Nano as a reference

[Electrobes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14236446#post14236446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EdKruzel
They are categories under "Special Interest" where much of the equipment used is either DIY or ordered and not usually found in your common LFS. There are many unique challenges to those sized aquariums. So much so that if you check older threads in our DIY section, you'll notice how it has influenced many of the big name vendors. Tanks in between have a place in the "General Interest Forum".

My favorite tanks to work with are all common sizes and what I recommend most for family display tanks; they are the 40Breeder, 58, and the 120.

I find this idea (Tanks in between have a place in the General Interest Forum) to be poor and if anything a quick fix.. not a solution. As I said throwing the mid-sized tanks into the General discussion will completely kill the idea of more reachable info for people like us. It would be like saying since we all have tanks, let's just do away with both nano and larger tanks all together and just keep it in the General Discussion. No one would be for that.

Throwing mid-sized tank people into the General Interest Forum would satisfy Nano (<30G) only, but I can assure you when the rest of us find our threads in the GIF that quick fix will quickly turn into a problem. My worry is that as soon as that happens, it'll no longer be a "problem" for the newly defined nano people... and we'll be ignored.

EdKruzel - I understand you are a mod but I really think the RC staff should get together and agree on a statement before you make one yourself (It sounds like you were stating fact). As a mod you carry a lot of weight in your posts and telling us that we have a place in the GIF does not sound like a shared or fair representation of members unless you were only stating your opinion as opposed to fact, then I take it back.

 

[Illuminati]

There should be a Member Build Forum dedicated just for tank builds.

How great that would be, the Reef Discussion forum would still be the catchall forum it basically is now.

Everyone wins......so why isn't it being done? (And no answers about "blogs", that is just for premium members and who really uses them anyway).

 

[EdKruzel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14237400#post14237400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Electrobes


EdKruzel - I understand you are a mod but I really think the RC staff should get together and agree on a statement before you make one yourself (It sounds like you were stating fact). As a mod you carry a lot of weight in your posts and telling us that we have a place in the GIF does not sound like a shared or fair representation of members unless you were only stating your opinion as opposed to fact, then I take it back.

The Staff and Mods speak frequently and I can assure you this topic has been hashed over thoroughly.

Let me ask this question to all Nano Forum frequent users: What do you think the "Reef Discussion" area is for? Do you feel you're not welcomed there?

I can assure you there is more activity in that forum than the Nano section. Look at the thread count, Reef = More than 78,000 threads, Nano = Just over 14,000.

If I want to show off my small tank, then yes I hit the Nano forum, but if I really need to look for information I go to the General area. Look at what you have to choose from.

 

[EdKruzel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14237445#post14237445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Illuminati
There should be a Member Build Forum dedicated just for tank builds.

That's a pretty good idea!

 

[Electrobes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14237445#post14237445 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Illuminati
There should be a Member Build Forum dedicated just for tank builds.

How great that would be, the Reef Discussion forum would still be the catchall forum it basically is now.

Everyone wins......so why isn't it being done? (And no answers about "blogs", that is just for premium members and who really uses them anyway).

That is definitely another solution. I doubt the others would be for it as they are comfortable in their respective forums. That and the slight differences between the nano and larger tanks forum may cause friction under one roof (i.e. nano has nTOTM while the other doesn't, etc).

 

[reefermike1]

being kinda new here(to rc and to nano) i find that threads get buried very quickly in general reef discussion, and if you dont subscribe to every thread you post in it becomes hard to find the thread again.

i think it would be great to have another forum in the special interest for tanks 30-180gallons. infact its kinda funny that there isnt. large-nano-photography-scuba..... whats missing?

 

[Electrobes]

EdKruzel: You're right, when info is needed to be found most may gander at the General Info area. If I have a general question I'll ask it in there but here's a reality: A ton of people don't ask questions in the right topic areas.. a lot just ask it in the GIF. If the mods were to move every topic posted in question format they'd go insane trying to keep up.. so I can't blame them when a lot don't get moved.. just the blatantly obvious ones.

