The elections are over, no more tv adds, no Facebook drama, and no more fervent neighbors with signs. Whatever your political associations, take a deep breath, let it all sink in and enjoy some of these amazing nano reef aquariums. This week we selected five of some of our favorite nano reef aquariums we covered over the past couple years. Most of the aquariums have unfortunately been broken down since then, but they’ve left behind an important legacy for the nano reef world and the aquarium hobby as a whole. Check them out after the break.
Marcello’s nano’s reef
Marcello’s nano reef aquarium is definitely one of the best designed aquarium we’ve ever covered. Although the addition of a blue tang in such a small system is questionable at best, and certainly not something we condone, the beauty of this aquarium is undeniable. For such a small system this aquarium is remarkable even, Marcello’s reef holds a mere 6.6 gallons! The aquascape and placement of corals is just spectacular and results in a reef scene most experienced hobbyist would have hard time recreating in a 25 gallon system. We’re not sure where Marcello got his mad aquascaper skillz, but by our definition he is a reefing prodigy.
Uhuru’s Azoox Nano
Mike Cao’s (aka Uhuru) azoox nano is a beautiful nano system, and was one of the first nano aquariums to highlight just how stunning azoox reef aquariums can be. Most of the inhabitants were later transferred to Mike Cao’s equally stunning 65 gallon azoox reef, but over the systems life span of a year the azoox nano has more than proofed itself as a successful azoox nano system. Be warned though, the amount and frequency this reef is fed is pretty mind boggling and will make any SPS keeper fall of his chair. Full details on his feeding methods and the system in general can be found in the post (click the picture)
The Clean & Simple Nano reef
The beauty of this simple & clean nano system lies in it’s minimalism. Bare bottom, with a single vortech MP10 and a simple drain that consist of just an elbow, it is as minimalistic as you can run a “high tech” nano reef. Calling this reef minimalistic might sound counter intuitive considering that this 8.5 gallon reef has a 5 gallon sump and a 9 gallon refugium, contains a MP10 and is illuminated with PAR 38 LED spotlights. But the core of this nano is simplicity, there are no messy wires and there is no un needed equipment. Watching the video is a must, and can be found in the original post (the picture will redirect you to the post)
The Dancing Reef
The dancing reef aquarium is one of those systems that looks amazing even with a lack of limited edition corals. Filled to the rim with just common corals instead, this reef is an epitome of a classic nano reef. Called the dancing reef for a good reason all the soft corals and meaty LPS corals show some great looking movement in the the current. Again the tangs is not something we necessarily condone, but we cannot know what other systems the owner of this reef has waiting for some additional tangs. This reef is most impressive when seen in the video, so check it out by heading over to the post.
Johnny Ciotti’s upside down reef
Johnny Ciotti’s upside down reef is one of those aquariums we love because of the concept behind the system. The aquascape in this nano system is just very impressive, and the livestock was obviously carefully selected. We love the the bangai cardinals, and the separation of photosynthetic corals on top and azoox corals on the bottom is just spectacular. It is unfortunate that the system never got grow into a mature system , but the extreme aquascape has definitely opened our eyes to the previously unknown territory of aquascaping. It also has shown us how important planning the livestock before hand can be for the successful execution of a concept reef. More photo’s of Johnny Ciotti’s upside down reef and an interview about it’s birth can be found in the original post (click the picture).
More manageable than their larger counterparts, and offering much more control over the aquascape as a whole, nano reefs have always been systems used to experiment and to try out new concepts. As a result nano reefs definitely have a special place in our hearts, and we hope that even if you have never been a big fan of nano reefs before, that the systems above will have opened your eyes to just some of the possibilities with these tiny glass boxes. Stay tuned for another Reef Builders Pick next week, and in case you missed it check out Five of our favorite concept reef aquariums we covered last week.
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