Top 10 Nano Reef Aquarium Mistakes-And How to Avoid Them! 

Sticking to the basics will take you a long way and make the hobby enjoyable. Salinity temp pH low frequency feeding schedule good water top off over engineered clean up crew 2 inch of fish per gallon rule Reliable lighting Quality water mixing Good circulation Long cycling Adequate amount of live rock Acclimate new additions slowly Large granule sand bed 20% water charge each week Kept a 20 gal nano without skimmer with soft/leather corals/livestock for about 6 years continuously with these basic tips. Just have to go really slow and build reef gradually. Good luck!🍀

If you dont want your kids to do drugs just introduce them to reef keeping and they will never have the money for drugs 😂😂

"when in doubt change it out" i often tell myself that about my underpants

This is such a good guide for nano’s . i realised that simple is best and i had neglected my testing. Im in a routine now and my nano reef never looked better. 👍🏻

Great video and a lot of good info

Great video guys. Been a reef keeper and fish only since 1994, wow has it been almost 25 years. I still have hundreds of questions. I started with and went back to the deep bed Jaubert method. Was very common in the early 90’s. Just have to constantly stir small areas of the sand so hard clumps never form. Plus keep sulfide from forming. OMG its a hideous smell and will poison the fish. Many of people I know got away from this method bc of the work involved. I still love my 4” sand bed, med sand size, no small granular sand, o2 just can’t get into the sand, and keep plenty of sand sifting animals. I have used up to a 240 gallon, and as small as 30 gallon. My favorite is 75-90 gallon, with a built in over flow. Still use my amiracle reef sump from 1996, a jbl chiller, small heater, and a dual stage temp monitor. By all means monitor ph, temp, and salinity, after a few months reg water changes, and kalkwasser drip keep my Ca around 400-420. Check ca about monthly. I still use two light forms, metal halide, and vho fluorescent lights. The metal halide was the reason I had to add a chiller. Still use my original one from 96’, it has been serviced several times by my neighbor who is a HVAC installer on homes. Two things I want to do is switch over to all fluorescent lights, or some led possibly, it’s just fluorescent is still so much cheaper for me. Second I want to get into the Neptune kits that control everything from temp, water top off, light schedules, and c02 for ca reactors. What are y’all thoughts on ca reactors if auto controlled. Please leave an answer, no experience myself with them at all, none. Oh and I do have a protein skimmer, it’s just for my old 240 gallon tank, still works, just have to turn down a little on a 75-90 gallon, lol. Have a great day, troll away

Great video and info to help all new and even experienced hobbyists. I experienced all the top 10 mentioned in this video. I still remember mixing salt with tap water and thinking that chlorine remover would make the water safe. Yikes, I learned the hard way. What I learned and gained from this hobby the most is....patience! Nothing good happens overnight. Holla!

A proper cycling requires ghost feeding or a source of ammonia to start the cycling, leaving the tank running for a month does nothing for the nitrogen cycle

Great video and info

Excellent videography

Thank you for the tips, it is very helpful for me as a beginer

Awesome helpful video

Another fantastic video, keep up the good work.

If you don't have access to RO/DI water and are in quick need. You can simply substitute it with distilled water from your grocery store. Walmart carries it for 80 cents a gallon. This is a good resort for nano tanks since you won't need much.

I get confused on this. Most say to change your filter media but there is also the fact most of your beneficial bacteria live in the filter media. So…should it be changed out or not?

Very good video! thank u!! 😀

Hi, just wondering, where is the best placement of wave maker? On the right side, back wall, or left side? My tank is 120lt. Thanks

Thanks for all the advice! Just started a nano 10 gallon reef tank a month ago, (jbj desktop tank) how do I clean the filter pad? Or should I just replace every month or so? Or should I leave the filter in there and just do water changes?

*laughs in freshwater*

I was wondering if you would be willing to share your log sheet you had on excel.

Where did that filter sock adapter come from?

Where can I get the Excel Aquarium log in your video ?

Measure early and often. Record and analyze trends. Then relax. Not much has to be done once settle in. Decide on corals for growth and crazy colors but static. Or movement and flow. Or combination. Small incremental changes with any supplements. Corals only use tiny tiny amounts at a time.

Your video was informative but you should have displayed nano sized aquariums in the background. All I saw was a 100 gallon system in your background as you spoke. If you representing nano sized systems have one or several to show in the background. Just my 2 cents...

Fritz Turbo Start can cycle a tank in a week so for those who are impatient it may be worth looking at.

Apart from ammonia,nitrites, nitrates, water temperature, pH and salinity, what other water parameters do I need to regularly check for in a reef system?

Up to what size do you consider: pico tank, nano tank?

The best simple answears in marine tank!! Thak you

So what if I’ve took live rock fresh from another tank and set up mines and in the sump also with live sand and did the dr. Tim’s method? How will it take to cycle?

Are you able to provide a template file of that spreadsheet for keeping track of things?

I have large populations of fish n all my tanks. But have to look at the bioload of the fish you purchase and keep that running total.

Great video guys...but please put some MP40's in that beautiful tank in the back round, I found myself staring at the cords.

So I have been keeping fish for many years and my question is this why should I buy an aquarium controller like the Apex when just the basics is sufficient

Thanks for the info. What device is that at around 4:40 in the video the frozen food feeder? Thanks again.

I used declorinated water for the past year and half and have substantial growth and no losses due to it

Can someone share the excel doc showed in the video. I created one but I mush prefer the one I just saw! :)

I have 10 gallon tank but no corals in it just 2 clownfish and 2 cardinal fish 1 skunk shrimp cleaner,do i change my water every 10 days also?

