So, I'm thinking about joining the nano competition . . .

[RobertoVespucci]

Seems that there's a little bit of change in my lifestyle and I need to be a bit more mobile than a larger tank wil let me be, as n move aboutonce every 12-18 months for the next 4-8 years. So, small seems good atm, and since there's a competition . . . .

The design I have in mind will have a display area of about 7.5-8 gallons. Total system volume wil be nearly 20 gallons, 18+ for sure. Assuming size apprioriate animals, how much livestock is overstocked? Looking at other nanos, I don't think the 1" per 5 g rule applies.

 

[brandon4291]

Nah you're right, too much dependency on water change interval and volume replaced to equate an inch-per-gallon assessment... I think the common nano approach is to set a target bioload (within reason) then adjust water change schedules to the maximum and minimum allowances of certain compounds such as nitrate and/or calcium, alk--

We'd really be glad to have you join the competition, I am seeing a lot of creativity in the various posts and am interested to see your angle of approach as well. Much to be done with a 7 gallon tank and 10+ in plumbing!

brandon429

 

[Anonymous]

1" of fish? id keep it to one fish at 7gal maybe two if its small like a neon goby or a clown goby...As for corals, you could pretty much pack a system like that easily with little maintenance..IMO...

 

[RobertoVespucci]

Aiight, flame away - 'cuz here's my plan:

10 gallon aquarium with a divider on one end to hide overflows/drains, 96w PC over the top of that.

8-10 gallon sump underneath containing return pump, macro bed, and a skimmer (I have a seaclone 100, crappy I know but even a Pinto can tow a poodle, right?).

For substrate I'm going to use about 1" of mixed sugar sized aragonite and pulverized volcanic rock. With luck it'll be pink.

This baby will be patch reef/lagoonal and current will occur over the display divider in tidal format.

The display will have a chunk or two of live rock, seagrass ( or calciferous algaes if it comes to that), a pair of hippocampus barbouri, an appropriate lps coral, 2-3 sexy shrimp, and probably little if anything else. For the macro bed I'm leaning towards chaetomorpha.

So, aside from what's wrong with the plan, can anyone recommend a seagrass that can handle being in a short column? Is 15 watt NO enough for chaeto 24/7? Any recommendations for small detrivores native to the south china sea? (Best I've come up with so far is to just add in mysids and feeder shrimp as the ponies eat them. I'd like to do better. Peppermint snails would be the bomb if they weren't from the west indies.)