How Big is a Nano Tank?
How big is a nano tank? Nano tanks are aquariums with a water volume of approximately 30 gallons and smaller. Nano tanks are designed to be installed on small stands, tables, or desks. They are especially well suited for smaller rooms, office cubicles, and other areas where space is scarce.
The Latest in Nano Tank Kits:
There is no true consensus among aquarists (a person who keeps an aquarium). Still, one surefire way to find the answer is to review what the major aquarium manufacturers are marketing as nano tanks.
A dozen years ago, a nano tank was considered any tank around 10-20 gallons.
However, manufacturers began producing and marketing an ever-growing assortment of aquarium sizes around the 10-gallon mark. These tanks ranged from 6 to 16 gallons. Sizes now include a mind-numbing variety (e.g., 6, 9, 12, 13.5, 14, 15, 16, etc.)
This, combined with the ever-increasing sophistication of larger aquariums – many with separate filtration sumps (where the sumps alone were larger than these smaller tanks) – led the hobby to begin viewing all of these smaller ones as nano tanks. Tanks twice as big or more than the original ‘nano’ tanks are now included in the nano designation.
I guess when it becomes commonplace to have a filtration sump that is 40 gallons or larger just for filtration and equipment, then a 25-gallon display tank begins to seem very tiny indeed!
It is now commonplace for aquariums around 30 gallons to be called a nano tank. BioCube 32 and Flex 32.5 are prime examples of aquariums at the larger end of the nano tank spectrum.
Impact of Nano Tank Shapes
How big is a nano tank? Beyond the wide variety of tank water volumes available (6, 9, 12, 13.5, 14, 15, 16, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 32.5, etc.), many tank shapes exist well. Tank configurations include mini, cube, frag, peninsula, shallow, bow front, tall, and so on! There is a nano tank for everyone’s taste and aquarium plans.
Interestingly, many of the shapes, while radically different, often have the same water volume. The same water volume does not mean they can properly support the same amount of livestock. What? Why?
A tank with more surface area will have improved gas exchange. (think typical rectangular-shaped tank vs. a square ‘cube’ style tank.) The rectangular aquarium exposes more of the water surface to air than the square aquarium. Even if they have the same water volume, this absorption of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide at the water surface will be more efficient in the rectangular tank. This enables it to support more livestock.
How Big is a Nano Tank: Saltwater Reef Aquariums
Many factors go into selecting a nano tank size for your reef tank. Don’t only focus on the location where you want to put the tank. Take the time to familiarize yourself with your goals for the tank. Then you can decide on a tank volume and shape that you will be happy with long term.
Questions you will want to answer before deciding on the size and shape of your nano tank include:
Nano Tank / Nano Reef Tank Vision:
- Freshwater/saltwater;
- Type, temperament, and number of fish desired;
- Type; the number of invertebrates desired;
- Freshwater plants, aquascape, substrate base;
- Saltwater live rock, coral, coral type (soft, LPS, SPS, etc.)
Now that you have in mind your vision for your aquarium – remember the inconvenient truth when selecting your nano tank – bigger is better. One of the main reasons aquarists add separate sumps to even their mid and full-size display tanks is that they understand that bigger is better and that the larger water volume is much more forgiving of mistakes or poor maintenance.
This means that, in a perfect world, you will be buying the largest nano tank that your cabinet, desk, or stand can support – and that still fits in your available space.
Remember that water weighs 8.34 lbs per gallon, so a 20-gallon nano tank with water will weigh more than 200 lbs.
Easy Nano Reef Tanks:
As the hobby grew, the aquarium manufacturers began developing efficient and easy-to-maintain nano tanks. These aquariums have features for both beginning and advanced aquarists. The big draw to these tanks, especially for the beginner, include:
- Lower cost
- Ease of initial setup
- Minimal routine maintenance
While the latest nano tanks are beginner-friendly, they also have design elements advanced hobbyists desire. These options include both internal and external filtration sumps.
Nano tanks have also gone through significant improvements aesthetically with rimless models that eliminate plastic from the top viewing edges. The beauty and clarity of high-performance, low-iron glass greatly increase the viewing quality.
How Big is a Nano Tank? The Advantages and Limitations
Nano Tank Size
As I mentioned in this article, there are various nano tank sizes. Whether it’s a dorm room, an office cubical, or a man cave, you can always find the space for an aquarium.
