An exceptional and well established 15 gallon nano reef tank with lots of pulsing xenia and other polyps.
Very small mini reef tanks sometimes known as nano reef tanks were first made popular by the advent of small, power-compact light fixtures, and now with LED lights for nano reef tanks these small tanks are even more popular.
Though on average about 10 gallons, these fascinating tanks can range from just a very few gallons to just under 30 gallons. The smallest ones are known as pico tanks. All nano reef tank have the potential of being just as attractive and fascinating in your home of office as a standard sized reef tank at a fraction of the cost and requiring much less maintenance. You can buy many complete nano reef tank kits online. Alternatively you can buy one of the small LED lights for nano reef tanks along with a small hang on the back filter and a 5 to 20 gallon tank and create your own tiny reef tank system.
Nano Reef tanks are:
Close up of the right side of the above 15 gallon tank.
*Very attractive
* Unique
* Can be placed anywhere
* Are easy to maintain
* Only a few pounds of live rock and a few small corals & invertebrates are needed to make a fully stocked, very attractive, living display.
Close up of left side of the above tank.
You may ask, what are some of the best fish, corals, and invertebrates for small reef tanks? You can include most reef tank safe livestock.
Pom Pom crabs are very tiny crabs with an anemone on each claw The one in the photo is actual size or even large. They may be lost, or in danger in a larger reef tank, but will fit in quite well in even the smallest nano reef and pico reef tanks.
The following invertebrates do well in small mini reef tanks: Cluster Dusters Feather Dusters
Brittle Stars
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Scarlet Hermit Crabs
Snails
Skunk Cleaner Shrimps and Peppermint Shrimp
Flame scallops
Spiny Oysters
Small Tridacna Clam Species
( t. crocea and t. derasa )
Rock / Flower Anemones are fine, they do not usually bother corals.
Colorful polyps and other high end one inch coral frags can fill a properly maintained nano tank in a few years.
The following corals do well in small mini reef tanks.
Just about any soft corals including but not limited to:
Pulsing Xenia
Anthelia
Mushrooms
Yellow Polyps
Stick Polyps
Green Polyps
Brown Polyps
Star Polyps
Pipe Organ Coral
Small Gorgonians
Lemnalia
Colt Coral
Fox Coral
Euphyllia sp.
and many others provided they
do not have long aggressive sweeper tentacles.
Here are some low light corals that are great for both nano tanks and also aquariums with lower than average reef lighting conditions. All you need is a small aquariums fitted with affordable small aquarium LED Lights & small filtration systems.
Mushrooms
Star Polyps (Briareum and Pachyclavularia)
A few select coral frags purchased online and raised in a nano tank can later be traded for store credit at a local pet shop.
Lemnalia
Stick Polyps
Cinnamon Polyps
Didiogorgia
Open brain T Geoffroyi
Cynarina
Plate coral Fungia
Pasammacora
Pavona
Candy coral Caulastrea
Polyphyllia
Plerogyra
Fox coral Nemenzophyllia
Mycedium
Blastomussa
Fish to consider include any small peaceful reef safe fish less than 2 inches long roughly.
A tiny watchman goby with a pistol shrimp as a companion in it’s burrow in the sand are good candidates for a nano reef tank.
Ocellaris Clown
Pajama Cardinalfish
Orange Lined Cardinal
Neon Blue Goby
Green Clown Goby
Yellow Clown Goby
Shrimp Goby
Striped Prawn Goby
High Finned Red Banded Goby
Firefish
Royal Gramma
Black Capped Basslet
Sixline Wrasse
Yellow Headed Jawfish
Blue Chromis
Swissguard
Animals “not” to put in your small mini reef tank.
Most anemones – they may sting your corals when they move around. Three exceptions:
(1) You can try a small reef tank dedicated to only sea anemones and clownfish. Or
(2) Rock / flower anemones are sometimes housed in small tanks with corals because
they are small with short stinging tentacles and almost never move.
(3) Maxi Mini Carpet anemones are similar is size and suitability for tiny reef tanks as
the above rock anemones but the Maxi Mini anemone family are even more colorful and are great for propagation. Cut a healthy one into two and the sections will heal and form two new anemones.
Rock anemone or flower anemone
Aggressive large polyp stony corals with long sweeper tentacles are to be avoided.
Aggressive Damselfish and lobsters may harm small, delicate invertebrates in a small
mini reef tank.
Sea cucumbers, medusa worms, and sea apples, if they die or become distressed,
they will release poison into the water. In a small reef tank, this will prove to be detrimental.
Most starfish unless they are very small and reef safe, larger or medium sized ones may attack smaller more delicate invertebrates.
Smaller brittle stars also known as serpent stars, as well as small linka starfish will be fine.
In general you want to stay away from:
Territorial fish,
Dwarf angelfish that eat smaller more delicate invertebrates.
Corals with long stinging sweeper tentacles. Corals should be about three inches or less in size very roughly.
Find Several Great Nano Reef Tank Deals below.
Coralife Fish Tank LED BioCube Aquarium Starter Kit
The Coralife BioCube Aquarium will enhance the decor of any room in a home or office, on a bookshelf, desk or table, with its modern, state-of-the-art LED lighting. The LED lights feature an integrated 24-hour timer and three independent channels featuring bright white and sparkling blue that will enhance the colors in the aquarium. The timer runs on a 30-minute sunrise and 60-minute moon cycle to accurately replicate the natural planetary movements making small fish, shrimp, and other nocturnal sea creatures feel safe to come out and.
The unit is sleek and compact with a customizable, built-in filtrations system that is easy to set up and simple to maintain. The clear glass back panel makes for easy refugium set-up. The pump is quiet and submersible and has a dual intake, adjustable return nozzle that averages 2200 to 3430 peak lux.
