Let's talk about Nano/Mini Tanks. 来, 迷你缸。

i hope i got the chinese rite...
Lai, i thinking of making a desktop Nano tank. So, not sure of the plants, fishes, and filter to use.
One i worried about is that, the smaller the tank, the lesser the buffer range is going to be. Like, erm, may need to change water more often.

So let's hear from every bros and sis here for the inputs lah!


I hope to make this a on going long thread in Planted Tanks & Aquascaping section. Because i notice that over here, there are lesser (or dun have at all) of long on going thread with many pple inputs their ideas and share info.

Ofcos, the success or failure, depends on everyones efford to make it happen. I hope it will do will and spark off other long thread in this section of AF. This way, we can make Planted Tanks & Aquascaping section livelier.

I've started with small tanks and will continue to use small tanks because my place has space constraints.

These are the plants that are suitable for small tanks.

quoted from thekrib.com

A.b. var. nana, Java Moss,
Java Fern, (narrow leaf
and 'Windelov')
Rotala wallachii,
R. macrandra,
Micranthemum,
Glossostigma,
Cryptocoryne wendtii,
C. affinis,
Echinodorus tenellus,
E. quadricostatus,
Riccia,
Didiplis diandra
Mayaca fluviatilis.

Use a typical hang on/clip on filter or an external canister.
Not sure about buffer range...my ph levels ranges from 5.9 to 6.5. I use a ft - or 32 x 22 x 22 tank.

Big problem with nanos is that... you can't have too many fish. e.g. a 20 cm tank should not contain 8 cardinals, but 8 is the minimum number for fish to have schooling behavior...

Smaller tanks, due to their limited water capacity, any slight change in the environment can be significant here compared to bigger tanks. I would advice having a heavily planted tank or at least planted nano tanks which at least help to stablise the water (personal experience). Anyway it looks nicer for a nano planted tank compared to a nano fish only tank.

Equipment like Sunfire said, can use HOF and clip on light/light with stand. Get those low maintenace plants (moss, ferns,...) so it would require less triming as it would become a chore later on, unless you intent to sell plants. Water change weekly should be ok depending on the bioload. For my 1 ft tank, I think should not have more than 5 fishes (my take) and since I have shrimps (algae clearing crew), there is limited fishes for me to buy. Might be able to hold more fishes but control your feeding (2-3 times a week, feed small amount) is a way to have slightly more fishes. Water change weekly should be fine (I do that for my tank for about 10% weekly).

as what others have said, use HOF will be just nice

I have a 1 ft cube tank as well....

I use it to breed apistos...

I have a Liberty Hang On Filter which works great. I used to keep CRS and it works fine...

Advice: keep bioload low...
For plants, i keep cryptos, nanas and 1 lotus lily, spiky moss as well

Originally Posted by wasabi8888

I have a 1 ft cube tank as well....

I use it to breed apistos...

I have a Liberty Hang On Filter which works great. I used to keep CRS and it works fine...

Advice: keep bioload low...
For plants, i keep cryptos, nanas and 1 lotus lily, spiky moss as well

1 foot cube is still ok IMO.
I currently under one project that tank measuring, 14cm X 14cm X 18cm...
which i tink really is Nano. I have some moss and some plants (which i duno name) on a DW. the DW it self takes up lots of space.

Faunas wise, i think of 2 X Dario, 2 X clown killies, 1 X Oto, and mayb some cherry shrimps (~4)

From Petfrd.com....

Nano tanks, as the name implies refers to tanks which are minute in size. While seemingly a difficult size to work with as far as aquascaping is concerned as choice of plants, fish etc are much more limited, a small tank presents an opportunity for the hobbyist to horne his/her skills at aquascaping. The challenge of a Nano tank is to create a beautifully vibrant aquascape despite the confines of a small tank.

Also, with the size, comes a small volume of water in which the tank can hold. A small volume equates to greater sensitivity to changes in water conditions. As such, again the mantle of the hobbyist is tested to properly handle such changes in conditions in a given volume.

However a Nano tank is relatively cheap to setup and maintain, given the limited size.

Here is a few prize winning photos of Nano tanks - Petfrd.com.

i just started cycling a nano tank of 14cm by 14cm by 18cm... with these type of sand

I notice a very small current can make the water milky bcos of these fine sand.
Did i make the wrong choice of the sand? shld i choose a heavier and bigger sand?

Originally Posted by Sunfire

I've started with small tanks and will continue to use small tanks because my place has space constraints.

These are the plants that are suitable for small tanks.

quoted from thekrib.com

A.b. var. nana, Java Moss,
Java Fern, (narrow leaf
and 'Windelov')
Rotala wallachii,
R. macrandra,
Micranthemum,
Glossostigma,
Cryptocoryne wendtii,
C. affinis,
Echinodorus tenellus,
E. quadricostatus,
Riccia,
Didiplis diandra
Mayaca fluviatilis.

Use a typical hang on/clip on filter or an external canister.
Not sure about buffer range...my ph levels ranges from 5.9 to 6.5. I use a ft - or 32 x 22 x 22 tank.

Big problem with nanos is that... you can't have too many fish. e.g. a 20 cm tank should not contain 8 cardinals, but 8 is the minimum number for fish to have schooling behavior...

I feel the following plant also gd,

HC and rotala indica/rotundifolia.

[moonwalker]

Originally Posted by Sunfire

I've started with small tanks and will continue to use small tanks because my place has space constraints.

These are the plants that are suitable for small tanks.

quoted from thekrib.com

A.b. var. nana, Java Moss,
Java Fern, (narrow leaf
and 'Windelov')
Rotala wallachii,
R. macrandra,
Micranthemum,
Glossostigma,
Cryptocoryne wendtii,
C. affinis,
Echinodorus tenellus,
E. quadricostatus,
Riccia,
Didiplis diandra
Mayaca fluviatilis.

Use a typical hang on/clip on filter or an external canister.
Not sure about buffer range...my ph levels ranges from 5.9 to 6.5. I use a ft - or 32 x 22 x 22 tank.

Big problem with nanos is that... you can't have too many fish. e.g. a 20 cm tank should not contain 8 cardinals, but 8 is the minimum number for fish to have schooling behavior...

What is school behavior , do goldfish need min nos to have that ?