7 Gallon Nano Reef Pics

[ggee1]

Thought I'd post a few pics of the nano tank since I had some updated photo's that I took last weekend.

Equipment:

Tetra Tec (HOB) w/heater
Power Sweep Powerhead
Life Lite Retrofit 32 watt

Livestock:

2 Percula Clowns
1 Acropora Frag
1 Star Polyp (that has doubled its size since introduced to the nano)
1 Maze Brain Coral
1 Button Polyp
1 Budding Gonioproa (was purchased as a gift for my birthday, I've heard not such good stories about longevity in captivity. We will see!! :roll:
4 Turbo Snails
5 Blue legged Hermits
8lbs of Fiji Live Rock
20 lbs of Live Sand

 

[shalegac]

How long has your tank been setup? You should dump the turbos in such a small tank, you will have plenty of other hitchhicker snails. Nice tank though, really clean and setup nice.

 

[ggee1]

Thanks! The tank has been set up since October 12 of last year.

 

[brandon4291]

Yes that is a very nice aquarium. Nice corals and they look very healthy.

Is your system unskimmed? Hope so, I love to see people keeping fish in unskimmed systems (well-planned ones of course) so I can pick their brains for nitrate/ammonia readings in their given system. I figure if you can keep two medium clowns unskimmed in 7 gallons, then maybe one clown in a 3gallon would be okay and even further than that, maybe one tiny goby in a 1 gallon would also work over the long haul. I have not kept marine fish in unskimmed systems for any length of time and its neat to see who does. great job

b429

 

[shalegac]

I currently have two percs in a ten gallon unskimmed if that helps. Readings are all good.

 

[ggee1]

Nope! No skimmer and as shalegac said, levels are fine! A few months ago I had a problem with the ammonia going up a little but by the next day it was gone! I do a weekly water change of about one gallon that was premixed with R/O the week before, which I keep in a gallon jug with an airstone. So far so good! I'm suprised to that the corals are doing as well as they are, knock on wood!

 

[shalegac]

I am lazzzzy. I only do 1 water change per month. Even still my perameters are always right on (knock on wood)

 

[Anonymous]

Small tanks are great for going skimmerless, a 50% water change only takes two minutes!
Jim

 

[Fishgod]

I have a 12gal system, unskimmed, with flame angel, percula, and flame cardinal. have been running fine for 8 months or so with 2-3gal water changes monthly, and carbon/media filtration.

I had a Dragonet but after much good advice on here about overstocking returned him to the LFS.

My tests are always fine, except when I need a water change.
Then nitrates come up .1-.15, but nitrites and ammonia are always 0. Never had any traceable amounts of them, except from cycling.

 

[MiltonP]

Fishgod, You made the right choice with the mandarin. Hopefully, he'll get a big reef to play in.

If you can find a red (cherry) head goby that hasn't been conditioned to heavy/multiple daily feedings of prepped food it should make a nice fish for a small nano. I believe it eats pods in the wild but has a smaller appetite and/or belly than the mandarins/dragonets.

I have seen bicolor blennies in nanos. Again, you would want one that hasn't forgotten its natural diet of microalgae.

Both these fish have entertaining personalities. You just have to get close to watch the cherry head.

Sexy shrimp also offer a lot of booty shaking for the buck and size.