What is a nano reef?

[sump]

I know this sounds thick but every one is talking about nano reefs and i'm not sure what they are! I think they are small??

 

[Rosseau]

A prefix meaning one-billionth.
www.nigms.nih.gov/news/science_ed/chemhealth/glossary.html



well.. maybe an exaggeration..

basically small reef tanks. small is up for some debate.. but typically 30 gallons or less... most people some to have less than 20.


I guess this is all pretty new, as not that long ago reef keepers thought it crazy to even attempt anything under ~50 gallons.


If you ever see "pico" tanks... again, up for some debate.. but now you're looking at tanks that are only a few gallons in volume!

 

[sump]

so wat is the difference between nano mini and micro?

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i've never really heard people call tanks mini tanks and i've never heard micro tank before. On here its all nano's and pico's.

 

[sump]

is a pico smaller than a nano?

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9065826#post9065826 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sump
is a pico smaller than a nano?

Yes a pico is smaller then a nano.

 

[DJChesnutRabbit]

The way I hear it is a nano is less than 30 gallons and a piko is less than 5 gallons.
-Rabbit

 

[sir_dudeguy]

altho theres not a whole lot that is very "nano" about a 30g I call 30g "regular"

 

[Hobster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9069680#post9069680 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sir_dudeguy
altho theres not a whole lot that is very "nano" about a 30g I call 30g "regular"

I agree. I do not think anything over say a 20g should be called a "Nano". How is a 29g with a 15g sump a "Nano"

 

[DJChesnutRabbit]

I agree with both of you as well, but I think that is rule of thumb. Personally, I think it should be like 10.

 

[sump]

Thanks, I got the idea- small- even if that is a little hard to quantify

 

[cherubfish pair]

I agree, a 30 is a BIG nano. But I want a 40 gallon long and there's no special interest group forum for a 40 gallon long. Would anybody object if I did a log type of thread here on nano reefs forum for a 40 since there's no concrete size definition for nano reefs?

 

[Dubbin1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9070013#post9070013 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DJChesnutRabbit
I agree with both of you as well, but I think that is rule of thumb. Personally, I think it should be like 10.

Stupid rule... IMO a 30g tank is NOT a nano tank. I would say under 20g but that would even be pushing it.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

indeed dubbin

10 years ago...sure i guess it could have been considered nano, seeing as lots of people wouldnt do less than 75g tanks or whatever.

But now with all the new stuff....30 is like the most common starting point and a very high percent of people with more than one tank have a 29 or 30 in there somewhere haha.

 

[sump]

I think I hit a nerve!

 

[DJChesnutRabbit]

LOL.....I just looked up nano reef on Wikipedia and it says lees than 20 gal. Sounds like a winner to me.
-Rabbit

 

[sump]

I've been reading up on nano reefs, I like the idea. I'm thinking about starting a 15 g with a sump, (if that is small enough for u guys to count as nano!lol) I had looked into it about 5 years ago but I only ever saw them called mini reefs then.

I've never kept a reef tank cos I could never quite justify the running costs. I had finally decided on a 78 g tank that I have empty but maybe I'll go with the 15 g one instead.

 

[nsreefer]

I think everyone is going to have a different idea of what nano is. One person's idea of small is going to be different then the next.