Building a nano reef tank seemed to go against everything that you might have learned many years ago when you might have had a 180 gallon reef tank. You need to get started by setting up the reef tank and mixing the saltwater. Then you add a two inch layer of live sand and allow it to settle before restarting the pumps. After running for three days the water cleared and it is time to add the live rock. The nice thing about a nano reef tank is, it doesn't take too much live rock to fill the tank. After running the tank for about a week, you should check the water quality for nitrites and ph level. It is now time for the fun part of adding corals, fish and invertebrates.
After running the reef tank for say three months, if you have SPS corals, they are probably already showing signs of growth. Coralline algae will also color up nicely and will also show signs of growth. You may have to remove some of the live rocks to make room for some of the corals at the top. It is quite easy to keep up with the weekly water changes and it doesn't cost much since you only need to change some 3 gallons per week. You should buy distilled water for water changes and topping off evaporated water. A nano reef tank is great for SPS coral frags. To attach the frags to the live rock, you can use Marineland's Hold Fast, which is a two part epoxy similar to plumbers epoxy. The glue will surely quickly be overgrown by coralline algae or the coral itself. Many SPS corals in your reef tank will by now be aquacultered leaving the ocean's natural reefs preserved.
