How Did You Discover Nano Reef Keeping?

[NanoNewbie77]

It all started with a little bitty 1/2 gallon tank with a betta in it when I was 11. At 12 i got a 2 gallon tank with 2 guppies- a boy and girl. Bam I had little fry swimming everywhere. So I bought a 10 gallon ... which seemed huge to me at the time. I reaserched my heart out and decided to breed fancy guppies. So 6 months or later I had a 20 gallon long and little fry everywhere. I got my best friend into it and we swaped fry and guppies for fun all the time.

 

After a year of it, I got so bored of the little guppies and of freshwater, so I tore it all down and stored it away. My best friend did the same and I thought it was all over until my dad suggested saltwater only a few months ago. Duh... why didn't I think of that?? Up goes the 20 gallon and I did some reaserch, but my dad just wanted to jump into it. He dragged me to petco (yes... yes i know) and a very nice petco guy (which owned a sw tank.. I think) set us up with what he could since petco didn't have the best in equipment. Crushed Coral, a crappy skimmer, a cheap hydrometer and one small piece of LR. Great. I found a awesome saltwater store nearby and they told me that I had a nano-reef. I was like, huh?? I did more reaserch, and found that everyone had like huge 55 gallon tanks... so I googled nano-reefs and I found this site. THANK GOD!!! I was saved!!! Everyone here was so nice in setting me up and getting me where I am today.

 

I'm now 14 with a 20L SW tank that has sand, 20 pounds of LR, and working on getting the money for a refractometer and a new, better skimmer. Right now it's going through a mini-cycle, but I've gone a very, very long way to where I am today thanks to this website.

haha crappy picture diagram, i know, but oh well you get the idea.

[10" Red Devil]

I first discovered nano reefing by seeing the tank of another aquarist on a different forum. I was blown away by the colors and diversity and felt that FW was not going to 'hold me' over time. What pushed me over the edge was seeing a setup JBJ NC 12G, obviously well placed near the register of a large lfs near me. I had to stare at the tank to determine if that fluorescent green was real or plastic (was an open brain and REAL).

 

I got started by reading for weeks here and decided on going with the NC but a 24 gallon since I thought it would hold a larger volume and be more stable. Purchased mine over Ebay after reading here, Paletta's book, Kurtz's book and fortunately, someone here picked me up as a lost wondering soul and became my guru. Credit goes to him..Trekbear and a single early helpful post by Slaeyer.

 

The hardest part about getting started was NOT getting started. That is, acquiring the information necessary prior to setup and having to stare at the big, colorful box containing an acquarium sitting on my living room floor with a reef picture on the side. After that, I think that learning to make 'interventions/decisions/ on your own with a tank science that seemed alien was very difficult. A bout with cyanobacteria was the greatest challenge. Most frustrating was seeing the photos of tanks by Tighaboy, Mikeguerrero, etc while I had a 'pile of rocks' in mine.

 

I"m sad to say that the main thing I would have done differently now is.....that...I would not have purchased a JBJ Nano Cube. My tank has a latent hairline crack which has me in limbo. The idea and design were brilliant, but, I think the engineering was lacking. In retrospect, I would have chosen an Oceanic 30G which probably stretches the true definition of a nano tank. It would have provided more room for livestock and more flexibility with design. However, the main 'flaw' that I was unaware of with the NC, that is, that it came with stock lighting, provided me with the best challenge.....to setup a tank under those conditions and also to provide help to others in setting up theirs. Am I really a reef tank owner now??? SH

 

 

Whoa steelhealr! That is one nice tank! I am speechless!

Edited July 2, 2006 by 10" Red Devil

[SCUBA BUZZ]

My Fish keeping lifestyle was a prgressive desiese... Started out with a single chiclid i got from a friend, and i hated the damn thing kept him in a 15 gallon with 2 green incadescent bulbs and i thought it looked terible never cleaned the filter threw way too much food in the tank never changed the water etc. I came to realize that if the tank wasnt an interest to me I'd never wanna maintain it... fast forward a bit and i saw a friends 180 gallon reef and fell in love thought it was amazing the most beautiful site I've ever seen in a glass cube (it was acryilc but whatever) i came to an amazing realization that day LIGHT!!!!!! light was the key I had tore down my 15 gallon and it was in the garage by this point. then one Christmas i got a book cant remember the name, but i spotted a fish i could get in town that was awsome a brackish water fish called Green Spotted Puffer I set my plan into action, I got a $10 light fixture from Canadian Tire with 1 x 15 watt NO tube in it and mounted it into my first custom built canopy out of scraps from the garage, Actualy turned out quite nice and is now residing on top of the same aquarium, but is no longer in my posession (it's over my EX girlfriends planted FW tank... I hope shes still enjoying it ), at the same time i had also bought a stand a $5 Solid Maple baby change table good buy that I still use today. the stand would fit a 25 gallon tall so thats the tank i bought a few years back (which BTW is a terible tank to try to run a FW planted in) I kept 3 Green Spotted Puffers in that tank for about 6 months but inevitably killed them (now i know why and its kinda embarasing) I switched the tank over to loaches and at about the same time made my first Nano tank it was a nano planted FW tank which had 50 watts of florescent light over 10 gallons of tank this was a fun tank i ran Co2 injection and had alot of real hard to keep plants in it also I had 20 inches of fish (this was my test to see if i could keep a reef tank) and kept them successfuly for about 3 months with frequent waterchanges. Then it all hit the fan one of the LFS started carying SW and i tried to resist and managed to for about 1 month I did some research and found this site and read and read and read, then one day that was it i was going to do a nano reef I went to the LFS and bought the following

