WAMAS Tank of the Month
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This tank was a gift from a friend; it’s not technically a “saltwater” tank, but the corals don’t seem to mind. It’s a ~$50 tank on Amazon that brightens a poorly-lit foyer. The stock return pump was underpowered, so I upgraded to a Hydor Koralia Nano 240 gph pump. Water is heated to ~78F with a Cobalt Aquatics Easy-Therm 25 Watt heater.
All of the water movement is provided by the Hydor Koralia return pump.
I have a Red Sea Max Nano with an Aqua Illumination Prime 16 HD, so the AI Prime 16 HD was an easy choice for lighting - probably overkill for a 5 gal tank, but again, the corals don’t seem to mind. For AI folks, I’m using Leon Tan’s pre-programmed lighting schedule. Dim blue lights during morning coffee make the tanks enjoyable for early risers.
I do 100% weekly water changes. There’s only one clown in the tank, so bio load is low and nitrates are zero. Debated transitioning to water changes every other week, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I change the carbon filter weekly during the water change; again, could probably transition to every other week, but it takes 15 mins for the entire water change, so not a big deal.
I make RO/DI water with a Cyclone 4 stage from Air, Water, & Ice. Upgraded to a 150 gpd membrane but the hard water in DC makes it tough to get more than ~2 gals/hr of RO/DI water. I use Instant Ocean Reef Salt and mix to ~1.025. Again, I aim for 1.025, but sometimes it’s higher, sometimes it’s lower. Conveniently, the tank came with a glass top that prevents 99% of evaporation. If I leave the top off, I manually top off with RO/DI daily as quite a bit of water evaporates. As far as water parameters, I’ve never checked alkalinity, calcium, or phosphates. I’ve checked nitrates a few times but have always been zero.
My livestock consists of only one Clownfish and a mixed aray of corals including SPSs, LPSs, and Softies.
Couple of lessons learned: I started with a lot of sand but have since siphoned the majority of it during water changes. Honestly, the tank is easier to maintain without sand, so I’m a proponent of sandless bottoms. Also, the upgraded pump makes a lot of difference. I don’t have any powerheads in the tank because the return pump does a good enough job keeping the water moving.
Honestly, the tank is on auto-pilot outside of the weekly water changes and the occasional glass cleaning. It’s a lot of fun and looks great in the entryway of the apt.
Thanks so much for reading about it and best of luck reefing. Cheers, Alex |
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