Chris Penny, Freshwater nano aquarium, CC BY 2.0
Despite its small size, setting up a nano aquarium is not necessarily easy, as it is interestingly more difficult to get a small system to run optimally. A nano aquarium is a pretty decorative object for every apartment and also for offices. It is a lot of fun to watch the miniature underwater world.
Some aquariums even have curved panes. A 30 liter aquarium has a size of 30 x 30 x 35 cm. Since this tank is really small, it is very sensitive to changes. The low volume of water has little buffer. For this reason, it is important to be very careful and careful when caring for it.
There are special products for nano aquariums that help to create a stable balance. The matching lamp, corner filter, Nano Deponit Mix and gravel should be included in the set.
Setting up the nano aquarium
gravel and decoration
When setting up, the Deponit Mix is first carefully poured into the empty pool and distributed by hand, followed by the coarse-grained gravel, which is also smoothed out, and then the fine, black gravel.
Then the small basin can be decorated. Roots and stones are very good for this. Two small roots fit into a 30 liter tank. A compact and a finger root look nice together. You can also use a large root that sticks out over the edge. You can get creative with the composition of the roots.
Then it’s time to assemble and insert the filter. Finally, the lamp and the thermometer are mounted.
Plant
The following are particularly suitable for a mini-aquarium:
Ricardia chamedryfolia
Riccardia chamedryfolia is a filigree, dark green moss, also known as coral moss.
Fissidens fontanus
Fissidens fontanus is another beautiful moss for a nano aquarium and shrimp tank. It’s very feathery.
Marsilea crenata
Dwarf clover fern is native to Asia. In fact, the four-leaf leaf is reminiscent of clover. The leaves float in deep water.
Bucephalndra kegagang
The Bucephalndra kegagang is one of the most beautiful Bucephalandras because it has a great shimmer. The young leaves are brown-red and have a ruffled edge. The petioles glow reddish. The leaves are only about 5 cm long with the stem, so they are well suited for small tanks.
Gratiola viscidula
Gratiola viscidula, also known as herb of grace, comes from North America. Thanks to its distinctive shape, it is becoming increasingly popular. The leaves resemble thorns. Basically, the plant is very easy to care for, but needs a lot of light.
Phyllanthus fluitans
Floating Spurge is a very pretty floating plant from South America that has rounded leaves. When the plant gets a lot of light, the leaves turn red. The finely branched roots are also reddish.
break-in period
Like a large aquarium, a nano aquarium also needs a running-in phase. This phase lasts at least 3 weeks. However, it is better to wait four to six weeks before using animals. The water parameters must remain unchanged for at least 7 days.
The aquarium should be left running with lights on at least 10am to 4pm. A regular water change (every 7 days) is mandatory. After two to three days, however, the water should already be clear.
buy animals
Of course, due to the limited space, it is not possible to keep many animals in a 30 liter tank. In a nano aquarium, the focus is always on the plants and the furnishings. It’s also perfectly fine to ditch the animals altogether in such a small tank and focus on the landscaping.
If you absolutely want to keep animals, small animals such as shrimp, crabs or snails are very suitable.
The following species can be used as fish:
However, you have to think carefully about whether you really want to keep fish in a nano tank, since problems can quickly arise with the water values and the fish don’t really have much space to swim.
Stock example I shrimp tank
5 to 10 blue jelly shrimp
The attractive blue jelly shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) are beautiful to look at because of their blue colour. They shimmer so intensely they look like they’re made out of blue jelly. Hence the name Blue Jelly.
There should be enough hiding places such as roots and caves in the aquarium so that the shrimp feel comfortable. They also like to sit in the moss. Moss offers many possibilities for the little animals to crawl into. In addition, the dwarf shrimp eat the suspended particles and microorganisms that are present in the moss. Singapore or Skiky moss are particularly good for shrimp.
The shrimp behave very calmly and peacefully among themselves. Feeding is very easy, blue jelly shrimp are really not picky. They mainly feed on dead plant parts, algae and leaves. You can also offer them some shrimp food. Spirulina algae ensure that the shrimp stay fit.
Stock example II Smallest dwarf crayfish, Cambarellus diminutus
3 to 10 Cambarellus diminutus
Dwarf crabs are also suitable for a nano aquarium. The crabs can grow up to 25 mm and are very robust. In addition, they do not place high demands on the water parameters. They tolerate a wide range of water hardness values and pH values. Temperatures can vary between 15 and 26 degrees.
Crayfish should not live with shrimp as they hunt. Otherwise the crabs will eat leaves. They like leaves from apple or walnut trees best. But they also like to eat boiled Brussels sprouts or chickweed.
Stocking example III Snails Orange Tylomelania
Admittedly, the idea of having a tank for snails takes some getting used to, as snails used to be considered a nuisance in the aquarium. Fortunately, this has changed and there are now a large number of very beautiful snails to buy. Snails are very easy to care for and eat algae. Natureholic snail feed can be used as the main food.
Orange Rock Slug – Orange Tylomelania
This snail is a real eye-catcher in every tank. She has orange body and black house. The snail originally came from Lake Poso on Sulawesi. The Orange Tylomelania is very peaceful and feeds on vegetables and foliage. It can also be kept well with shrimp.
The Big Stripe Mosaic Snail – Neritina sp. has a striking color. It eats algae and therefore keeps the plants and the decoration clean. The snails grow to a size of 2 cm and particularly like to sit on stones.