It's also important to say that it is possible to have a tank TOO clean with nitrate and phosphates too low. I worried WAAAAAY to much about my nitrate and phosphate levels and almost quit after 6 months because it was not much fun. I relaxed my maintenance and testing schedule to what was more do able for me and everything was just fine. Also, my pet sitter mis-read my instructions and fed my tank 2-3x more than I wanted for 2 weeks. My nitrates went way up, but everything was just fine as I did more water changes to bring them back down. Assuming that everyone is going to over feed and ignore a tank isn't always the best approach because some people are overly attentive so a dialogue that the only way to cause problems is through neglect ignores that subset of people. Just like giving plant advice, so much of the conversation is about preventing over watering and that advice is terrible for people who either don't overwater or actually underwater.

All good until you go on holiday and your RCD trips and 10 years work is gone. Top tip, get a back up generator

20 gallon is as nano as I was willing to go I put a Tidal 55 hang on filter as well as an Aquaclear 30 that takes care of most of the work all I do is water change once every two weeks and I have two clowns a watchmen goby and pistol shrimp in it so it works out. But every tank comes to an ugly stage my 70 gallon went through it now my twenty is doing it so you can’t fight a tank trying to mature and that’s all it is. Do the work anyway stick to a schedule don’t fight with it! it does pay off In time.

I’m about to get a nano tanker but I can not find the RLDY system

Not sure why my salinity is always high. I test it when the water is mixed and it’s within parameters but then when I test it it’s super high! I don’t think my hydrometer works consistently (just the handheld analog). Is there a package deal somewhere that allows me to get a reliable hydrometer and alkalinity tool?

I have also never checked my parameters aside from salinity every once in a while.

Can I put 2 clownfish in a 15 gallon tank? Or should I only put 1 clownfish? I was also thinking of getting a hermit crab too

What about distilled water? Is it good enough?

Your site isn't working did it change?

I have a 55 gal fish tank with a 200 gal sump should I get a bigger tank?

changing the filter socks every 3-5 days? what? i dont even look at it for at least 2 weeks.

Was thinking of getting a nano reef tank. I changed my mind after watching this video

add a refugium in a nano works better than a skimmer

Hey sir I have Redsea 170 34gallons how many times weeks should I do water change for my tank sir Thanks..

Pretty much all of these can be applied to any tank and not just nano

I do a water change on my 75 once a month and I have a flourishing xenia and anemone

You information is great. If I dare to leave one bit of advice. It would have been very effective if you were in front of a nano tank

Can I use filter water from a refrigerator instead of a rodi water?

Question! I just started a 30 gallon tank, but I purchased dry rock + dry sand; Will the tank cycle and build up bacteria if I just leave it running or do I actually need to add a fish in there or bacteria boosters? Some fish stores have told me without this, my tank is pretty much not doing anything at this point.

Novice question: I know this vid is specifically about 'reef' tanks, but if I have no intention of putting fish or coral in my nano tank, could you tell me what steps I can ignore? I only intend to display plants, so presumably I can use tap water and I won't require such a powerful filtration system right? I'm basically just wanting to create a nice focal point in my room with the lovely sounds of water flowing.....but minus the wee fish and corals :) thanks in advance if anyone helps.

#s 4, 5, 6, 8 are correct.

Running a tank to "cycle" with nothing in it to produce ammonia literally does nothing other than move water. Experienced reef keeper here. Try to add soldier fish, ghost feed, or if you feel confident, add bottled bacteria accompanied with dosing Ammonium Choride

I like the video but only thing is I use tap water and have great success . Also , I change my water about once a month maybe even if that . Every tank is different but it is great advice ! Other than that love this video

What's the coral at 12:42?

希望多点广东话和普通话海水缸经验分享。没有蛋白分离器？没有造浪泵？没有滴定没有添加剂？没关系，简单下海轻松养海缸。NANO REEF微缸也有大乐趣！

👍

Looks like 2 people where triggered by this video lol. Great video guys!

Clownfish here in philippines cost 1 us dollar each

I honestly think using RO water is dependent on where you live. If you live in major cities or towns in Southern Ontario, chances are your tap water barely contains any minerals.

for some reason people want to put a clownfish with a blue tang

Gonna get an ATO my salt got too 1.032

I want a pair of clowns but I just have live rock will they be okay?

honestly a nano tank is more expensive than a larger one. i keep seeing nanos going for over 100$ and i bought my 20 gallon aquarium for just 50$

I was right all along. Salt water tank cost more than twice compare to freshwater tank.

My 3g hasnt gotten a water change in like 7+ months 😂 though I have no fish. Just coral, it's the easiest thing to take care of. I feed it every few weeks and that's it.

Change the filter pad every 3-5 days?!?!

I can't get rid of red slime and dinos to save my life! I've tried everything the pros recommend it's extremely frustrating. Tank is about a year old

Cries in freshwater scrub

I won't first to master freshwater aquarium and then wen I will have more Mani too start nano ref

I change my nano water every other month. :)

in reality all home tanks are nano compared to the ocean

3rd

Wow I made mistakes too

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first

2nd 👍

jim halpert

5th

I love you

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money, money, money....... moonnneeeey

20 gallons is considered small? Jesus

How to Avoid Them

I have never really had to ever change the water, it is fairly self sufficient. I own the Ocean.

testing a nano tank is a waste of time if you change water ever week

It is so hard to keep up you tank 1 hour daily!

46weeks

Imma just get a dog

You are awesome. Ty . I have a successful 35 gallon hexagon salt water tank. Your video is so helpful!!!! I subscribed and if you snd your family site interested in eating vegan please check out .my channel!!!!

Rename it 50 mistakes combined into 10 :)

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Nano Tank is anything 10 gallons or below not 40 gallons