though, so that's one weakness compared to fish in the oxygen department.

[Wonderboy]

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Are there any of those all-in-one tanks that have a decent light on them, and some good space in the back for a filter?

Googled pico AIO - found this from Ocean Box

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Does anyone make a 5gal (or 5.5gal I can pass off as 5) with that general aesthetic? 

Fill the 8G Biocube with 5G  :] 

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Can anyone suggest me a good light?

There are too many - depends on budget and intended stock - might want one with a customizable spectrum if you prefer a particular tone

6 hours ago, Tired said:

So, what would y'all suggest I go with? Low-maintenance tank with some soft and fairly hardy corals, maybe some sexy shrimp or a few mini hermits eventually. Micro brittle stars if I can find some, definitely.

It really comes down to what you want to do to entertain yourself, but if you want to do it rationally, the hermits would be the first thing, then corals, and then maybe some sexy shrimp. 

6 hours ago, Tired said:

From what I'm reading, it looks like zoas prefer a dirtier tank, and maybe an occasional feeding- what do y'all suggest giving them?

Reef roids

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Is there anything I'm not thinking of, sessile-creature-wise, that would also work? I love the look of those, what are they, mini-max anemones?

Probably, but it's better to figure it out when you get there - one thing at a time

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Would it be possible for me to just stick with a low-lying and sturdy rockscape, put something between the rockwork and the tank wall to prevent scratches from minor shifts, and transport the whole tank?

Yes

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Could I just drain the tank about halfway and stick it in the car?

Yes

6 hours ago, Tired said:

Also, what are some tips for avoiding crashes?

Try not to ignore your tank - and don't put off maintenances

6 hours ago, Tired said:

and I think that's about all the likely crash sources.

There's many more.

 

 

Sounds like you have read a lot; it is useful that there is an endless sea of reefing experience on the internet. However, you usually can't learn as much from reading as you can from doing. You can only prospect or wonder. If you want to know, you must jump into the experience yourself. Aspects of your plan tend to prioritize system safety - with that much attention to details, I wouldn't worry very much about getting started -again-     :]

[SeaFurn]

I know you’re looking for a cube but I think the Fluval Evo 5 would probably be a good choice for you. Given the stocking you are considering, I’d say the light on it would work fine. 

 

You might want to also consider rock flower anemones and porcelain crabs. They are a great combination of color and interest. 

 

[Clown79]

5 hours ago, SeaFurn said:

I know you’re looking for a cube but I think the Fluval Evo 5 would probably be a good choice for you. Given the stocking you are considering, I’d say the light on it would work fine. 

 

You might want to also consider rock flower anemones and porcelain crabs. They are a great combination of color and interest. 

 

I was going to suggest the same tank. I don't know of any other that come with a light but the Evo does.

 

Rfa's are a great option. Beautiful, but look like crap under heavy white light. Their colours come out with blues. 

 

I personally wouldn't move a tank full or even half full.

 

 

[campbell_wat]

I just recently moved my 5g tank from my house to my dorm. Relatively painless process, emptied it, covered the corals while still on the rock with wet paper towel and then filled it up with preheated SW that I had in a bucket waiting in my room. Drive from my house to dorm was about 30mins and the next day everything looked completely fine! 

 

In terms of tank, I am using a top fin retreat https://www.google.com/shopping/product/7331319747529760829?lsf=seller:8064,store:17040129365157687339&q=top fin retreat 5&hl=en&lsft=utm_source:google,utm_term:5230342,utm_medium:PLA,utm_content:GSC - Medium - Specialty - Fish - LIA Only | *Catch All,utm_campaign:GSC - Medium - Specialty - Fish - LIA Only&lsft=gclid:Cj0KCQjw5MLrBRClARIsAPG0WGx8hVt44h7-ColHz8JH3B6lbt7GfARkVeMfJ50dVCjrx9VCvjSVojQaAsi6EALw_wcB&utm_source=google&utm_medium=PLA&prds=hsec:specs

 

I hijacked the back compartment with a heater and a better return pump and different media. Also have a small circulation pump in the corner creating a gyre. 

