# Nano cleaner crew tank



## Fishmommy3 (Jan 9, 2017)

Ive always been fascinated by the cleanup crew of a saltwater tank (shrimp, urchins, snails,hermit crabs). I don't have a saltwater tank and I really don't want to spend the money to set one up but I would love to have a 10gallon Nano tank with just some cleanup crew and live rocks. Is this possible?


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## wchen9 (Jan 23, 2014)

Yes, this should be fairly easy. I think an urchin may need some more time for the tank to mature a bit, but most clean up crew can be added after the tank is done cycling. 

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## Fishmommy3 (Jan 9, 2017)

Thanks! So is it going to be tricky to keep balanced? I'm new to saltwater but not new to freshwater.
Does it work the same as freshwater as in if it's a light bioload there's less chance of crash?


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## wchen9 (Jan 23, 2014)

Fishmommy3 said:


> Thanks! So is it going to be tricky to keep balanced? I'm new to saltwater but not new to freshwater.
> Does it work the same as freshwater as in if it's a light bioload there's less chance of crash?


Yes thats right, although we generally don't count CUC much in terms of bioload, they are pretty low. I would think very light feedings will be needed, might actually be a little easier (IMO) with maybe a single nano fish just to help with figuring out how much to feed.

My main concern would actually be your water source, do you have RO? Things like copper in tap water are potentially very harmful to inverts. Also might need more frequent top offs than you are used to in FW just to minimize salinity swings if you don't have an auto top-off.


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## Fishmommy3 (Jan 9, 2017)

I don't have RO water. Can't I use bottled distilled water?


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

You can buy bottled RODI water which is your best choice.


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## CoralConnoisseur (Mar 5, 2014)

You could have a small clown, or goby so the tank had some movement in it. With such a small bioload you wouldn't need to do huge water changes for nutrient export. But inverts will take small amounts of calcium from the water to grow their shells. So in the long term you will need to be doing water changes to replenish the calcium and other trace elements.

Any decent salt water mix will have the elements you need. But tap water has lots of random stuff in it too. So either starting with RODI that you can buy from any reef shop. Or just buying pre mixed salt water from a reef shop would be your best bets.

Don't quote me, but I believe a 5 gallon bucket of RODI or pre mixed salt water would be $5-8? So doing bi-weekly or monthly water changes wouldn't break the bank.

Adding a bunch of tap water that happened to have too much copper could end all the inverts pretty quick. So if your going ahead with the idea, I would definitely suggest figuring out your water source first.


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## Fishmommy3 (Jan 9, 2017)

Thanks! I was looking into pick vases as well. Might try those. Very little evaporation and you change 100% water every week. I would but premixed water which will last since the jars are about a gallon.


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