Nano-reef without the reef?

No offense taken, OG. I knew what you meant.

I was reading a thread on nano-reef.com that really inspired me:

The Official Dorm Reefers Thread

I thought that if so many other college kids could manage a nano-reef, then so could I.

However, there is no way to discern the health and/or longevity of those nano-reefs. Those guys seem nice, but I trust the people on this forum more. I'd much rather not risk it than take a chance and lose hundreds of dollars and beloved pets.

Edit: PS - OG, I'm an RA, I'm not allowed to leave my room for several days in case a resident needs help with something. :p
 
:rolleyes: It varies. My head resident (head RA) and area coordinator (an actual administator) are pretty uptight guys. I've got to be good.

Anyway, I would love SW but I have to be fair to the fishes. I'll go with some hardier FW types that won't mind the constant change of scenery so much.

Oh well, it was fun to fantasize anyway.
 
I've kept fish (clownfish, chromis), crabs, and snails all in a bare-bottom 10-gallon for months while I was waiting on my reef tank to get going. They did perfectly fine. I built a little reef out of dry base rock. I used a heater and a cheap HOB power filter (like an Aquaclear). It was even bare-bottom! I don't think it's a problem at all. You just have to stay on top of it.

Check out the book "ClownFishes" and she has ideas for a 10-gallon starter clownfish tank.
 
Thanks for the input rica5tully. I don't remember what chromis look like off the top of my head but I'm sure it was a pretty neat tank.

Even though I said I would resign myself to FW, I've been infected with the SW bug. It's incurable.

I've been doing lots of research, just to be sure (besides, how could it hurt knowing new things?) and been reading other forums (gasp!): Reef Central and Nano-Reef.

Someone on Nano-Reef said I could add something called an auto-top-off which would allow me to leave my tank here at school over Spring break and Turkey break with no worries. That would cut down the number of times I move the tank to four. The same person he said kept a nano for two years so far in college with no major problems. I know that's not considered a long lived tank, but I'm only going to be in college for 2 and a half more school years, and who knows what the future will bring. I hope to get into a good vet school, but I don't want to count my chickens...

It seems a lot of people keep nanos while in college but I'm a cautious person. I still have some more research to do before I decide anything for certain.
 
Just a thought-- from all of the reading I've been doing it seems that the nano-reef is a relatively new phenonemon- maybe two years since it became a popular and widespread thing to do? Please correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm not wrong, I don't suppose I would find much useful information about the longevity of nanos kept by anyone, let alone a comparison of longevity for college kids and normal nano-reefers.

Oh boy I think my head is spinning...
 
I go to school full time and work full time. Doesn't leave me much time. I have just set up two nanos. one is a 20L with a hang on fuge packed with macro. Water changes every other week. the other is a JEBO 6 gallon tank with a built in filter and lighting. this tank will be for a mantis. Mantis are very hardy. I know some one who just goes and buys a tank adds LS and the put SW in it and the mantis do great. According some of the articles i have read they can with stand some swings in water quality. (they are called a roach of sea). Just an idea on a hardy critter. Plus you can impress the grils by feeding it live fish! :D :dance
 
Oh, neat, I thought mantis shrimp was considered a pest. I guess all this newly acquired info still hasn't gelled yet. I've never seen one for sale but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

But if it eats other living things it doesn't sound like I could have hermit crabs or a clown fish with it...
 
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