Need advice for my 5.5 gallon nano build

[FriedReef TV]

I currently have a 25 gallon tank but am moving for college to an apartment much closer to campus so I am downsizing to a 5.5 gallon to make future moving easier. I will be staying here hopefully for remainder of undergrad but no guarantees. I am designing this tank with the main goal to be a breeze to move it since for the next decade (studying medicine) I will likely move a bunch of times. I plan to maintain this tank for this duration until I graduate medical school, so I really want to build it right. I am on a bit of a budget, but am not completely opposed to spending a bit more over time if I really need to.

Equipment I already have:
-AI Prime 16
-IM nano ATO
-AquaClear 70 HOB filter (too big?)
-AquaticLife nano protein skimmer (its reasonably small and suprisingly skims like a beast)
-50w aqueon heater
-Inkbird temp controller
-Maintenance equipment/test kits
-Rock
-MJ600/1200
-Mixed matrix/siporax biomedia
-Automatic feeder
-Jebao 3 head dosing pump
-Mini fuge light

On top of this I also have some other misc equipment I will be getting rid of like extra lights, heaters, filters, parts, return pumps, etc. Just to keep in mind I have some extra equipment on hand if anyone has ideas (saving money is ideal).

Equipment I need/considering
-Nano wavemaker(s)
-Smaller HOB filter?
-Smart plugs strip
-Small fan for O2/cooling
-Lid
-Surface skimmer?
-Sand?

I'm not sure if a DIY AIO setup would be best, or I could use the skimmer with wavemakers, or just the AC70, or all of it together. I have run successful nano tanks 10-65g with refugiums inside of HOB filters, with little skimmers, canisters, and some just using chemipure, but never 5 gallons, so I'm seeking more experienced reefers in this area. I will say I personally hate cleaning my AIO now, I can't imagine cleaning even smaller compartments so I'm leaning towards the AC70 fuge mod option. I feel as though if I use the skimmer it might ruin the aesthetic of the tank because it sits inside the tank, its not ugly but the tank is so small it could kinda be annoying to look at. However, the benefits of the skimmer are really tempting. Not sure if I wanna do sand or barebottom, but I'm leaning towards barebottom because I'm running it right now and its low maintenance plus it makes moving it even easier. I am planning on using a single caribsea arch rock to keep moves simple. I will epoxy some branches/platforms to it for corals. As for inverts I plan on keeping easy sps lps and softies, a skunk cleaner and collection of ceriths/blue legs, an emerald crab (and hitchhiking mini brittle stars) all of which are in my current tank. For fish I am thinking about getting a green or yellow clown goby and possibly a mandarin once the tank is settled. I work at my LFS so I can get a good discount and also observe that the fish are happily eating frozen before purchasing them.

Moving day is Jan 5, so I don't have a ton of time left to plan it out and build it. Just looking for some advice from the nano reef fam, what are you guys' opinion on my plan? Any tips? Advice? Ideas? I would love to see you guys' nano builds and hear your own methodologies/equipment tips, thanks.

 

[KrisReef]

Doctor,

My daughter is in her final year and starts her residency next year, so I know a little about the subject of Medical School. Since nobody from the Nano Department has been able to drum up the courage to tell you what you need to hear, I'm gonna supply the encouragement you need to forget about trying to maintain a tank while you are getting your medical education. It will not improve your life to have an aquarium to maintain while you are busy learning the tiny amount of knowledge that they will be dumping into your brain for the next 4 years. Then comes residency (have you decided on a specialty yet) and unless you drop out of medical school to work at a fish store you won't have the time to keep up with both.

Store all the equipment, or sell it and buy all new stuff in 8 years when you can pay someone to come and maintain it for you.

Some people on here say that the biggest thing they have learned from the hobby is patience. Start learning that subject now and if you have spare time during breaks use it to plan big.

Otherwise, after your first year of school ends you will be on here posting a thread, "Need help rebooting my neglected nano."

