Thinking of starting a new nano reef

[dacia]

My mother might kill me...but I am thinking of setting up another fish tank in the house. And I want it to be a nano reef.
I was looking at a small tank for sale at Wal-Mart, it is a 6 gallon tank. I have never made a reef out of something so small, so here goes the questions:
1. Do I really need a skimmer for something that small? If so, which one?
2. What lights do you recommend? I don't want SPS...
3. What fish would be good for that size tank? If I get clowns, I'd like a pair with an anemone, but 6 gallons seems too small for them.
Gosh, it seems so much easier to plan a huge tank...

 

[lefty]

Six gallons is definitely a bit small for two fish. I'd say one small one at the most =).

 

[bigarn]

Originally posted by lefty
Six gallons is definitely a bit small for two fish. I'd say one small one at the most =).

Agreed ....and no anemone.

 

[robchuck]

Originally posted by Dacia
My mother might kill me...but I am thinking of setting up another fish tank in the house. And I want it to be a nano reef.
I was looking at a small tank for sale at Wal-Mart, it is a 6 gallon tank. I have never made a reef out of something so small, so here goes the questions:
1. Do I really need a skimmer for something that small? If so, which one?
Regular water changes will be of about the same benefit as a skimmer. Plus, the amount needed to be changed is small enough that it shouldn't be a hassle to do.
2. What lights do you recommend? I don't want SPS...
Any small PC light would work well (10-30W range); I picked up a 18W JBJ clamp on light from ---- a year or two ago that would be nice for a nano.
3. What fish would be good for that size tank? If I get clowns, I'd like a pair with an anemone, but 6 gallons seems too small for them.
A clown goby would make for a nice fish.

 

[sula]

For what it's worth, I saw a small nano at an LFS checkout the other day - it was 5.4 gallons and looked really nice. I asked the guy "How often are the water changes on this one?" His answer - every day !
That was enough for me to hear....

 

[dacia]

Sounds like nanos that small get expensive with salt solution. I guess new hobbyists try to save money by getting smaller tanks and end up spending so much on salt for the tank because of daily water changes they give up and go back to freshwater...
Oh well. :nope: