Owning a Nano Saltwater Aquarium

There are nearly endless choices as to how to decorate and stock your nano saltwater aquarium. Some choose to keep a nano tank for housing artistically arranged plants and décor. Meanwhile, others set up an environment devoted to keeping a specific species such as shrimp. Regardless of the reason, it is easy to see why the convenient small size and challenge can be intriguing for some saltwater aquarists.

Aquascaping your Nano Tank

Aquascaping is the art of maintaining an aesthetically pleasing and harmonious mixture of rocks, plants, fish and invertebrates. However, it requires a lot of care and patience when maintaining these tiny aquatic gardens. None-the-less, many nano saltwater aquarists find it rewarding to have a nano tank reserved solely for this purpose alone.

Fancy Shrimp in Nano Tanks

Alongside the rising popularity of nano tanks is the keeping of brightly colored, fancy shrimp. Some of these shrimp require special attention to good water conditions. They can be very sensitive to medication and water treatments so it is important to avoid problems by keeping up on the saltwater tank maintenance. Not only that, but fancy shrimp can be costly so you’ll want to avoid any loss of life. For this reason, nano tanks devoted entirely to fancy shrimp area an excellent option. The shrimp will not run the risk of predation, will readily reproduce, and ultimately thrive.

Choosing a Nano Tank

There are many choices available for purchasing a nano tank, although many hobbyists consider any aquarium smaller than a twenty gallon to be a nano. For a new aquarist, buying an all-in-one setup may be the easiest option as they contain size appropriate lights and filtration systems. They often have full product lines specialized for their tanks that make choices like heater purchases easy.

The downside of these products marketed as nano tanks is that many are very expensive. Consequently, some aquarists choose to purchase more traditional tanks in smaller sizes instead. Many hobbyists opt for a five gallon aquarium kit and equip it with the necessities not included in the packaged deal to make their nano tank.

Challenges with Owning a Smaller Saltwater Aquarium

Perhaps the only real downside to the nano tank is that the smaller size often requires more frequent water changes. Though the small size of the aquarium may lessen some forms of maintenance, it does mean that the smaller amount of water can more readily build up lethal toxins generated by fish waste and uneaten food. Daily water evaporation also has a bigger impact on the salinity levels.

Weekly Tank Maintenance

Weekly removal of twenty to twenty-five percent of the tank’s water is recommended for all tank sizes. However, this is minimal in a tank that is as small as five to ten gallons. For the saltwater aquarist wishing to set up one of these diminutive tanks, hardy species work best. Chromis, Clownfish, and Cardinal Fish will tolerant the fluctuations in water fairly well.

Whether you are just beginning in the hobby or a seasoned aquarist, the nano tank has something to offer. For the hobbyist limited on space, these small aquariums can be just the solution to owning a much wanted aquarium in the home or office.