My daughter told me she wanted to become an MD while she was early into her high school education. When she got accepted to medical school she told me she wanted to be a surgeon. Then she found out how many hours they spent each day at the hospital, had a baby, and has finally settled into a specialty that will provide more regular time to spend at home.

In summary, don't try and carry a baby with you through med school, and congratulations on getting accepted! Very exciting times for you.

 

[FriedReef TV]

Doctor,

My daughter is in her final year and starts her residency next year, so I know a little about the subject of Medical School. Since nobody from the Nano Department has been able to drum up the courage to tell you what you need to hear, I'm gonna supply the encouragement you need to forget about trying to maintain a tank while you are getting your medical education. It will not improve your life to have an aquarium to maintain while you are busy learning the tiny amount of knowledge that they will be dumping into your brain for the next 4 years. Then comes residency (have you decided on a specialty yet) and unless you drop out of medical school to work at a fish store you won't have the time to keep up with both.

Store all the equipment, or sell it and buy all new stuff in 8 years when you can pay someone to come and maintain it for you.

Some people on here say that the biggest thing they have learned from the hobby is patience. Start learning that subject now and if you have spare time during breaks use it to plan big.

Otherwise, after your first year of school ends you will be on here posting a thread, "Need help rebooting my neglected nano."

My daughter told me she wanted to become an MD while she was early into her high school education. When she got accepted to medical school she told me she wanted to be a surgeon. Then she found out how many hours they spent each day at the hospital, had a baby, and has finally settled into a specialty that will provide more regular time to spend at home.

In summary, don't try and carry a baby with you through med school, and congratulations on getting accepted! Very exciting times for you.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! I understand its probably easier to simply wait and in the future build a bonkers system thats more permanent but I just cant give up the hobby for 10 years (orthopedic surgery pathway is long). Hopefully this complex is good and I will stay here until at least 2026, and wherever I go after or if I stay and complete residency here at campus hospital I want to bring this mini system with me. The plan is to build it so that I can leave it alone for long periods of time. With the ATO, some tropic marin all for reef and microbacter on the doser, along with an auto feeder and a shot of red sea AB+ and frozen mysis whenever I have a chance, I think the tank could do great. I have managed to maintain a small tank since I started school successfully so far, so I dont think it will be too much of an issue for me. If it wasnt the tank I would probably just play with raspberry pi's or video games or something alot less rewarding anyway. I take it you are not a tinkerer like myself, I can't imagine someone else taking care of my tank for me

 

[medilagus]

Congrats on your acceptance to med school! I graduated residency in 2019, fellowship in 2022. Best of luck to you, it's a hard road but worth it.

I kept multiple tanks (fresh and saltwater) throughout medical training. It is possible, and having a non-medical focus/hobby was actually a good thing for me, as I also find the tank maintenance and problem solving rewarding. I also moved my tanks twice during training, and largest reef tank was 70 gallons (I don't recommend such a large tank, agree with your plan to keep the tank smaller--we downsized to a 30 gallon fairly quickly).

I have used the AC 70 on a 5 gallon reef, and found it worked well as a fuge and to hold other equipment. Did not need another wavemaker with the AC70 on the 5g. I also had a skimmer on this tank, but also found the aesthetics were an issue and size limiting (wanted more coral!) so quickly upgraded to a 22 gallon rimless with a sump. With your light, you could consider a slightly larger tank (10-15 gal) which would support more stable water parameters, a greater variety of livestock, and still be reasonable to move. Or, you could try without a skimmer initially and see how things go with regular water changes, although with your planned stocking list for the tank size, a skimmer will likely be necessary if the tank will be left for longer periods of time.

I also strongly recommend an Apex controller--expensive, but saved my tanks from crashes countless times and you can be alerted when away from home.

Wish you the best!!

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Doctor,

My daughter is in her final year and starts her residency next year, so I know a little about the subject of Medical School. Since nobody from the Nano Department has been able to drum up the courage to tell you what you need to hear, I'm gonna supply the encouragement you need to forget about trying to maintain a tank while you are getting your medical education. It will not improve your life to have an aquarium to maintain while you are busy learning the tiny amount of knowledge that they will be dumping into your brain for the next 4 years. Then comes residency (have you decided on a specialty yet) and unless you drop out of medical school to work at a fish store you won't have the time to keep up with both.

