To Nano or Not To Nano?

[Anonymous]

I am wrestling with the nanofictation bug that has bitten me...

Ok, lay it out for me; how much does it cost to maintain a nano? Forget startup; for what IVe got in mind, Im pretty sure I can cover it with what I already have plus an extra $40 or so here and there... Unless I go with that wicked NanoCube!... Or am I wrong about the startup?... Guess thats a very unspecific question there, but nyah anyway!

Maintenance costs are what I fear, with currently no stable form of income... What size of a tank is easiest to maintain--economically and otherwise (manual labor, of wich I fein)--and yet still provides sufficient awesomeness? A mantis setup? A half-gallon "Aqua Vase" with a few zoos and a shrimp? A full-fledged "12 gallon" Nanocube? 20 gallons? Awesomeness?
I think Ive officially succumbed to the mantis affliction, too... *sighs the sigh of defeat to something cooler than cool* Damnit Hwarang! Why must you forge a path of spectacular, awesome w00tage that the rest of us must try enviously to persue?! Travishamockery! ARGH!

Well, Im all ears (eyes, really [which are consequently tired from this damn white backround and black font; hooray for maddox!]) for whatever you guys can toss my way!
Thanks for whatever is tossed (unless its a grenade)!

 

[Anonymous]

LOL man, you are going to give me a huge ego head. I'm just a noob you know.

The cost to maintain most moderate sized tanks isn't that great, and of course it is a lot less when you have less volume ... you dose less (or not at all), you have less fish to feed, it consumes less power ... all that stuff.

I recently upgraded my mantis' home from a 2.5 to a 5.5, and if you're going to get a mantis, I recommend this. The water volume is a little more stable and does not require such a maintenance hassle. Here's what I made my 5.5 mantis out of. I'd post pix, but it'll be a month or two before I can really get it shaped up and spanky looking.

• 5.5g AGA tank - $14.99 it includes a Flat glass top - i removed the plastic joint and use only the two glass slats now.

• Very small heater for cold nights - $9.99 (placed in fuge so mantis don't break it)

• 32wPC 50/50 ... i had this on hand but they are not that expensive. I put it in the housing that normally fits atop the 5.5

• ac300 filter used as fuge... i left the basket in and threw rubble in it with some caulerpa ... it was about $35

• surface skimmer attachement and smaller impeller for reduced flow (need this or it's too much for a 5.5g) ... total $20

• small clip on red sea PC lightbulb for fuge ... $14.99

• a little bit o' sand, some rocks.


....

Maintenance:

1. daily water top off ... 1/4 to 1/2 gallon
2. bi weekly b-ionic does
3. feeding (krill) ... one $10 package will probably last the life of the mantis
4. scrape algae

.. so it's not too costly, and it's a little more stable than the 2.5g ... it's just right for me.

 

[Anonymous]

[double post, oops]

 

[Anonymous]

my tank is considered border line nano (actually all tanks are nano in comparison to most reefs ) and i lose about a gal a day of evap and skimming. I dont think there is any more cost into a nano as there would be a larger tank..you can check out my tank here in the members forum..its not as cool looking as Hwarangs (IMO again boosting you ego)ive had a few compliments here and there...i think my tank looks better in person..but seeing it can give you ideas on what to do...I dose manually with kalk and tropic marin calcium which seems to have boosted the coralline growth in my tank..i have a bak pak 2r skimmer and 175W MH light system supplemented with ropelights for the moon effect...I myself, am gonna invest in a 12gal nano cube and try some seahorses for my wife..she is bothering me...but Hwarang is right, i dont believe the cost money wise will be any more but maybe the attention and time spent on a smaller tank will be more costly?