How do they do it?

Nepherael

Nepherael

AC Members
May 11, 2012
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Warsaw, IN
Real Name
Brandon
So I've been working on setting up a 125g tank lately (and I'm very close. Will have a progress thread up soon as I'm only 2 pieces of equipment short and should only be a couple weeks) and also a 10g both salt. I keep getting recommended very high gallonage filters for the smaller tank (which of course is smart with any tank) and a lot of equipment. Why is it that I see 3-10g salt tanks with nothing more than a power filter that seem to be doing great?

Heres what made me ask this. I wanted to setup a 10g tank with seahorses (now maybe considering something different though) and I was recommended high GPH filters, protein skimmers, and other stuff but then I see this ~3 gallon fluval edge tank that has 2 very small clownfish in it, hosting nems, and the nems and liverock and fish seem to be doing excellent with no extra lighting or filtration besides what is built into this fluval edge. I'll include a pic

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the one I saw was more up and down (and smaller than the one pictured) and the nems were living at the top but still how is this working? Is it really that easy? I almost bought a fluval edge today that looked like the one pictured. It was 6g and I want to know if I really could have had a saltwater setup in it as it comes and why with other small SW tanks there's more involved with what I've been recommended to buy and such. Is there some different way it is handled or something? Is it just more experienced people that can get away with that? Just very intrigued by this.

1341264561334.jpg
 
There are many fluval edge marine nanos out there but it's one that people do not recommend. Especially since the small amount of lighting available on a stock tank will support no coral life. Many DIY modifications are required for those tanks to make a healthy tank. If you want to start something small I would highly recommend a JBJ or CoraLife set up, even those, people begin to hate by limited space and lighting. I'm currently having trouble finding a skimmer that fits and works well with my 14g BioCube. If you want maximum room for improvement on a nano size I would recommend making your own. The Bio / Nano cubes are great but the hood is problematic and really limits your options of lighting and filtration.
 
Hmm yeah I've seen ones growing those anemones without any extra stuff that's why I was asking. I just don't get it. I do know they sell light addons for those edge tanks for corals but I know for sure the one I looked at didn't have that.

Can you elaborate on the tanks you just suggested? I actually don't necessarily need reef lighting or any significant space because I want a small dwarf seahorse tank but if the tanks you're talking about are small with adequate reef lighting then that might change what I want to do. On a side note are there dwarf clownfish? I saw 2 in a 3 gallon tank like the one I pictured hosting an anemone but I thought they grew a lot bigger unless there's just a dwarf version.

now what I'm wondering is how it is even possible for them to have that tank with healthy fish, liverock, an anemones. I'm not talking pictures or anything I was actually looking at this tank right in front of me in a lfs with no extra filtration, no protein skimmer, and nothing else except for how the tank comes. I just don't get how they made it function well that way especially without any extra lighting (I do know they come with LED lights and moonlights and it says it can be used for corals on the box but I can't remember the specs) or skimming or anything
 
I was just wondering for a few reasons. I may need a very small grow out tank, I already have my 125g I'm setting up for salt but I would love a coffe table display, and I knew of dwarf seahorse tanks that were as small as one gallon (which it says is adequate space for more than one of them even).
 
If you go to YouTube and type in pico reef, you'll see tons of examples of tiny little tanks with corals in them. It's just a fad this hobby is going through, if you ask me...

I'm sure this is not completely true, but I'm skeptical of the long term success of many of these. For one thing, the corals will simply outgrow this system...then what? Since corals are sort of like plants in that they are alive, but don't really "feel" - I suppose there is not really an ethical issue here, in keeping them in such tiny quarters.

I'd do tons of reading about it before diving into pico reefs (what they're called I guess, since they're smaller than "nanos") especially since you have an 125 gallon tank that is waiting on equipment. A 6 gallon Fluval is over $100, don't you think you should equip one tank before starting another? I don't think a tiny tank should really be a grow out tank for anything, but it's own carefully thought out display. Like bonsai compared to houseplant.
 
Don't forget to get your water tested, most people end up using RO/DI to mix their saltwater, but you may have pure enough water right out of your tap. You probably should get a SW master test kit. Hopefully you have all of the equipment you need to mix SW...heater (powerheads I know you have), refractometer, thermometer, food safe receptacle.
 
A fad? Tell that to the people @ Nano-Reef.com.

The cost is a good subject to bring up typography man! My 14g BioCube has cost me well over 1k dollars in under 5 months. They are NOT a cheap option like some believe.

I'm not a pro at sea horse, so I'm not the best to answer. I do know that Bio/Nano Cubes do well with that though, especially with what is available. Also check out the site above, they are all about what you're speaking of.
 
platytudes said:
If you go to YouTube and type in pico reef, you'll see tons of examples of tiny little tanks with corals in them. It's just a fad this hobby is going through, if you ask me...

I'm sure this is not completely true, but I'm skeptical of the long term success of many of these. For one thing, the corals will simply outgrow this system...then what? Since corals are sort of like plants in that they are alive, but don't really "feel" - I suppose there is not really an ethical issue here, in keeping them in such tiny quarters.

I'd do tons of reading about it before diving into pico reefs (what they're called I guess, since they're smaller than "nanos") especially since you have an 125 gallon tank that is waiting on equipment. A 6 gallon Fluval is over $100, don't you think you should equip one tank before starting another? I don't think a tiny tank should really be a grow out tank for anything, but it's own carefully thought out display. Like bonsai compared to houseplant.
Click to expand...

I'm close enough with the 125 that I'm comfortable checking into others. That's what I was getting at though. These tanks I'm talking about just come equipped. That's what I'm wondering is how these fluval edge tanks are getting by successfully without any additional equipment. No skimmer, no nothing besides the small power filter it is equipped with and what seems to be strong enough lighting to keep corals alive without adding anything. I just don't understand how I could go out and spend $130 on this tank and be ready to rock for a pico reef, know what I mean? I don't really intend to start anything with it at the moment but it was interesting enough to me to check into. Definitely not even wasting my time testing my water. I'm getting a RO/DI unit. In fact, if I wasn't getting the RO/DI I'd have the 125 setup this week lol. That's my last big piece (until rock and sand comes into play >.<).

What do you mean by food safe receptacle?
 
Ptrick125 said:
@platy's post 2 posts above this

If a coral outgrew a tank it would probably get stressed out and would die


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...

I think people frag them at that point. At least I think fragging is when you cut the coral apart like trimming a plant almost
 
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