Should I get a Nano Tank?

[Wazsbeauty1004]

Hi,

My name is Shannon and my boyfriend is thinking about setting me up with a nano-tank. He has a 72 gal bow front tank which is really nice, and he knows he stuff. He's telling me that I can put shrimp and corals in my tank, but I would like to get true pericula clown fish, and an anenome, with maybe a sexy shrimp, and a star fish. Is this possible? If not, what type of fish can I put into a nano-tank (say about 2.5-5 gallons)???

[pyrotech]

That is a fairly small size tank to put much of any particular fish without first checking to see what small fish that you can get at your local fish store, and remeber that you will also have to find a anemone that is small enough to fit in the tank. I have had quite a few Nano tanks from one gallon and up the best thing that you can do is look around your lfs and try to find the smallest little fish that you can. If you can get on the good side with one of the store owners you can try to get them to special order you a tank raised clown fish that would be small enough. Just take your time and make sure to set up the tank as natural as possible then everything should go well.

[Wazsbeauty1004]

Thanks for the advice. I understand that with a small tank, you would have small fish and usually frags, but I was just wondering if it was possible to have 2 true percs and a sexy shrimp, or would that be pushing it. If so, I will probably have to resort getting a little bigger tank. Yet again thanks for the advice.

[ODOG]

In a 2.5 or 5.5 gallon yes...that's way pushing it. In fact I think for both of those tanks fishless is the way to go. I clown I think min would be 10 gallon, but obviously anything bigger would be better. As far as the sexy shrimp either of the tanks u want are fine, but I don't know how they would react with the fish. Those sexy shrimp seem a little delicate to me.

[uglybuckling]

You don't need an anemone to keep a clownfish, and though clownfish are very easy to keep, anemones are extremely hard to keep. Though possible to keep one in a tank this small, it would be very difficult.

 

Clownfish will host in all kinds of stuff, including corals. My friend had one that hosted in a xenia, and over in the beginner's forum right now there's a thread talking about one that's hosting in some GSP. Both xenia and GSP give you that neat "wavy" feeling you get watching an anemone, and both of them are way easier to keep than an anemone.

 

Please consider an anemone-less nano.

 

--B

[kayakrob]

If you just want something for your clowns to live/sleep/play in, try a leather coral of some type. i have two in my tank and my clown loves the finger leather.. he sleeps there every night and loves to play in it. they are super easy to keep!! i've heard that clowns will live in whatever is the best thing they can find. so a leather coral might be a good choice.

[ryansreef]

i heard that anenome move around in a tank and if that is the case then it would kill other coral from the stings wouldnt it? that small of a tank wouldnt allow it the space to move in

[Cesar]

Nah I say dont do it. That's quite a small tank. If you and your boyfriend have your hearts settled with a tank that small I say do just coral. IMO I think clowns should be kept in tanks that are at least 10 gallons. But i've seen people keep them in 5 gallons too. I wouldn't do it personally. You can place some nice looking Xenia's, mushrooms, Ric's and things like that. An anemone can be a handfull. I have a RBTA, which is not considered a very hard anemone to keep but the thing is that if that anemone decides to move for some reason then you can have a bit of a problem.

[kalireef]

I agree with Cesar. An anemone should be kept in a bigger tank so it has more space to move without damaging corals in it's path.

[kappa]

Wazsbeauty1004, Here is another option. Regardless of what some my say, you might think about trying the anenome with the clown anyway, as many lfs has done. You can try whatever you want, and learn from it. If you plan on doing the anenome with clown, you might find that it is a hell of alot of work, and could be very stressful to keep because alot of water changes must be performed, and the water parimeters are hard to deal with.

[Tigahboy]

Kappa...stop trying to turn ppl to the "darkside" of reefing. I am darth vader. I am your father. *deep belabored breathing* I command you to stop, my son.

[ebin]

Do people really have thier anemone's moving that much mine hasent really moved in a year.

[Tigahboy]

I only had mine for 1 week or so....my sucker moved A LOL...but hopefully he likes the spot he's been in for the past 2 days...he's really frying my tubinaria tho...=/ If that sucker wasnt epoxied to my LR, I would move him sooner...

[kappa]

To Tigahboy:

Muhahahahhahahahha. Btw I cleared my mailbox.

 

I know that sometimes, whatever good advice more experinced reefers may give, some new nano reefers will disregard it anyways. I just wanted to help the guy out if he choose not to listen to wise advice that you gave him.

 

I have an anenome, It is getting too big for my taste in a nano reef! I want to get a small one now.

[Wazsbeauty1004]

Wow, Thanks for all the replys and input that you guys have given me, i think we have decided not to get an anenome, but we are still thinking about getting a clown, its still in debate though. I don't want anything that won't be happy in a small tank. Thanks again.

[Bikelock]

Tank raised False Perc in 5gal mini, no anenome, going on 9 months. Anenome in in this small of tank seems like a time bomb IMHO.

 

There is just not alot of room in there.