Maybe it's not that nano people aren't welcomed there but they are more welcomed in the nano section. On top of showing off there are lots of posts asking specific techniques regarding nano tanks. More importantly if I were to ask a question about my smaller tank I'd prefer to hear answers from nano people or at least people who know about the nano ways (sound jedish.. I know )... thats a guarantee here as opposed to there.

Also when using numbers as you've posted (The thread counts) a closer look at a lot of the posts reveal a lot of repeat questions or threads that belong in other forums, to be technical.

 

[gas4544]

When people post regularly in a "tank specific forum", like the Nano Reefs forum, they become part of a community of people with similar systems. I bet that many of the regular contributors to the Nano Reefs forum post here primarily.

I have stated, like others, that we need to be careful not to "banish" people with "unofficial nano" tanks to the Reef Discussion forum. I would venture to say that most of the Nano Reefs posters contribute here because they like it here.

If we set a hard limit of, for example, 20 gallons total volume for this forum, then we will lose allot of participation. More than a few people who have posted in this thread have said that they do not want their threads to get lost in the Reef Discussion forum. It is not that they are not welcome there, it is that they want to participate in a forum that better suits their needs. They want to belong to a group of fellow reefers.

The subtitle of the Reef Discussion forum is "A forum for general reef and marine aquaria discussion". For many posters, that particular forum is not personal enough for them. People post here in the "Nano Reefs" forum because it gives them a place to call home at Reef Central.

We have a great community of people who post here in the Nano Reefs forum. Some of them have small nano reefs, some have larger AIO tanks, others have non AIO tanks in the 20-30 gallon range. We have a good thing going here. Let's do what we can to keep it going.

Gary

 

[Illuminati]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14237526#post14237526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EdKruzel
Let me ask this question to all Nano Forum frequent users: What do you think the "Reef Discussion" area is for? Do you feel you're not welcomed there?

IMO (Not that it counts for much mind you) the Reef Discussion forum is a catch all where just about anything can be discussed.

Looking at the topics on the first and second page of that forum:

4 threads asking for pictures of fish or asking about compatability (Could be in the Reef Fish subforum)

2 threads on tanks 180+ (Could be in the large tank forum)

2 threads on T5 lighting that could be in the equipment & lighting forum.

1 thread on a Biocube 14g tank (Could be here)

I could go further and break down the few algae and invert threads and tell which subforum they belong in but that is splitting hairs.


I REALLY think a tank build forum, where tanks of all sizes can be highlighted could be a good thing. The special forums for large and nano tanks could still be there for users to ask questions or continue to house their tank build thread.

 

[rupes reef]

I agree a tank build forum would be great. I also strongly agree that people want a place to call home, and when people get on other peoples cases because they feel that the other persons tank is bigger than they want. There either needs to be a cap on size to the nano and another forum for the middle guys, or there needs to be somthing out there saying that as long as its not 180+ it can be in the nano. One or the other, it will solve this whole situation. There needs to be more deffinition on these forums. Just throwing everyone who is not "PRESTIEGIOUS" enough to be in the nano foru m in the "GENERAL" forum is not a fix but a get out of our forum and what you do when your gone, we dont care.

 

[uniqueid]

I don't think this post should be about making new forums for other sizes or even trying to make things "fair". It's about defining some limits and then sticking to them.

So the conversation should be kept to that.

My opinion is 20g display and 10g sump/in-tank filtration.

If you have an issue with tanks over 30g getting lost in the general forum, then a new discussion should be started there about splitting things out - and I would fully support it.

 

[BradsOcean]

I think anything over 20g isn't nano anymore

 

[reefermike1]

maybe someone could put togeather a poll.

 

[BradsOcean]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14239070#post14239070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefermike1
maybe someone could put togeather a poll.

+1
lets vote these big tanks outta here!

 

[gas4544]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14238906#post14238906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by uniqueid
I don't think this post should be about making new forums for other sizes or even trying to make things "fair". It's about defining some limits and then sticking to them.

