Hello ARC

[SpamBaconton]

Hello, Reef Keepers!

I’m excited to join this community and share my journey into the world of reef keeping. My name’s Ryan, and I’m a stay-at-home dad and a Marine Corps veteran. After years of service, I’ve found that reef keeping has become my go-to way to relax and de-stress. There’s something incredibly calming about creating and maintaining a tiny slice of the ocean in my home.

In December, I started my first reef tank—an 8-gallon Nano reef. It’s still in its early stages, but I’m already hooked on the process and the beauty of this hobby. I’m here to learn, share, and connect with others who share the same passion. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of questions along the way, and I’m looking forward to hearing your advice and experiences.

Thanks for having me, and I’m excited to be part of this community!

 

[hzheng33]

hello and welcome!

thank you for your service!

 

[york1]

 

[SpamBaconton]

The tank.

 

[siege]

Hi Ryan, welcome to the community, and thank you for your service! My father is a Retired Army Sgt. Major, and my grandfather was a Marine Corps D.I., so I have a lot of respect for your background.

I just wanted to mention that nano tanks, while beautiful and rewarding, can be one of the trickiest setups in reefing. The smaller the tank, the more challenging it can be to maintain stable water parameters. This is because fluctuations in nutrients (like nitrates and phosphates) and elements (such as calcium, alkalinity, and trace elements like strontium) can happen very quickly in smaller water volumes. As someone once told me, 'In reefing, you're not keeping fish - you're keeping water.'

Evaporation is another factor - even small amounts can cause salinity to swing in a nano reef, and stable salinity is critical for the health of your corals and other inhabitants.

That said, many people successfully run nano reefs, and they can be stunning. I was originally planning to set up a 20-gallon nano myself to get back into the hobby, but I ended up upgrading to a 50-gallon All-in-One system after some friendly persuasion and a great deal from another hobbyist. Larger tanks (50 gallons or more, ideally with a sump) are generally easier to manage because the greater water volume provides more stability and gives you some buffer against sudden changes.

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend doing some research on the unique challenges and tips for nano reefs. There are ways to mitigate the headaches, like investing in an auto top-off system (ATO) to maintain salinity and focusing on hardy, low-maintenance corals and fish to start with.

I’m excited to follow your journey and see how your nano reef develops - it sounds like you’re off to a great start. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, and again, welcome aboard!

 

[SpamBaconton]

Hi Ryan, welcome to the community, and thank you for your service! My father is a Retired Army Sgt. Major, and my grandfather was a Marine Corps D.I., so I have a lot of respect for your background.

I just wanted to mention that nano tanks, while beautiful and rewarding, can be one of the trickiest setups in reefing. The smaller the tank, the more challenging it can be to maintain stable water parameters. This is because fluctuations in nutrients (like nitrates and phosphates) and elements (such as calcium, alkalinity, and trace elements like strontium) can happen very quickly in smaller water volumes. As someone once told me, 'In reefing, you're not keeping fish - you're keeping water.'

Evaporation is another factor - even small amounts can cause salinity to swing in a nano reef, and stable salinity is critical for the health of your corals and other inhabitants.

That said, many people successfully run nano reefs, and they can be stunning. I was originally planning to set up a 20-gallon nano myself to get back into the hobby, but I ended up upgrading to a 50-gallon All-in-One system after some friendly persuasion and a great deal from another hobbyist. Larger tanks (50 gallons or more, ideally with a sump) are generally easier to manage because the greater water volume provides more stability and gives you some buffer against sudden changes.

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend doing some research on the unique challenges and tips for nano reefs. There are ways to mitigate the headaches, like investing in an auto top-off system (ATO) to maintain salinity and focusing on hardy, low-maintenance corals and fish to start with.

I’m excited to follow your journey and see how your nano reef develops - it sounds like you’re off to a great start. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, and again, welcome aboard!

Hello, and thank you for the warm welcome and thoughtful advice. I truly appreciate your insights, especially regarding the unique challenges of nano tanks. It’s an honor to hear about your family’s military background.

To maintain stability in my nano tank, I am currently performing 50% water changes weekly and replacing the filter floss twice a week. Since I am home throughout the day, I manually monitor salinity and top off with RODI water as needed avg 1/2 gal top off per week so far. I prepare 5-10 gallons of saltwater twice a week, using a highly accurate refrigerant scale to measure the salt-to-water ratio by weight, ensuring precision. This method has allowed me to maintain a consistent salinity of 1.025 daily. Additionally, I have a 3.8-gallon tank currently cycling, which I also top off manually.

While these are my first personal tanks, I grew up around multiple aquariums and have benefited from my wife’s experience with predator tanks. We’ve also been offered a larger tank by my wife’s coworker, which belonged to her late husband. We’ve accepted the offer, though it will likely be a year or more before we begin setting it up.

I approach this hobby with a high level of attention to detail and focus, which helps me manage the intricacies of smaller systems. I had initially installed an auto top-off (ATO) system for the pico tank, but it malfunctioned overnight, prompting me to revert to manual top-offs for now.

Thank you again for your guidance and encouragement. I look forward to continuing to learn.

 

[SpamBaconton]

The pico

 

[siege]

Sounds like you’ve got it pretty well figured out, and you’re definitely not ‘new’ to the hobby the way most people starting their first reef tank are. Manually topping off and using a refrigerant scale for salinity is next-level attention to detail, and it sounds like you’ve got a solid system in place.

Having some background with aquariums and your wife’s experience with predator tanks probably helps a lot too. And with a second tank cycling and a bigger setup in the works, you’ve clearly got a handle on where you want to take this. Honestly, I can’t wait to see how everything comes together as you keep building on it.

If you ever decide to give the ATO another go, there are some solid options out there, but it sounds like your manual system is working just fine for now. Looking forward to seeing more updates!

 

[PJs_Bucket_List]

Welcome, Ryan! I'm only seven months into this hobby myself, and joining ARC is one of the best decisions I've made. You are in luck! This is a great community, full of friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful people who are passionate about reef keeping. Looking forward to seeing your tank's development!