So I've been researching the idea of a coral tank for he past few weeks and I still had a few questions. First, I was wondering what kind of tank would y'all recommend for a 2-4 gallon setup? I was also considering using a vase or similar glass container, would that work out well? I move between two different apartments a few times a year, are there any coral species (or other tank creatures) you guy would suggest that could live in such as small tank and cope with the movement? I'd love to put a few shrimp or crabs in, as I know the tank would be way too small for a fish of any type. I'd also appreciate any tips or tricks you guys have for microtanks, I'm excited to start the hobby and want to do it right.
Microtank with Corals
- Thread starter SomethingSortaFishy
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hey! we can definitely do it with a vase. the way they curve at the top to hold a cheap plastic dish planter lid turned up side down makes them the most stable salinity of any aquarium on this forum, using no machinery to top it off. what you're signing up for is adding distilled water about 2x a week, and water changes 50%-100% at least twice a month and you feed only right before the water change. any commonly kept species of entry starter corals that can physically fit in a vase have already been grown in them online posts show. Entry starter corals are any frag you pay $5-$25 for, that'll keep in a reefbowl.
wait a month after setup before adding extra things like shrimp or crabs, this is research time for the right ones
you need to factor a light that costs about $25 from amazon, the abi tuna for nano reefs, and then the heater and airstone arrangement. then some of the best live rock you can find from an already running reef tank, don't bring up dry rock it takes years and is not fun and gets invaded constantly. use living purple coralline expensive available from a reef tank live rock. get a few frags to run it with, its simple. you'll be storing up 5 gallons of made saltwater somewhere, to do water changes.
wait a month after setup before adding extra things like shrimp or crabs, this is research time for the right ones
you need to factor a light that costs about $25 from amazon, the abi tuna for nano reefs, and then the heater and airstone arrangement. then some of the best live rock you can find from an already running reef tank, don't bring up dry rock it takes years and is not fun and gets invaded constantly. use living purple coralline expensive available from a reef tank live rock. get a few frags to run it with, its simple. you'll be storing up 5 gallons of made saltwater somewhere, to do water changes.
an ideal one to copy is Maritza the vase reef on facebook, look them up and we can set up the backbone to that operation for about 150$. a reef vase is simply the cheapest way you can possibly set up a reef tank that grows sps and lps like a full reef. its the most stable of nano designs, so its ideal for a starter tank. with no fish, they hardly ever die we like them because first time reefers can use them consistently.
People who have not kept vases assume at 1-2 gallons they're unstable, its the total reverse. they're the most stable of any aquarium on this forum
/bet and its all due to the salinity control trick. these systems are designed to evaporate about 95% less than standard tanks. on vacation Ill leave my bowl alone for eight days easy, no other larger (stable) reef can do even one day ~ without supporting machinery. these are stable, but not against nerf balls ha.
People who have not kept vases assume at 1-2 gallons they're unstable, its the total reverse. they're the most stable of any aquarium on this forum
/bet and its all due to the salinity control trick. these systems are designed to evaporate about 95% less than standard tanks. on vacation Ill leave my bowl alone for eight days easy, no other larger (stable) reef can do even one day ~ without supporting machinery. these are stable, but not against nerf balls ha.
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toxicshark
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Welcome to Reef2Reef!!
I have a pico (3.5 Gallons) that has been established for a month and a half, and right now, it is looking great. I currently have 3 corals, 3 sexy shrimp, a porcelain crab, and a nassarius snail. If you click on my Build Thread Contributor badge it will take you to my build and you can check it out if you want.
Just from my one experience with this one tank, I have been successful doing about a 20-50% water change weekly and adding a small sponge filter. A lot of people may not want to add the sponge for aesthetic reasons, but I have noticed that it does a great job dealing with waste from the 3 shrimp, oxygenating the water, and creating movement. It can also be hid in the background. If you go the corals only route then you most likely won't need one, and you can use an air stone.
I check for water evaporation daily with either a tiny line I drew on the glass or sliding my thermometer around to match the water level. I typically top off every one to two days. My lid is just an acrylic piece I had cut from a broken picture/poster frame and placed on top of the aquarium.
As suggest by brandon429, lots of people use vases, and I have had coral growth using that $25 amazon bulb. However, I used a mix of dry Lace Rock and cheap live reef rock rubble to help the tank cycle.
Hope this helps and Happy Reefing!
I have a pico (3.5 Gallons) that has been established for a month and a half, and right now, it is looking great. I currently have 3 corals, 3 sexy shrimp, a porcelain crab, and a nassarius snail. If you click on my Build Thread Contributor badge it will take you to my build and you can check it out if you want.
Just from my one experience with this one tank, I have been successful doing about a 20-50% water change weekly and adding a small sponge filter. A lot of people may not want to add the sponge for aesthetic reasons, but I have noticed that it does a great job dealing with waste from the 3 shrimp, oxygenating the water, and creating movement. It can also be hid in the background. If you go the corals only route then you most likely won't need one, and you can use an air stone.
I check for water evaporation daily with either a tiny line I drew on the glass or sliding my thermometer around to match the water level. I typically top off every one to two days. My lid is just an acrylic piece I had cut from a broken picture/poster frame and placed on top of the aquarium.
As suggest by brandon429, lots of people use vases, and I have had coral growth using that $25 amazon bulb. However, I used a mix of dry Lace Rock and cheap live reef rock rubble to help the tank cycle.
Hope this helps and Happy Reefing!
toxicshark
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Also zoanthids are some pretty easy corals that could probably handle the moving well.
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