Simple vs. Lots of equipment

[Nano101]

What are people's view on having a nano with limited equipment, vs. equipping a nano as a "normal" tank. Do most of you keep it simple, or go all out?

 

[Azarus]

I'm new to the hobby by about 1.5 years, but have kept freshwater aquariums for over thirty. I'm running a 37g saltwater tank with a HOB skimmer, no refugium, and doing fine. While I like my programmable LED lights, I have no interest tweaking spectrums using an iPhone. I top off water by hand, and can't see myself adding auto-dosers in the future.

Then again, could be an entirely different ballgame with a 125g+ tank.

 

[NanoDJS]

I have been setting up /keeping nanos for about as long as anybody I know of , and I have never used anything other than a HOB , heater, powerheads, deep sand bed ,pods and good water /salt the rest does its own thing really ...less is more sometimes. I learned the GARF system 20+ years ago and haven't looked back

 

[Fishyj]

I have an aio nano tank. I do have an ato on it just because when I go on vacations I do not trust anyone to top off the tank for me. My light was a retro I had that I put into the hood. I do a 10 to 20% weekly water change. I more or less use the k.i.s.s. approach.

 

[ahiggins]

Heres my tanks:
1- 25 gallon mixed reef AIO with a nitrate reactor (because I like fish LOL) and a nano skimmer. 2 power heads.
2- 20 gallon tall frag tank with a HOB filter (for 55 gallon) running filter pads only. 1 power head
3- 10 gallon rock nem/QT with a HOB filter (for 20 gallon) running filter pads only. no powerhead. I have a ba-jillion qtip sponges in my filter so maybe theyre acting as a mini biofilter?

Obviously they all have a heater lol

 

[b3ja]

8 gallon , skimmerless only with chaetos and wc weekly

 

[Coastie Reefer]

For a nano the less you have to do maintenance on the better in my opinion. Aquaclear hob and a hydro nano is all I run in my 10g. Change gfo and carbon along with a 5 gallon water change every couple weeks and it's easy peasy.

 

[ahiggins]

Oh, I do have a 6 gallon that I run on chaeto and have a small powerhead. Forgot about that one LOL

 

[b3ja]

Oh, I do have a 6 gallon that I run on chaeto and have a small powerhead. Forgot about that one LOL

Yeah.. That will do.. I run back sump full of chaeto and manage to keep n03 0.1-0.2.. Enough to keep a happy sps

 

[ahiggins]

I never have much luck with SPS. Even in the 25 cube...dont know why. I can keep stylos happy for a while but then end up with flyaway tissue then they just disintegrate.
I bought a JF sunset stylo last week though. Im going to try it again.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Simple. After the basics are provided for (temperature control, flow, lighting, alk/cal/mag, nutrition, reasonable bioload), regular water changes and maintenance can then used to keep the system in balance.

 

[Lonely reefer's]

I keep it simple as possible 29 bio cube open top
Return pump(Maxi jet 1200)
Heater
Bag of phosphate media
Poly-fil for filter from walmart
Weekly ~2gal wc with 6 stage rodi
Light ocean revive T247
Ato tunze 3155
MarinePure in second compartment
6Mangroves plants(just for the look)

 

[malacoda]

Aside from the typical light, heater, and return pump, for my 24g I started out with just an powerhead in the DT and an ATO that dispensed into a sump (nothing was in the 2-chamber sump other than the return pump).

I've since added filter floss, a nano skimmer, a bag of carbon, a bag of PhosGuard, and dosing pumps (easier than relying on/trusting someone else to dose manual when I have to travel).