THE WAY OF THE SMALL
Once upon a time, nano marine tanks were all about a few snails or shrimps and little else. As the hobby has grown, so has the selection, writes Tristan Lougher.
Once upon a time, nano marine tanks were all about a few snails or shrimps and little else. As the hobby has grown, so has the selection, writes Tristan Lougher.
WHEN REEF-KEEPING was in its infancy the standard advice was to select the largest aquarium possible before embarking; 450 litres or more ideally. While it soon became apparent that such volumes offer certain advantages to aquarists, they are certainly not essential for success. Thus, the nano-reef aquarium was created. From its infancy over 20 years ago the nano-hobby has become incredibly diverse and offers aquarists a superb opportunity to maintain stunning animals in the home.
Defining a nano
Nano-reef aquaria are loosely defined as tanks below 150 litres in volume. Many are substantially smaller, and today’s aquarists are rather spoilt by the abundance of off-the-shelf systems.
Complete packages from the likes of commercial nano-reef pioneers Red Sea rub shoulders with budget (yet capable) systems from AquaOne and Aquael, while modular and expandable kits from the Fluval Sea range can offer known-quantity performance for new aquarists.
Alternatively, a blank-page system can offer those who aspire for higher-end results, or know what they want to keep, the ability to add components of the required quality or performance. TMC’s Reef Habitat, Waterbox, and AquaOne are players in this market.
There’s no shame in digging out an old glass box from the shed and starting there to begin a nano-reef on a tight budget. As with all such systems your livestock choices only need to stay within the limitations of your constituent components. Custom built, DIY nano-aquaria can offer great options — like a long, shallow aquarium to replicate lagoon environments with an abundance of light (great for stony corals). There are even long-established nano aquaria that have been created (with more than a little expertise) in jars and goldfish bowls.
For some the creation of a nano-reef aquarium presents an opportunity to maintain animals that would get lost in a larger reef aquarium, or would perhaps be intimidated by other residents. As livestock selection choices (and particularly fish options) are limited in a nano-reef they can be embraced as opportunities to showcase some especially alluring mini-species. Alternatively, nano-reefers can create a beautiful, coral diverse aquarium in miniature by embracing the wide (and ever growing) availability of frags. The options are only limited by the imagination.
However, it’s possible to get carried away by a concept and it is essential that the core reef-keeping fundamentals aren’t neglected as a result. It’s all about the maintenance of stable, good quality water conditions and nano-reefs are less forgiving than larger systems, so aquarists need to be on their mettle to achieve long term success.
If you can do that then honestly, what are you waiting for?
Livestock for the nano-reef
Nano-reefs offer aquarists the chance to really express themselves and design something rather special, but there’s also nothing wrong in wanting a ‘classic’ fish and coral combination; both approaches can be beautiful. Whichever you choose, your tank is going to need some livestock and here’s where planning really is key. The adult size potential for any tank’s inhabitants should be ascertained before the final design for the nano is decided upon and definitely before purchase.
We can look at livestock choices as limited due to size constraints or we can use the nano-reef as a great opportunity to enjoy species that are unlikely to thrive in a larger system with boisterous tankmates. There are many different species to choose from and keeping them in ways that are sympathetic to their needs opens up the possibility of observing entirely natural behaviours.
Fishes
It should go without saying that nano-reef aquaria need small fish; assuming any fish are going to be stocked at all. This doesn’t mean you add a 2cm Regal tang, Paracanthurus
hepatus, but rather select fish with very modest maximum size potential. Some aquarists are content with a pair of Common or Percula clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris and A. percula respectively, and there are some incredibly coloured morphs of sturdy tank bred individuals widely available in the modern hobby. My favourites are the more peaceful Red Sea dottybacks such as the Orchid dottyback, Pseudochromis fridmani, of the Bluestreak basslet, P. springeri. These are easily maintained, coral safe (though be careful with tiny ornamental shrimp and the smallest nano gobies) and may even breed in a nano-reef. Blennies have several diminutive, popular and potentially useful representatives. Then there are the more unusual species of fish that are easily lost in larger aquaria, some of which are listed here.
Spotted coral croucher, Caracanthus maculatus
This interesting species is an excellent example of a fish that might not always do well in a busy reef aquarium, but has the chance to thrive when it is the focus of the aquarist’s attention and not just an interesting add-in.
Related to scorpionfish it shares the same lateral body compression of the Gobiodon genus of gobies. In an excellent example of convergent evolution this thin cross-section allows both groups of fish to navigate the tight branches of SPS corals. To set a tank up to see these at their best, imagine a large, thriving SPS coral colony that’s home to a couple of C. maculatus with no competition for food from intimidating tankmates. It’s a superb concept but one with obvious challenges.
Nano goby or Pgymy goby, Trimma spp and Eviota spp
Consisting of over 200 species from two genera, the pygmy gobies represent wonderful additions to the nano-reef. As one might expect, such species-rich genera offer great diversity in terms of colour, patterning and even behaviour. Choose species that are visible; some will hug the rockwork so closely they can be difficult to locate apart from when they dart out to snatch food as it passes by.
The Firecracker or Red blotched pygmy goby, T. rubromaculatus, is one of the ‘hovering’ species that hold station in open water. Naturally found in male dominated harems they are best kept in groups — try and purchase the largest specimen in a group as it’s likely to be a male and then a group of smaller individuals. The Neon pygmy goby, Eviota
pellucida, is another gregarious goby that should be maintained in groups