Today, NanoReefBlog posted a entry “5 reasons why nano reefs are cool“. And, while he is absolutely correct, here is my response, “5 Reasons why Nano Reefs are NOT cool”. 
5. Manual Water Changes: Nano reefs are great, but they are typically self-contained systems. Because of that, you typical can’t automate some of the more mundane activities or add on the necessary external components. For example, when I had my 14g Biocube, I had no choice but to do manual water changes. That meant, shutting off the pumps, siphoning out 2 gallons of water, then pouring another 2 gallons of water in. Now, with my 125g system (300g total water volume), I simply, hit the standby button on my reefkeeper, turn 2 valves and voila!, instant 10% water change! Total time for each? 10 minutes.
4. Tang Police: Having a Nano Reef is cool to see your harlequin shrimp, sure. But, the choices in fish are severely limited. In fact, you can’t ever have an angelfish, tang, triggerfish, eel, or butterfly fish. You are pretty much limited to the little guys.
3. WOW Factor: Sure, Nano Reefs are CUTE, but they lack the WOW factor. In fact, my tank is located in the living room int he front of my house and everyone in the neighborhood uses my house as a reference point. “I am four doors down from the house with blue lights!”. You can almost see my house form space because of the lights alone! And, you can have so much diversity that there is always something to look at.
2. Stability: Everyone knows that the ore water volume you have the more stable the system will be. With a large reef tank, a little overdosing or phosphate spike may have no impact on the overall health of the system. And, if you have a power outage, it takes longer for that much water to significantly change temperature. But, with a Nano Reef, look out. Temperature and salinity swings are violent and devastating and things change so quickly that they can be fine when you leave for work, and your tank could crash before you arrive home. Bigger is better.
1. The Gateway Drug: Herein likes the main problem with a Nano Reef. It is a gateway drug. It certainly was for me and many others. You start out with a little 14g tank and that’s great! But, you quickly realize that you have filled it up and then what? Then you move to a 55 gallon tank. And sell the smaller tank and all the accessories for 1/4 of what you paid. Then the 55g isn’t big enough and you move to a 90 and so on a so forth until you have a tank that is 200+ gallons or your spouse has divorced you.
Bottom line. If you are new to reefkeeping, go big or go home! Don’t get a Nano Reef! You will become addicted and it will lead to bigger and better tanks. Just break down and go for the 280 gallon tank with Starphire glass now and save yourself the headache. If you already have a big tank and are thinking about a Nano Reef for a species tank for seahorses or something, STOP! Didn’t you learn the first time? Just get another 280 gallon tank and then you can also add the pipefish and some more sea fans.
DISCLAIMER: I am on Stage 3 of the never-ending cycle below!
This picture illustrates the “Gateway Drug” problem and highlights how coral reefers succomb to the addiction, meeting in basements in secret to propagate and trade corals and hiding in their LFS waiting for the next shipment to arrive.
The Reefkeeper's Cycle of Addiction
Posted On: Monday, February 15th, 2010
Posted In: Reef Blog
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Comments: 14 Responses
Oh this is funny! But totally true!
I started with a 220 and have had, in descending order, various sizes over the years, now with a simple 20 gallon. All have pros and cons. The beauty of having gone big then scaled down, however, is that I already have all the gear to facilitate the water changes, stability and control (AC3, litermeter 3). Indeed, I sometimes wish I had my bigger tanks of the past, but I find that’s just motivation to keep my small tank as interesting and full of “wow factor”!
Wow! You went backwards! I am impressed. I am already planning a massive in-wall tank system (more than one) for our next house…. if the housing market ever recovers!
Read NanoReefBlog’s post and headed over to see your response. Authentic and great fun. I started small so several really hit home. 5, 4, and 2 are the practical reasons but #1 is by far the best. “The gateway drug”–well put, my friend.
Thanks Jeff!
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Honestly, I think most of your points are a little misguided.