 

And a 60$ budget hipagero light from amazon. I am growing some high end acros and montis with no issues. It is very doable to have a gorgeous tank in school, provided they dont outgrow your tank, I think you can keep almost any livestock you want, even if it requires heavy feeding... (My .02 is that girls LOVE hermit crabs, pulsing xenia, and sexy shrimp, not as impressed with the 300$ frags lol)

[IceParrot]

You could try a mangrove tank with zoas and rics on rubble rock.  You could stock with a penderson or some sexys for a easy tank. The reason I suggest mangroves is there are pretty easy to care for considering you are growing orchids (I always kill em), and it will like the “dirty” water.

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/lifegard-aquatics-crystal-aquarium-45-degree-low-iron-ultra-clear-3-8-gallon-with-built-in-side-filter

 

This wouldn’t be bad and it is less than 5g. Kinda on the expensive side though.

[Tired]

Ooh, that Fluval looks nice. It's about the right aesthetic, and I bet I could rig a little appearances-only hood. Price isn't bad either. I'll definitely look into that one and read up on how people have done with the lighting. 

Are there any that are the same idea as an all-in-one, with the separate filter compartment, but would need a light added? I'm not opposed to buying a tank and light separately, I mostly just want one of those hidden filter sections. Partly so no sea life can venture into the filters. 

 

Mangroves are cool, but I feel like they'd outgrow the tank, and also that height would be tricky to light. 

 

I thought about buying an over-large tank and not filling it completely, but apparently that's not within the rules. Too easy to just fill it up all the way when no one was looking, I guess. 

 

Rock flowers are gorgeous, but I'm reading they get to 6-8" across, which I feel is a bit too big, especially if it wanted to go walking. I'm leaning more towards minimax nems, but I'm reading some of those also get decently wide. I see a lot of different sizes stated for them, though, so I'm guessing there are multiple types that hit multiple sizes. I see anything from 1.5" to 6" listed as maximum size for minimax, 3 to 8 for rock flowers.

Can anyone suggest a suitable one? I'm looking for a little nem, preferably not larger than 3", though for a gorgeous one I might go 5". Something without too much of a sting or a tendency to go places, so it won't hurt my corals. I'd like to be able to set it up a nice spot in my tank, put it there, and have it not leave. 

 

Speaking of pulsing corals, is the xenia the only one that really moves noticeably, or is there something else relatively easy to keep that would do well in a nano and not take the whole thing over? I know GSPs can be pretty invasive, but could I put some of those in their own spot of high flow, so the 'tentacles' get moved by the water? I'd like some sort of motion to stare at sometimes. 

How hard are GSPs to scrape off of glass without hurting them? Do they peel off pretty easily? I'm thinking of suction cupping a little frag of 'em to the back wall to see if they'll cover it. I've seen pictures of them growing on glass, and it looks really cool. That'd make an ideal background as long as I kept 'em trimmed so they'd stay off the viewing glass. For transport, I could cover them in paper towels and let the towels wick up the water to keep the top parts damp. That'd work okay for an hour, right? 

 

I've carried a couple of small tanks. Definitely don't suggest moving any big ones with any kind of water in them, but when the tank is a pico, there's so much less water compared to the thickness of the tank walls. Though I guess if I were going to secure all the rockwork into one piece, I could just transfer that whole thing into a different container. 

 

Are there any putties that would work to stick live rock together underwater, or do I have to go with dry rock if I want to make multiple pieces into one piece? 

 

Are there any super-tiny burrowing snails? Nassarius seem a bit too large to really do much with a sandbed that's not going to be all that thick. I'm looking for something that can clean up scraps and also handle any rotting flesh to help prevent a crash.

 

One potential issue with any sort of arthropod: I need gluten-free food only due to food allergies in the family. Trying to keep the gluten trace contained is too much of a hassle to have fish food with gluten. Every pellet food I've ever found has gluten in it, though, as a binder. Would porcelain crabs, hermit crabs, or sexy shrimp (probably not all of 'em, those are just the possibilities) be okay if I just fed them frozen mysis and let them eat algae instead of a complete pellet? 