 

1 x powersweep PH (worst investment ever)

1 x Cheep UGF plate (second worst investment ever)

1 x bag of live sand

1 large chunk of indo LR with a coral skelton on it

1 x bag of instant ocean

10 gallons RO/DI water

1 x 420 nm 15 watt bulb

1 x 10,000K 15 watt bulb

 

I put it all together and added a AC mini for extra flow and put filter floss in the uptube from the UGF and in the intake for the mini

 

and my nano reef was born!!!!! (Pic at the bottom)

 

Since then I have changed my canopy to a custom built Oak 130 watt PC, from its humble 50 watt beginigs I have never killed a coral knock on wood and have changed my 25G into the bigins of a beautiful reef...

[Samoyed]

i found the word nano tank, so i seached nano aquarium, and from a site from that i found the word nano reef, BAM GOOGLE BROUGHT ME HERE

[burtbollinger]

I was at the LFS and saw a decked out NC 24DX...I didn't know it was "nano" or whatever that meant...I just liked the look and size of the tank. It seemed that the maintenance would be acutally less of a hastle since I wouldnt have to lug so much water around. I had it in my mind that someday, I would get one....

 

When a long term relationship ended (8 years!), I desperately needed something to occupy my mind...and the idea of getting the NC popped front and center into my head. I sold the ring back, and dropped some of the money on the NC. Its been bliss ever since.

 

I love my tank, have never had any serious problems (other than a murderous sally lightfoot that killed a sixline) and think its one of the most beautiful tanks I've ever seen. I should probably put some pix up one of these days.

[freakintiger]

I was doing a search on nanotechnology on yahoo, when I came across nano-reefs. I was blown away by the idea that you could have an affordable SW tank! A couple of months later I moved and I found an abandoned 1.6g hex tank in the garage, this became my first pico, which has recently been broken down and incorporated into my sumped 10g tank.

It's been tough, but I'm glad I discovered this aspect of the hobby! Best part is, if you can keep a nano you can keep anything!

[junkitu]

A friend at work had an empty 13 gallon sitting in his office for years. One day last April he says that he's redoing his 150G tank at home and planned to use some of the LR to finally set up his nano at work. I've always wanted to try SW and he offered to give me the LR I needed to get started. Having him around to help me plus the fact that I was at work most of the day led me to decide to set up a cube of my own at the office. He suggested I get an all-in-one tank and that's when I found N-R.com while researching tanks. Now here I am posting to the site at 1 in the morning . This site and its members are amazing! I'm definitely hooked on nano reef keeping.

[lakshwadeep]

After reading Marine fish & reef USA and some Aquarium fish magazines in 2002, I decided that saltwater aquariums were much more colorful than freshwater set-ups. So, in a rush to get what I thought was the smallest beginner setup, I bought a 55 gallon tank, a HOB filter, a protein skimmer, salt, etc. The price, which still didn't include an adequate lighting system or any live rock or livestock, was more than $500. AFter about 3 days of realizing the extra costs, I returned everything.

 

I felt like so many potential reef aquarists that saltwater was out of reach for my budget.

 

Then, I read an April 2003 Aquarium fish article called "Fish for the Nano-Reef" by Scott Michael. On the first page nano-reef.com was the only web link. With that, I started my 20 gallon tank for 2 1/2 yrs until 2006. By then I took it apart because school was taking up all my time trying to study for AP tests. So, now that I'm free for the summer, I've decided to restart my tank, slowly.

 

This site has given so much information that magazine articles can't give, and I thank you, Christopher Marks and more-experienced members, for giving small-budget reefers a chance to keep a piece of the ocean in their homes.

[fisha-nado]

March of 2006 I had just started this 1.5 gallon goldfish bowl;

It sits at work on my desk now with two tiny hermits and an astrea snail. It has been very stable for a week or 2, and is officially due for improvement$ this week.