So the conversation should be kept to that.

My opinion is 20g display and 10g sump/in-tank filtration.

If you have an issue with tanks over 30g getting lost in the general forum, then a new discussion should be started there about splitting things out - and I would fully support it.

If we set a volume limit for the Nano Reefs forum, then we should be discussing now what will happen to the tanks that would no longer qualify to be in the Nano Reefs forum. Setting a volume limit will create a new issue, frankly one that is just as important as defining what a nano tank really is. Fixing one issue while creating another issue is not really going to help much.

If we are going to make some changes, let's come up with a comprehensive plan that takes care of the soon-to-be-defined "nano tanks" and the larger tanks as well. Any changes made needs to be an improvement over the current status of the Nano Reefs forum and work out for most of the current posters in this forum.

Would it really be that hard to split up the current Nano Reefs forum into two forums, one for "Nano Reefs" and another for "Micro Reefs"? Just make the Nano Reefs forum for tanks with a display volume of 20 gallons or less and the Micro Reefs forum for tanks with displays between 20 and 40 gallons.

If we do not split the current Nano Reefs forum into two forums, but instead just set a volume limit, then that volume limit needs to include the majority of the current posters here. A volume limit of either 30 or 35 gallons would do that, and keep out the occasional larger tank that shows up here.

Gary

 

[uniqueid]

My point is, you need to make the decision as to size first. Only then a decision can be made as to what happens to the posts that are above that.

We shouldn't be clouding the issue of size/definition with issues of splitting the forum or using the general reef forum.

 

[Electrobes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14238906#post14238906 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by uniqueid
I don't think this post should be about making new forums for other sizes or even trying to make things "fair". It's about defining some limits and then sticking to them.

So the conversation should be kept to that.

My opinion is 20g display and 10g sump/in-tank filtration.

If you have an issue with tanks over 30g getting lost in the general forum, then a new discussion should be started there about splitting things out - and I would fully support it.

Dude.. of course those issues apply... I mean think about it.. you find a forum that you can relate to, and people start going back and forth (Especially a mod).. potentially kicking you out with no where to go.. you're surprised people are going to voice more than just their nano size opinion?

 

[Electrobes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14239265#post14239265 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by uniqueid
My point is, you need to make the decision as to size first. Only then a decision can be made as to what happens to the posts that are above that.

We shouldn't be clouding the issue of size/definition with issues of splitting the forum or using the general reef forum.

I understand what you are trying to say, but yeah it came out wrong...

TBH I thought 55 below was included in a general nano sense.

When you start getting into non-display specifics I think it just gets silly. In other words just stick with displays IMO when referring to nano-size. I would hate for someone to be turned away because he/she has a sump.. in a way it's discouraging it's use and turning someone away for upping water volume (Which we all know is better for the reef in general) concerns me.

 

[chrishet]

Re: Nano as a reference

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14035760#post14035760 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EdKruzel
What is a Nano? Simply put it's a small tank, but while small tanks have been around forever the term “Nano” hasn't.

Nearly two decades ago very few hobbyists dared to keep reef animals in small tanks, but noted author and hobbyist Julian Sprung took the challenge. He not only kept corals in smaller tanks, but in jars as well. While on the speaking tour for the saltwater hobby he referred to his tanks as “Nano's” and when asked the parameters of a “Nano” Julian replied, “20 gallons or less”. Hence a new genre of the hobby was born. The phrase was coined and I believe it is something to inspire to.

Is it true that Julian Sprung has a 60 gallon sump for his 15 gallon nano?...

 

[uniqueid]

Apparently - but I can find no evidence as to this and whether or not he has more than one or has many since that or if this is what he was talking about when he apparently said "20 gallons or less". I can find nothing official.

This has to be about general opinion of those who are involved in voicing it. It also has to be about size first! And it needs comitment from a mod to make a decision based on those opinions! A poll is probably the best way to do it, though I think that's open to abuse.