Store all the equipment, or sell it and buy all new stuff in 8 years when you can pay someone to come and maintain it for you.

Some people on here say that the biggest thing they have learned from the hobby is patience. Start learning that subject now and if you have spare time during breaks use it to plan big.

Otherwise, after your first year of school ends you will be on here posting a thread, "Need help rebooting my neglected nano."

My daughter told me she wanted to become an MD while she was early into her high school education. When she got accepted to medical school she told me she wanted to be a surgeon. Then she found out how many hours they spent each day at the hospital, had a baby, and has finally settled into a specialty that will provide more regular time to spend at home.

In summary, don't try and carry a baby with you through med school, and congratulations on getting accepted! Very exciting times for you.

I'm currently a resident -- I strongly disagree. You can't let medicine run your life, and you should ideally be building a life throughout the next 7+ years. People get married, have children, get divorced, take care of aging parents, pick up new hobbies, tour europe, etc.

If you can't keep a fish tank, then truly what life are you living? Medicine is a job.

 

[TheBackAndForth]

Congrats on your acceptance to med school! I graduated residency in 2019, fellowship in 2022. Best of luck to you, it's a hard road but worth it.

I kept multiple tanks (fresh and saltwater) throughout medical training. It is possible, and having a non-medical focus/hobby was actually a good thing for me, as I also find the tank maintenance and problem solving rewarding. I also moved my tanks twice during training, and largest reef tank was 70 gallons (I don't recommend such a large tank, agree with your plan to keep the tank smaller--we downsized to a 30 gallon fairly quickly).

I have used the AC 70 on a 5 gallon reef, and found it worked well as a fuge and to hold other equipment. Did not need another wavemaker with the AC70 on the 5g. I also had a skimmer on this tank, but also found the aesthetics were an issue and size limiting (wanted more coral!) so quickly upgraded to a 22 gallon rimless with a sump. With your light, you could consider a slightly larger tank (10-15 gal) which would support more stable water parameters, a greater variety of livestock, and still be reasonable to move. Or, you could try without a skimmer initially and see how things go with regular water changes, although with your planned stocking list for the tank size, a skimmer will likely be necessary if the tank will be left for longer periods of time.

I also strongly recommend an Apex controller--expensive, but saved my tanks from crashes countless times and you can be alerted when away from home.

Wish you the best!!

I keep a 10 gallon currently in residency with montis etc being the hardest corals. 5g changes Q2weeks. No other maintenance. If a coral starts looking bad I change water and nothing else. It's beem stable for 2 years now this way.

Started with a 100 gallon and experienced some crashes from neglect

 

[Dave Clark]

I like to minimize equipment, either its visibility or better yet, its existence. ;-) A nano tank really doesn't need a protein skimmer, unless you plan to have a heavy bioload or feed heavily. I have a 13.5 gallon tank and use only floss, carbon and water changes. I'm not really even sure I need the carbon. I change the floss regularly, which catches a lot of stuff.

I also don't have a wavemaker, just two RFGs on a return pump that I run at about 300 gph.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Well hope you figured things out aa I am way late and tgis just popped up to see. I would have suggested since you will be moving around find a cylinder tank with lid. Run air pump and 100 percent water change weekly. I have been doing this for years. You can still do same with other tanks and have a custom lid with some holes drilled for air exchange. Skimmer and ato wouldnt be necessary. The beauty of cylender is you can throw the hole thing tank and all if small enough into a 5 gallon bucket and go. You can still do same with any small tank just box loose corals in clear containers with holes and drop in bucket with salt water as well. Skimmer is added cleaning but can help if you miss to many water changes. If you cant find a lid that allows minimal evaporation then yes ato. I would keep as much equipment that works as you never know what can happen but can clutter things lol. Hopefully all is well and you can post picture of the tank soon. And congrats