Satisfied customers are thrilled with their BioCube and many leave the tank “as is” without making any customizations, preferring to keep things simple and low-cost. Experienced, as well as advanced hobbyists, will find this to be an amazing tank with plenty of room for add-ons like a heater and Coralife nano skimmer. The LED lights are beautiful and feature an easy-to-use timer.
Red Sea Max Nano Aquarium
The Red Sea Max Nano Aquarium has received rave reviews from satisfied customers and features the latest state of the art aquarium technology packaged into a contemporary, rimless design. The system comes complete with everything you need so there is no question as to the suitability and compatibility of each individual component. With the Red Sea Max Nano aquarium, you will be bringing the ocean to you with this thriving coral reef. This nano reef system offers AI’s prime HD Led lighting and is controlled via Wi-Fi. Included is the latest filtration and circulation technology as well as an automatic top-off unit. The tank has an easy to access power control.
Owning the Red Sea Max Nano Aquarium with its beautiful lighting system will surpass your expectations. You can also rest assured that the tank and its components will be tightly and properly packaged and will arrive at your destination in pristine condition. The tank offers many programmable features, a sleek design and is sturdy and exceptionally well manufactured. The Red Sea Max Nano can easily be set up within a few hours and can be placed on a desk or within a shelf system. Other placement ideas could be for the office, on an end table or as a conversation piece in a bar. The LED tank light promotes coral growth and displays the tank’s components beautifully. We highly recommend the Red Sea Max Nano Aquarium and are confident that you will be highly satisfied with it in every respect!
JBJ MT-602-LED Nano Cube CF Quad Lighting, 28-Gallon
Look no further for an excellent first-time reef tank or nano reef tank. The rear filtration system leaves enough space for a seemingly endless number of add-ons such as a heater, UV sterilizer, and a protein skimmer. The JBJ MT-602 Nano is extremely well lit and features LED moonlight for viewing fish and shrimp that only come out of their hiding spots at night. The MT-602 Nano features LED lighting that delivers the power of halides and the broad coverage of T5 lighting with over 10x the lifespan and is more energy efficient and cooler running. The LED’s create a beautiful shimmering eco-friendly environment that meets the need of most soft coral. The unit includes a customizable a 3-stage filter media basket with an interchangeable mechanical sponge, chemically activated carbon, and biological ceramic rings. Also featured is a transparent filter basket to easily convert the filter into a refugium. Macroalgae can be added to the chambers in conjunction with the carbon and mechanical sponges.
Satisfied customers report that they are extremely happy with the tank and that it is well worth the price and the unit’s compact size will enable nano aquarium hobbyists to recreate beautiful coral reef tanks on shelves, desktops, and tables anywhere they desire.
Lifeguard Aquatics Full View 7 Gallon Nano
Lifeguard Aquatics Full View 5 Gallon Nano
Lifegard Aquatic’s Full View Aquarium is a tiny 7-gallon tank, and only 15 x 16 x 11 inches, weighing a mere 15.6 pounds (dry). This tank is small and can be classed by some as not a nano reef tank but a pico reef tank. More compact than traditional nano aquariums, this tank is the perfect size for an end table. While small in size there is still ample space for a host of aquatic creatures. Freshwater shrimp thrive in this system. The basic tank can also be purchased with a filter included. Be advised that this is for the tank only and lights and filtration must be purchased separately.
Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion Nano Premium 10 Gallon Aquarium Starter Kit
Also check out the 20 gallon kit.
Also check out the 30 gallon kit.
Also check out the 40 gallon kit.
Also check out the 20 gallon peninsular kit.
The Fusion Nano 10 is a compact, 10-gallon nanotank yet large enough to offer a generous display space for creative aqua-scapers. The filter wall has been re-designed taking into consideration future Innovative Marine add-on products. Some of the features include high clarity low iron glass, mesh screen top with clips, built-in overflows, one rubber leveling mat, and one removable 3-stage filter basket. This is an excellent place to start for nano aquarium beginners.
The Nano Reef Handbook
The book “The Nano-Reef Handbook” is a definitive reference to the hobby of nano tank aquariums. Setting up and maintaining a nano reef aquarium need not be the exclusive domain of beginner aquarists. As a matter of fact, many experience aquarium hobbyists and those with multiple tanks in multiple sizes love the challenge and excitement of building their nano tanks or several nano tanks. Choosing the right tank, lighting, tiny reef tank safe fish, and more are covered in this exciting nano reef tank book. The book features full-color photography of completed nano tanks of different sizes and shapes that can be placed on a shelf in a kitchen, or on an end table in a living room, office, or waiting room. The author, Chris Brightwell, has over 30 years of aquarium experience and a degree in marine science from Coastal Carolina University.
When a person envisions owning a reef aquarium thoughts of a large tank filled with many fish and expansive coral come to mind. In recent years however, the trend has changed from expensive, time-consuming aquariums only, to also include nano mini reef aquarium systems. Nano mini reef aquariums are extremely popular with new aquarium hobbyists and experienced ones alike. A nano reef aquarium is a simple and beautiful way to recreate a small part of a living ocean reef … right on a small shelf, table, or desk! A nano reef tank cost only a fraction of that of larger aquariums cost and can offer many fascinating mini ocean creatures and the characteristic nooks and crannies that larger reef systems carry as a nano tank holds approximately 10-30 gallons of water more or less. Nonetheless, nano reef tanks can host a wide variety of small marine life like a few small fish, corals, and invertebrates. A nano reef tank can offer an exciting challenge for aquarium enthusiast of all levels.