 

August 1, 06 - I'm back for an update, if anyone is interested;

 

I found out how touchy the levels can be on a small tank by trying to bring up the ph two different times. The first time I lost a blood shrimp. The second caused the calcium to precipitate and dusted everything in the tank, but I didn't lose anything that time. I now add such small amounts when I DO add anything, that the level barely changes color at all. I will repeat that until the level is correct.

 

That was the learning part, the rest is a success.

 

I read several accounts here that discouraged trying a tank so small. I was not encouraged but decided to try a 1.5 g. tank even if I had to stick to crabs. I found a very nice little cherub angel at an LFS, acclimated him in the typical way, and he is doing great now 4 1/2 months later.

 

He has been dubbed "Mango" and he likes escargot when he can get it, but every weekday I feed him either frozen pygmy formula or dry pellets. (skipping the weekends)

The quantity is very important. Too much will cloud the glass with brown algae FAST. I bring water changes from home in a thermos, brush down the glass, empty about half, pour in the new water, done. The levels are VERY stable so far, I only need to check the ph every 2 weeks or so, changes are when the glass gets dirty, about 2 weeks also.

If anyone has a great idea for the algae that doesn't involve snails let me know. :-)

[skilter]

summer of 01 i was working two jobs, no girlfriend and besides working on my truck i though why not get another aquarium. but this time i decided on salt, the rest is history. i started with a 10g with a skilter 250 protein skimmer mod, then upgraded to a 29g, then to a 40g... then i moved. went without a tank for another 2 years then got a nano cube 12, which is what i still have now. its not much of a nc anymore, except for the tank itself.

Edited August 4, 2006 by skilter

[schnell76]

I used to have a 58 gallon oceanic tank that I made into a softie reef after a couple years of fish only. Had the 58 reef for about 5 years and broke it down in 2000 to move across country. I did not want the hassle or time & money involved at the new house so I exited the hobby for about 5 years. I got a Dr foster catalog for some reason and noticed the nanocube and have been wanting to get back into the hobby just did not want to dump thousands of dollars into it. Bought the 12 gal dx in April of 06 and has been going from there. It is just going to be a Ricordia/shroom and Zoa tank with a pair of perc clowns (my wifes idea after disney decided to make nemo). Now I am happy that I have a tank to enjoy and mess with and my wife is happy that we will get a pair of percs, and not to mention we are not broke!

 

Next step is to convince her that we need to "expand" the 12 gal into the old 30 gal long that we have had sitting in the garage ever since the move 5 years ago

[virenex]

two words: Flea Market

 

i got a nano cube 24g dx for $20 without the hood but with everything else working. i got a great hood for it from Richard on this site, yay! overall i saved money but i didn't set up the saltwater tank until i tried to save this beastly toadfish/stonefish? from a chinese restaurant (they were going to eat it). to make a long story short though the fish didn't make it but the saltwater i have let cycle for weeks w/ live rock so now im planning to put slightly smaler fish in ;P

[Horace28]

I actually was never in to salt water fish at all until I met my boyfriend. He has an 80 gallon saltwater aquarium and I fell in love with it. He had a brand new 25 gallon unused fish tank with a stand in his room and he gave it to me. I started this about a year ago and I have completely fallen in love with this hobby. Every creature in my tank is so amazing and I love just sitting in front of my tank watching everyone scurry about. It has not been easy but I love the challenge. I had a pretty big Ich problem in the beggining but I got through it and now I have two happy and healthy fish. I have a six line wrasse, and a flame tail blenny and I love them!

[juin21]

2001, I believe.....I don't quite remember it was so long ago (Look at my member ID #). I was visiting family in Korea and Japan and visited Tokyo Tower. At the base of the tower there was an aquarium. This is were I met Mr. Mandarin and said I want one of those. I however was a poor college student and discovered that keeping a mandarin was impossible since I could not fit a 50 gallon in my apartment.

 

I also could not afford a tank that size. I however could afford a 7 gallon mini-bow and began my trip into fish keeping reading nano-reef.com almost everyday. After reading that it took alot of work to upkeep such a small tank I decided to go with freshwater first then to move up to salt water after a bit of practice and after I graduated from college (which eventually became lawschool).

 

That is were my story ended for about 5 years. Then on one faithful morning, after my now empt tank sat in my new apartment I began interviewing for an assistant.

 

One of the questions I asked during the interview was what hobbies he had. He answered that he liked fish (Which he actually really doesn't, he has more a thing for corals) at which point I said so do I. I then said you probably wouldn't know anything about Nano reefs, at which point he said.....uhm.....yeah.....

 

I was shocked, someone else that knew about nano-reefs! He then said he was kinda the head mod for a website. I looked at him, with a somewhat confused look and said well the only website that deals with Nano's is nano-reef.com. He said....YUP! And so ADIN has helped me set up my new 7 gallon minibow.

