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Nano Tank Maintenance
Once you have your nano tank up and running, it behooves you to keep it clean, stable and running smoothly. If you remain conscientious and stock your tank safely and wisely, your nano tank can actually run 'on autopilot'. Strategies to avoid headaches include, to name a few:
stock appropriately; stay with non-aggressive fish/pairs; nano-sized fish only; hardy fish
research your corals: know their biology, placement, lighting requirements, circulation needs and feeding requirements
aquascape wisely; leave room for maintenance, flow thru, caves, ledges
stay consistent with water changes
monitor your parameters on a consistent basis that WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR TANK
don't overfeed
One of my favorite phrases in the nano world is that we are really not reefkeepers per se, but, water managers/keepers. Our system is so small that minor errors, lack of attention or laziness can result in rapid death or demise. Keep your water quality the best that is possible.
There are many ways to maintain your tank. The suggestions below are one of numerous ways to do so. Therefore, I will leave this pin open so that others may make recommendations on methods that work well for them.
Daily
Observe
First off, enjoy your tank. Step back and look how beautiful it is.
Inspect for water clarity and adequate surface skimming
check on fish, presence and health
cleanup crew is OK, no flipped over astreas
corals appear open and healthy, no positional shifts
equipment is functioning, temp within range
examine for invasion: hair algae, valonia (bubble algae), cyanobacteria, pests (aiptasia)
To Do
check specific gravity, if needed; can be done bi-weekly or weekly as you gain experience
feed livestock and corals (not necessarily daily,usually 2-3 times a week depending on their needs)
topoff with pure water as needed for your tank
Weekly
Observe
glass walls for coralline or diatom deposition
continue to check overall health/appearance of your tank
To Do
check water parameters if this meets your tank's needs
10% weekly water change, prepare or purchase your seawater in advance (see below)
scrape diatoms/coralline algae
change/washout your sponges (personally, I don't recommend sponges, bioballs or ceramics)
clean screens/sieves
wipe off saltkreep; return it to the water if possible
Monthly
Observe
check pumps, connections
check inventory on food, media
To Do
pump maintenance, clean impeller
consider lightly 'gravel vac'ing' your substrate
if you have a NC with a refugium, gravel vac the LR rubble and rinse the chaeto in aquarium water
Every 3-4 Months
To Do
Most types of filter media will need to be replaced.
Some corals may need fragging/pruning
After 8 Months
To Do
Many lighting fixtures will begin to lose their spectrum. Consider replacing your bulbs. To help reduce bleaching out your corals, consider reducing the photoperiod for 1-2 weeks.
Mixing Seawater, One Method
There are many ways that a particular task in marine keeping can be done. That is one reason why this thread will be left open so that people can see the 'How I Do It's' out there and can choose which method works best for them. Mixing sea water is not a difficult task but, you need to prepare in advance for your weekly water change. Here is one method that I use:
Required Equipment and Items
bucket; the red Home Depot bucket is fine
good brand of sea salt
source of pure water, RO or distilled
inexpensive powerhead
inexpensive heater
measuring cup
refractometer (preferable to a hydrometer)
(optional) pump tubing
(optional) plastic storage container
Method
find a clean area that will not be harmed by salt water and is free of contaminants and chemical vapors
1-2 days in advance, make/purchase your required amount of pure water
place the heater and pump in the bucket of pure water and add the amount of salt to reach the specific gravity you desire; in general and only as a ballpark figure, I've found that one cupful per gallon brings you in at about 1.025-1.026
aerate/mix for 24-48 hours; during this time check your s.g. gravity and either add salt or add pure water to bring your mix to the correct s.g. You'll eventually get the hang of getting it dead on at the time of mixing
Prior to water changing, stop all pumps and disconnect electricity. Some people will scrape diatoms prior to changing the water to reduce the load in the tank. Siphon out the desired volume of water from the tank.
Assuming your water is equivalent temp and s.g. slowly return the water to the tank. If you don't like dumping your water in and do not want to risk upsetting your aquascape, you can add water pump hose to the end of the powerhead in the bucket and pump the water back into the tank with a gentler stream.
If you are doing water changes with natural seawater, all you have to do is heat it and make sure your s.g's are equivalent.
