Nano reef?

[Neatfish]

Been thinking of setting up a nano reef in the future. This is the equipment that I already have 1. 3g picotope or 5.5g tank 2. AC 70 filter 3.K nano 240 pump. Would it be over kill if I run both the filter and pump? For the light I'm thinking of a par 30 bulb. What tank should I use?

 

[tanker]

Bigger is always better. If you do not have fish, you really cannot have too much flow. I do not like "filters" in a reef. Lots of flow, lights, and LR would be best--"Berlin Method".

 

[Neatfish]

I know bigger is better but I like nano tanks its all I can have in my apartment. I probably want one clown fish and a few hermit crabs or pom pom crab and some shrimp.

 

[fsn77]

I'd choose whichever of those two tank sizes (or possibly shapes) you prefer. The things to watch out for with either size tank will be the same, and as long as you're there to keep up with it a couple times daily (or set up an automatic top-off), either can be as nice as you're will to put the work in to make it.

In either size tank, however, you're not going to be able to keep a clown. There's just not enough tank for one. By the time you add any kind of substrate and some live rock / rubble, I wouldn't be surprised if 1/5 to 1/4 of the tank volume is taken up. A shrimp, crab, snail, etc. would be fine, but you're not going to be able to put more than 2 - 5 in the tank total, depending on which you choose. If you have an adequate light, drop in a frag of a couple nice corals you like, and grow yourself something like a mini zoa or mushroom garden. It really has the potential to look great, just skip the clown fish.

 

[tanker]

I agree with FSN77. He said it all. A clown is too much for even the 5gal,

 

[Neatfish]

Yellow clown goby?

 

[fsn77]

If you could jump up to a 10g tank, I'd feel much better about thinking of putting a clown goby in there. But, I've seen people that put a clown goby in a 5.5g tank.

In a 3g - 5.5g tank, there's so little water to dilute waste / nitrates / phosphates. If you tend to feed heavily, there's a lot of potential for episodes of algae blooms. It won't be hard at all to create a lot of extra work for yourself keeping up with even a clown goby in such a small amount of water.

 

[Neatfish]

Think I'll just use the picotope, I'm thinking bare bottom with live rock and soft corals probably some button corals and green star polyps and mushrooms.

 

[Neatfish]

Really want at least one fish though so I'm not really sure.

 

[tanker]

Neon Goby, or shoot for a 10gal.