Nano Reef Tank

[emily0406]

Hi everyone, I’m trying to start a nano reef tank and I am somewhat new to the hobby, I have purchased a 2.5 gallon tank and I have some questions.

One, what kind of powerhead should I buy for this tank? Everywhere I’ve looked online said I needed one for a reef tank but I can’t seem to find one that’s small enough for this tank size. Would a regular filter be enough water flow for a small tank like this?

Two, I’ve purchased a small 3 gallon filter that I just now realized says freshwater on it, can I still use it for this tank? Or would I be better off returning it and buying one that’s actually meant for saltwater tanks?

Lastly, I’m planning on buying live rock anyway, so should I buy live sand? I’ve heard some bad things about live sand, but I also hear it can help get the tank parameters set up quicker.

Thank you, any answers are appreciated.

 

[Dr.Xipoles]

First, its a pico reef tank, so if want a crash course into setting it up, just youtube "pico reef" or "how to set up a nano reef" and watch all the videos. There's quite a few good ones in there.

And in this hobby, youre going to get a lot of opinions on how to set up your tank so the videos should help influence your choices.

 

[Dr.Xipoles]

I personally, for such a small tank, would use one of those aquaclear 30 hob filter, no sand, just live rock, and a par38 reef bulb.

 

[hockeyhead019]

I agree with @Dr.Xipoles... definitely go check out some youtube videos and head over to https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/nano-reefs.89/. This section is dedicated to members with nano sized tanks. You'll be able to take a look at what their setup process was and hopefully avoid any issues they had while setting up their tanks.

Beware, if you're new to the hobby then prepare to spend a lot of time reading and researching lol

 

[Retro Reefer]

Nano reefs are great but I would suggest a larger AIO somewhere between 10 and 20 gallons or larger.. As a beginner that 2.5 will be a nightmare to keep parameters in line the biggest being temp and salinity because of the small volume, I have a 3.5 that’s been running for 2 years and it requires constant fiddling I will be tearing it down soon because of this.. I also have a 14 gallon nano that’s been probably the easiest tank to keep up with that I have ever owned, the larger water volume gives it some stability and yet because of the small size it’s very easy to clean and maintain..