Tropical Fish Forums

Fish_Hobbiest · Members Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Location: Viola, Arkansas

Hello all,

I have a question, I have a small nano tank that I only have 3 fish in and just a few tiny hermit crabs (blue legged). The water and the live sand that I used was out of a tank that has been running perfect for over a year now and well, my nitrates are up high. I don't' know what I'm doing wrong. I figured that with it being from a good tank that it wouldn't go into any type of cycle or anything. Do I have to have some sort of better filtration to it? I have a hose that has a filter at the bottom of it and it blows bubbles up to the top of the water to help keep the water circulating. It did really well for a about a week after I got it (I have had it for about 2 1/2 weeks now) and now the nitrates just don't seem to want to come down. I have been doing water changes in it every other day to help with this, but it hasn't touched it.

If anyone out there has a small nano tank (Mine is 3 gallons) please let me know what I am doing wrong and how I can fix it. I don't want anything extravagant, nothing but fish will be in it. My husband said if my tank does well he'll put a featherduster in there for me, but I am not sure that will help in any way. Please if you have any idea on what I can do to help with this, let me know..

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Fish... Where? I don't see them! Ohhhh look there they are! Smile

59FIFTY · Regulars Joined: 20 Aug 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee

This aquarium was not meant to be a salt water aquarium! it is way too under-filterized and you have too many fish for an aquarium this size. I also assume that that aquarium was not made to be a salt water aquarium... now I have no clue about salt water anything but I'm guessing these are pretty decent assumptions.
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In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. - Martin

Fish_Hobbiest · Members Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Location: Viola, Arkansas

No it wasn't made for a saltwater tank. It was my husband's idea, and I thought I would give it a go. The fish seem fine, they aren't stressing or no ick or anything like that. They have been eating well, swimming around well. Just that stupid nitrate just seems to want to stay high. I should of just gone with my orginal idea and I wouldn't be sitting here worring about it all. *Sighs*
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Fish... Where? I don't see them! Ohhhh look there they are! Smile

wittd · Regulars Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Lexington, KY

Could you give us a little more info on the setup, particularly what type of fish and how the sand was transferred. I definately think it is overstocked, but that will depend on the fish.

jsuereth · Regulars Joined: 22 Aug 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, PA USA

There's a few videos on how to turn hob filters into refugiums for nano tanks. You need to get something that will "eat" the nitrates if you do not want to do very frequent water changes.

I'm not an expert at all in saltwater but I know that keeping nano tanks stable is hard and the more plant matter the better. Setting up a nano-refugium with macro algaes might be enough, but as I said, I'm no expert.

Fish_Hobbiest · Members Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Location: Viola, Arkansas

All the advice is very helpful, thank you. I have a good friend that has a lot of saltwater tanks. I think I might ask him about it and see what he thinks. I will also do a little bit more research on it, (which I should of done before taking my husbands advice! LOL) But thank you all who gave me advice. Smile

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Fish... Where? I don't see them! Ohhhh look there they are! Smile

FloridaBoy · Moderators Joined: 04 Jul 2004

Hello Fish_Hobbiest, and welcome to the forum.
I'm glad you are asking these questions, your concern shows you care about marine life and I think we can help you get off to a good start.

Speaking only for myself, I would have to say that over the years, it has probably become obvious that I am not particularly fond of "nano" setups. It isn't that I want to hinder your success, no
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Keepin' marines happy for 25 years

Fish_Hobbiest · Members Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Location: Viola, Arkansas

Thank you for the great advice, right now the fish that I have in there, and the hermit crabs that I have in there are doing well. As far being a "beginer" fish hobbiest, I am not. When it come to small salt water tanks, well that's a different story. My husband is still teaching me about our 75 gallon salt water tank.

I talked to a couple of my friends that have nano tanks and they have given me great advice also. I am trying their advice, if it does not work, then I will wait till I get my friends 50 gallon salt water tank set up and use them to "kick start" her tank. I can't put them into my tank because they are two small. My anemones would eat them in a heat beat, lol.

Again, I really thank you for the great advice. Smile

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Fish... Where? I don't see them! Ohhhh look there they are! Smile

philipsteele · New Members Joined: 26 Sep 2011

thats great...here is a best Essay on Aquatic Life...its really interesting... Cool

Fish_Hobbiest · Members Joined: 31 Jan 2011 Location: Viola, Arkansas

Thanks Philipsteele, but I got rid of my nano tank. It didn't work out. All but 2 of the fish died in it, and even the hermit crab died, so I threw the 2 fish I had left into my husband's 75 gallon tank. That was kind of a mistake too. The blue fish that I had (one that survived the nano tank) got ate as soon as I introduced him into the 75 gallon. The little yellow one that survived, well he's still surviving and getting bigger by the months, lol. He is happy in the 75 gallon tank and has adapted quite well with the other fish we have in there.

I turned my "nano" tank into a freshwater tank and I have two fancy tail goldfish in it. One is orange (We call him Orange, like the fruit) and then I have one black one (we call him blackie). It was my kid's idea lol (for the names.) Then I have a small 1 gallon beta tank that I have a blue male beta in there that we call bubbles. I gave up on the whole saltwater thing. I pretty much let my husband do all that. I am strictly freshwater. I do have some knowledge of saltwater, but I will not say I am an expert at it. In fact, unless I look something up in the book that I have made (from months of study and printing things out) I really don't answer many questions.

I think I will just stick with my freshwater tank and enjoy watching the fish in the saltwater.

P.S. We do have a 29 gallon saltwater tank now. Mostly used to raise coral, hoping to raise them and then sell them and soon we will open a fish store that is mainly set on saltwater fish/coral.
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Fish... Where? I don't see them! Ohhhh look there they are! Smile