 

Edited August 21, 2006 by juin21

[tinyreef]

I was shocked, someone else that knew about nano-reefs! He then said he was kinda the head mod for a website. I looked at him, with a somewhat confused look and said well the only website that deals with Nano's is nano-reef.com. He said....YUP! And so ADIN has helped me set up my new 7 gallon minibow.

omgadinbrownoser.

[Bonebrake]

I got started by reading forums. Three years later, I purchased a JBJ 24 Gal. DX. I rushed the setup process and put in a silica-based sand because at the time I could not find an aragonite-based sand. That is really the only thing I regret. I think most all mistakes in this hobby are due to a lack of research or lack of patience.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2006 by Bonebrake

[mck_reef]

I work for a pet shop here in Panama (right, by the Panama Canal) they offer fresh and some basic salt water aquariums, and I have been building/installing aquariums for quite a long time, but to be honest to you guys this is the first time I read about those PICO aquariums,( which I´d apreciate if someone can take the time to define that word, are those 4 letters initials? ) so probably my answer to the question in this threat would be that I discovered nano reef here in nanoreef.com, which I found while wandering on the internet looking for aquarium stuff, checking the forum I have seen such beautiful aquariums that I have to have one of those.

I´m planning to learn as much as possible from you guys in order to start as soon as possible, here is very easy to collect clean natural water and reef species, of course the collection of wild species is regulated but I´m planning to start a 20 or 25 Gls so is not more than a couple of pieces of rock and corals what I´ll need, I´ll try to post pics of my first nano as soon as started.

 

I´m open to suggestion, ideas, plans, etc. My email: mck_reef_panama@hotmail.com

 

Regards

from The Rep. Of Panama to you all new friends

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome mck_reef! http://www.nano-reef.com/glossary/?word=pico

[Weetabix7]

I really kind of "discovered" it on my own back in '95 or so.

I fell in love with fishy stuff in the early '90's when my husband made the mistake of taking me into a Petsmart for a betta bowl. We left with a 10 gallon setup, an angelfish, an oscar, a puffer, a kuhli loach and a little frog. I can't believe they sold that combo to a clueless newbie! Obviously, I learned a few lessons real fast, LOL!!

About a year later, I walked into an aquarium store that sold SW as well as FW, and just about fell over! I had no idea you could keep that kind of stuff in an aquarium, and the obsession began. I literally dreamed about SW fish for a while.

Unfortunately, I was a VERY poor newlywed.

Skip ahead a couple of years to a move to S. Florida and a new job in the LFS. By this point, I had done A LOT of research, and after some interesting conversations with a unique and knowledgeable coworker in the SW section of the store, I decided to ignore everybody who said it was impossible to do a small SW tank. I set up a 10g AGA with 2 VHO bulbs (this was before PC) a couple of pink skunks and a LT anemone (yes, yes I know, but I didn't know better then!) some xenia and some shrooms. Believe it or not, the anemone outlasted everyone else in the tank, surviving a tank crash due to bug spray and a couple of bouts w/a powerhead!

I had a very long hiatus due to a couple of cross-country moves, a divorce, and some other interesting life events, and just started back in again w/a 5.5 AGA for my birthday in May.

I am very, very happy with my new underwater garden. I've been taking things very slow, and so far have only lost 1 snail. I finally got the rockwork perfect (it only took me 3 months!) and even though I still only have "beginner" corals, everything is very healthy and looks very nice. One of these days I may even post a FTS once I find my digital camera, which is currently awol!

I've really enjoyed reading and talking with everyone on here, and benefitting from their knowledge.

BTW, I really want a neon green frogspawn for my next coral, so if anyone has a frag or can make a frag for me, PM me.

Thanks all!

[mck_reef]

Welcome mck_reef! http://www.nano-reef.com/glossary/?word=pico

 

thanks

[pastarican]

I had read about this site through a cichlid site. Someone had a 5 gallon tank he wanted to use in his office, and someone suggested a nano reef. I followed the link, and became intrigued. After planning for a while, I switched my 29 gallon from fresh to salt. It was a fairly smooth transition, but if there's one thing I could have done differently it's this: wish I used finer sand. Otherwise, I like it a lot. I keep finding myself wanting to put in "just one more coral" , but I manage to resist the temptation. Although, I do have a 5 gallon sitting around....

 

-M-

[wav3form]

I got banned from RC so I needed to find a new, less militant, reef site.

[reefone]

purely accident.but it is a great site w/lots of info and the people r very helpful

[tinyreef]

I got banned from RC so I needed to find a new, less militant, reef site.

welcome to the revolution, comrade!

[InLimbo87]

I got banned from RC so I needed to find a new, less militant, reef site.

 

And one where you can use the search function. lol

 

I actually was looking into starting a saltwater fish tank and discovered this site through a honda forum. lol I was really into cars, but i was browsing around the general discussion forum and they were talking about fish tanks. Anyways, I got linked to this site and the rest is history.