The small footprint can be a blessing, but it also limits the livestock, plants, etc., you can have in your tank. The smaller the habitat, the fewer fish you can have.
Freshwater nano tanks typically have fish and potentially a small aquascape with plants and a gravel substrate.
Saltwater nano tanks will typically also have fish, fish with a rock aquascape, or a combination of fish, rock, and corals. Reef tanks typically have fish, live rock, and coral. Nano reef tanks can be stunning, with the corals and fish having bright, vibrant colors. Nano reef tank substrates are typically bare bottom, sand, or crushed coral.
Acrylic/Glass Nano Tanks
A major advantage of an acrylic aquarium is that it’s substantially lighter than a corresponding aquarium made of glass. The most significant disadvantage to acrylic aquariums is the ease with which they are scratched. Scratches can occur in many ways, from the exterior and interior of the acrylic during cleaning and maintenance and the occasional accident.
Nano tanks are so small that the weight savings by going with an acrylic tank over a glass tank do not significantly make a difference in choosing acrylic over
High-quality, low-iron glass is available on some high-end nano aquariums.
The Disadvantages of Glass Can be Engineered around — Acrylic’s Fatal Flaws Cannot
CustomAquarium.com
Rimless Nano Tanks
Rimless nano tanks, those without continuous plastic at the top edge of the aquarium walls, are ultra-clean in appearance and provide a clear view of the tank from top to bottom. These tanks provide a modern aesthetic that fits various decor without looking out of place or like a kid’s toy.
Related Article: Best Low-Iron Rimless Nano Aquariums
How Big is a Nano Tank AIO
The nano tank AIO – or nano tank all in one – is an aquarium with a display area and a separate sump area within the same aquarium walls. The term ‘all in one’ or AIO indicates that the tank has both a display volume and a sump volume within the same tank.
The best feature of the nano tank all-in-one model is placing all the equipment into the AIO sump portion. This is preferred to hanging within the display area or off the back of the tank. Hiding the equipment in the sump keeps it from ‘spoiling the view.’
It also saves valuable real estate within the display area. Keeping the look clean and uncluttered in a small aquarium is a challenge that the all-in-ones are happy to help conquer.
Nano Aquarium Lighting
Small form factor lighting is required for nano tanks. The potential to overwhelm the aquarium in size and amount of light is real.
Many modern nano and nano tank AIO models come with LED lighting included. These setups are especially beneficial for beginners in the hobby or those looking to control costs.
The included lighting is often far below that desired for the advanced aquarist – or, more importantly – needed to support your livestock. This is also true for those looking to create nano saltwater reef tanks,
Typically, the saltwater nano reef tanks have the greatest need for improved lighting. However, planted freshwater tanks need specialized lighting as well.
Related Article: Best Reef Lighting
Nano Tank Accessories
Most aquariums will require similar accessories – regardless of tank size. Equipment originally designed for larger aquariums will overwhelm the small form factor of nano tanks.
Therefore it is critical to have nano-sized equipment for your tank. Most manufacturers sell nano tank kits with the bare minimum equipment. The good news is that it will all be custom-fit to your purchased individual tank.
Additionally, numerous upgrades are available from the manufacturer and other third-party manufacturers. You will quickly find that there will be many accessories you will want to upgrade or add over time. Especially as you get used to your tank and become more familiar with operating and maintaining the tank,
Pico – smaller than a Nano!
The term ‘nano’ has been stretched to include larger and larger tanks. However, the pico tank is still generally considered an aquarium, approximately 5 gallons and smaller. Sizes of pico tanks typically range between 2.5 and 5.5 gallons. So if you are really up to a challenge…
Summary: How Big is a Nano Tank?
Nano tanks are aquariums with a water volume of approximately 30 gallons and smaller. Nano tanks are designed to be installed on small stands, tables, or desks.
Nano tanks are especially well suited for smaller rooms, office cubicles, and other areas where space is scarce.
In addition to water volume, the shape of the nano aquarium affects the use and the type of livestock you can have.
There are a lot of advantages to a nano reef aquarium. However, most aquarists believe nano tanks are not great for new hobbyists.
Nano tanks with small water volumes have very little room for error. That’s one of the main reasons people with large display tanks still add additional sump tanks.
Beginners getting into nano reefing must be prepared for routine maintenance. Maintenance is critical in nano reef tanks. Check out my post, ‘A low maintenance reef tank – the easy way!‘ to keep reefing enjoyable!