 

What do people do to keep a nano/pico from crashing if a snail or hermit dies of natural causes? Is the tank normally able to absorb the ammonia from a small dead thing? 

 

Tank crash causes that I know of are: 

Someone outside put something foreign (hairspray, etc) into the tank. 

Equipment failed and/or cooked tank.

Something in the tank died of unrelated things, there was an ammonia spike that killed other things, and voila.

User error (way too much food, forgot to top up for too long, accidentally topped up with salt too many times)

Power surge, heat wave, or cold wave affected the tank's ability to self-regulate. 

Caulerpa went sexual because it has no brain and doesn't understand limited space.

What am I forgetting? 

[Wonderboy]

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Too easy to just fill it up all the way when no one was looking, I guess. 

Hahaha

2 hours ago, Tired said:

I'd like to be able to set it up a nice spot in my tank, put it there, and have it not leave. 

It seems that with any nem, you have to be prepared to allow them to find a preferred spot - mini maxis tend to stay where you put them - RFAs tend to move for a short time and then hunker down when they find a spot. There are small 3 - 4" BTA, but those tend to move more than most. I think that if you give a RFA a shot you might find it easier to deal with than you thought.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

is there something else relatively easy to keep that would do well in a nano and not take the whole thing over?

Branching GSP, very hairy mushrooms, duncans, feather duster worms, leathers (run carbon), there's many, keep your eyes peeled

2 hours ago, Tired said:

I know GSPs can be pretty invasive, but could I put some of those in their own spot of high flow, so the 'tentacles' get moved by the water? How hard are GSPs to scrape off of glass without hurting them? Do they peel off pretty easily? I'm thinking of suction cupping a little frag of 'em to the back wall to see if they'll cover it.

You could put GSP on a rock not touching other rocks to keep them bound to an area. They are easy to peel off of slick surfaces / difficult to do so from rough surfaces. Putting them on the glass is fun - sometimes tedious in smaller tanks after it takes off. Not a bad look though, stay on top of it. Also recommend starting the frags at near the lowest point as GSP grows upwards the most.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

For transport, I could cover them in paper towels and let the towels wick up the water to keep the top parts damp. That'd work okay for an hour, right? 

The best way is to remove everything that may shift, but I have moved small tanks almost full while driving like grandma with little problems. I wouldn't bother with a towel - sounds messy and it could pull on things; just keep a SW spray bottle nearby if you must move the system with a lower water level.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Though I guess if I were going to secure all the rockwork into one piece, I could just transfer that whole thing into a different container. 

This would be ideal - and private containers is best for mobile specimen.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Are there any putties that would work to stick live rock together underwater, or do I have to go with dry rock if I want to make multiple pieces into one piece? 

I have tried putties underwater but didn't prefer the bond produced in the end. I use thick super glue myself - drain the tank to where bonding is needed and layer it on a few times, then refill.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Are there any super-tiny burrowing snails?

Dwarf ceriths, planaxis - I like dwarf ceriths

2 hours ago, Tired said:

Would porcelain crabs, hermit crabs, or sexy shrimp (probably not all of 'em, those are just the possibilities) be okay if I just fed them frozen mysis and let them eat algae instead of a complete pellet? 

I think that would be so much better for them than filler - actually it's kind of what I do, too.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

What do people do to keep a nano/pico from crashing if a snail or hermit dies of natural causes? Is the tank normally able to absorb the ammonia from a small dead thing? 

Yeah, normally. I leave it; the pods and worms will take care of it.

2 hours ago, Tired said:

What am I forgetting? 

I have seen live rock suddenly leech sulfur making hundreds of gallons a rotting mess, dinos can crash systems, oxygen acidification can also happen overnight. It's really not important to think of everything that can go awry before it's even possible - just keep in mind what influences your particular system while constructing and then over-evaluate the potential specifically there.