Once you have your nano tank up and running, it behooves you to keep it clean, stable and running smoothly. If you remain conscientious and stock your tank safely and wisely, your nano tank can actually run 'on autopilot'. Strategies to avoid headaches include, to name a few:
stock appropriately; stay with non-aggressive fish/pairs; nano-sized fish only; hardy fish
research your corals: know their biology, placement, lighting requirements, circulation needs and feeding requirements
aquascape wisely; leave room for maintenance, flow thru, caves, ledges
stay consistent with water changes
monitor your parameters on a consistent basis that WORKS FOR YOU AND YOUR TANK
don't overfeed
One of my favorite phrases in the nano world is that we are really not reefkeepers per se, but, water managers/keepers. Our system is so small that minor errors, lack of attention or laziness can result in rapid death or demise. Keep your water quality the best that is possible.
There are many ways to maintain your tank. The suggestions below are one of numerous ways to do so. Therefore, I will leave this pin open so that others may make recommendations on methods that work well for them.
Daily
Observe
First off, enjoy your tank. Step back and look how beautiful it is.
Inspect for water clarity and adequate surface skimming
check on fish, presence and health
cleanup crew is OK, no flipped over astreas
corals appear open and healthy, no positional shifts
equipment is functioning, temp within range
examine for invasion: hair algae, valonia (bubble algae), cyanobacteria, pests (aiptasia)
To Do
check specific gravity, if needed; can be done bi-weekly or weekly as you gain experience
feed livestock and corals (not necessarily daily,usually 2-3 times a week depending on their needs)
topoff with pure water as needed for your tank
Weekly
Observe
glass walls for coralline or diatom deposition
continue to check overall health/appearance of your tank
To Do
check water parameters if this meets your tank's needs
10% weekly water change, prepare or purchase your seawater in advance (see below)
scrape diatoms/coralline algae
change/washout your sponges (personally, I don't recommend sponges, bioballs or ceramics)
clean screens/sieves
wipe off saltkreep; return it to the water if possible
Monthly
Observe
check pumps, connections
check inventory on food, media
To Do
pump maintenance, clean impeller
consider lightly 'gravel vac'ing' your substrate
if you have a NC with a refugium, gravel vac the LR rubble and rinse the chaeto in aquarium water
Every 3-4 Months
To Do
Most types of filter media will need to be replaced.
Some corals may need fragging/pruning
After 8 Months
To Do
Many lighting fixtures will begin to lose their spectrum. Consider replacing your bulbs. To help reduce bleaching out your corals, consider reducing the photoperiod for 1-2 weeks.
Mixing Seawater, One Method
There are many ways that a particular task in marine keeping can be done. That is one reason why this thread will be left open so that people can see the 'How I Do It's' out there and can choose which method works best for them. Mixing sea water is not a difficult task but, you need to prepare in advance for your weekly water change. Here is one method that I use:
Required Equipment and Items
bucket; the red Home Depot bucket is fine
good brand of sea salt
source of pure water, RO or distilled
inexpensive powerhead
inexpensive heater
measuring cup
refractometer (preferable to a hydrometer)
(optional) pump tubing
(optional) plastic storage container
Method
find a clean area that will not be harmed by salt water and is free of contaminants and chemical vapors
1-2 days in advance, make/purchase your required amount of pure water
place the heater and pump in the bucket of pure water and add the amount of salt to reach the specific gravity you desire; in general and only as a ballpark figure, I've found that one cupful per gallon brings you in at about 1.025-1.026
aerate/mix for 24-48 hours; during this time check your s.g. gravity and either add salt or add pure water to bring your mix to the correct s.g. You'll eventually get the hang of getting it dead on at the time of mixing
Prior to water changing, stop all pumps and disconnect electricity. Some people will scrape diatoms prior to changing the water to reduce the load in the tank. Siphon out the desired volume of water from the tank.
Assuming your water is equivalent temp and s.g. slowly return the water to the tank. If you don't like dumping your water in and do not want to risk upsetting your aquascape, you can add water pump hose to the end of the powerhead in the bucket and pump the water back into the tank with a gentler stream.
If you are doing water changes with natural seawater, all you have to do is heat it and make sure your s.g's are equivalent.