Pico Reef tanks are a special group of very small reef aquarium which are generally agreed to be around five gallons or less. Just like ‘full sized’ mini reef aquariums, nano and pico reef aquariums can be difficult to maintain and keep looking good in the long term if you don’t know what to do.
While pico reef tanks can seem hard, they are actually a really great way to either get started in reef keeping, or to set up a display that showcases smaller corals and more diminutive reef life. Worldwide Corals are well known for their exciting coral strains, but just like their reef keeping method their staff is proficient in the art of reef keeping of all sizes, including the small end of the range.
This little two gallon pico reef created by Bobby Melton is a great example of how easy it can be to set up a miniature tank to grow your own slice of a coral reef. Protein skimming, testing and dosing is replaced by regular water changes, auto top off is replaced by preventing evaporation with a tight fitting lid, and a basic preset heater manages the water temperature.
In a tank this small the flow provided by the return pump is enough to move the water around the tank and beyond that, the only other consideration to be made is for choice of corals and small fish. Better yet, these small tans are perfect for showcasing small ornamental invertebrates like small shrimp, anemones, sea cucumbers and even tiny octopus!