5. Water Changes. Nothing stopping you from using the same equipment on smaller tanks for automated water changes. You may need to adapt the concept a little, but it’s still very possible. Even so, a 10% manual water change on a 14 gallon tank takes less time than the 10 minutes you take for your automated one on a larger tank.
4. Tang Police. So what. So you can’t get a Hippo Tang that easily get ich when it’s stressed? Big deal. Most of the smaller fish that are suitable for a nano are more colorful than most larger fish, and are more entertaining IMO. Plus, they also don’t cost $200+.
3. WOW Factor. Seriously? Have you seen some of the well put together nanos? I’d say they rival most larger tanks for WOW factor.
2. Stability. Stupidity and ignorance leads to instability in small tanks just as much as it does to large ones.
1. The Gateway Drug. While in many respects that’s true, smaller tanks show the work, effort, and money involved in keeping a reef tank, and often will put a sense of perspective in to what it will take to get into a larger tank. I’d say that more often than not, those that are not prepared and get into a larger tank will get out of the hobby as they start to not be able to afford the upkeep. There is less of a dropout rate with smaller tanks considering the much lower cost of upkeep.
The post wasn’t meant to be completely serious. My goal was to offer a counterpoint to NanoReefBlog’s post about why Nano Reefs are COOL. But some of the logic holds true. I started with a 14g Biocube. One of the reasons they are so cool is that they are completely self-contained. But, then I needed a chiller, so that was external. Then I wanted a skimmer (pre-biocube skimmer) so then I had to mod it and it hung on the back… etc etc.
Then I realized that I wanted some bigger fish, so that started the quest for a bigger tank.
Now I have my 125g tank (300g total water volume). But I also have a 34g Solana, and a 10g breeder.
I love nano tanks! I really do. But, while there is a wow factor about the miniature tank and how perfect it can look, there is also a wow-ness factor when you see a custom in-wall tank that is 9 feet long and visible from both sides!
All-in-one tanks like your biocube are nominally “self-contained” (although some people have beautiful setups with stock equipment), but it’s often false unless you pay the premium for higher quality tanks or those with few extraneous equipment. The modifications of a nano are no different or more complex than the setups of large tanks. I fail to see how a weekly water change of only a couple of gallons, which could effectively make any dosing unnecessary, as more arduous than what you have to do with your 125. It’s a slippery slope to argue about equipment when the only thing that determines what is a nano reef in the first place is [display] tank size.
With regards to bigger livestock, I often think of nanos as the reefkeeping analog to bonsai. There are definite restrictions on what can (or should) be kept, but that doesn’t just apply to nano tanks. Everything should be proportional; I’m sure there are shark police for all the tang police. Besides, even a 280 gallon is a drop in the bucket compared to the volumes many reef fish are used to.
I agree that temperature and the salinity are more influential for nano tanks. However, these are also some of the easiest variables to control.
Brilliant Derek – brilliant
You see Jake over at Reefbuilders.com also posted a list.
i find it classic both Curvballs and Dereks, i do tend to agree with Derek that the more water you have the more the WOW factor is increased!!
check our poll result on a forum, big tanks win hands down
http://www.sareefkeeping.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19837
Well, a nano is what it is. Hence the name “nano” – lmao
Speaking from 25 years of experience they all have their place. Embarrassed to say (just a little) I enjoy my nano tank far more than my 125 gal or my 650 gallon… mainly because it sits on my desk about 1 foot from my head. Truly amazing to buy smaller creatures and really appreciate them up close and personal.
If you are considering a nano tank, it’s just a preference and eveyones got an opinion. All shapes and sizes welcome. Sadly, I do not agree with any of the points listed BUT totally respect the opinions – it’s what makes the world go around. If we all liked the same things, well, that would suck.
Dowhatchalike!
Ted,
Thanks for the response. This was more of a tongue and cheek response to a http://www.nanoreefblog.com post. I felt us “big” tank owners needed to step up! LOL. But, I agree, a nano and pico reef are just as cool. In fact I have a pico in my office and this whole obsession started witha 14 gallon BioCube!