If you have a studio apartment or want to keep a saltwater reef tank in a bedroom, nano aquariums are your best bet.
They are tricky to maintain, though, so be sure to read below and make sure you’re ready to invest the time, money, and energy into your reef tank kit.
Below, we review the top 5 best nano aquariums.
Best Nano Reef Tank Quick-Find Table
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BEST MICRO NANO REEF TANK
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What is Nano Aquariums?
Basically, a nano reef tank is a tiny bit of ocean that can fit on your desk. They include everything that a larger saltwater aquarium holds, just on a much smaller scale.
They’re smaller in size – gallons of water included – and have smaller critters – i.e. no Clown Triggerfish or Eels – that thrive in a small aquarium that fits neatly into small spaces.
There are technically two kinds of nano aquariums.
A true nano reef tank, which is anything smaller than 40 gallons (though debates rage on what exactly constitutes a “nano” tank), and a Pico reef tank, which is 5-gallons or smaller.
Top Tip: I don’t recommend a 5-gallon tank Pico or Micro reef tank for beginners, however, as these are even more delicate and won’t be nearly as versatile for the types of fish you might want to keep.
Why Keep Nano Aquariums?
Nano reef tanks are awesome. They’re small, beautiful, and convenient for folks in tight spaces. But here are some of the more in-depth reasons you want to consider a nano reef.
1. Nano aquariums are Less Expensive than Larger Saltwater Aquariums
Many experts recommend beginner aquarists should start with a tank between 30 and 75 gallons in size. The larger volume of water admittedly adds stability to the environment.
But they’re pretty pricey to purchase, set up and maintain.
A nano reef tank is much more suitable to a smaller budget, though they’re still more expensive than a freshwater tank.
They require additional equipment, but not as hefty equipment as a full-size reef tank does.
2. Nano aquariums are Easier to Break Down and Move
If you expect to move anytime in the next year or two, a nano tank is also a better bet for your home.
They’re easier to tear down and move from one location to another, which can be a great selling point for anyone who’s renting but planning to “move up” in the real estate world soon.
3. Nanos Don’t Usually Require Sump Pumps
Because a nano tank is a more bare-bones operation, you don’t need as much equipment to keep your tank flowing and happy.
Specifically, you don’t need a sump in most situations. You’ll just use a powerhead or wavemaker to keep the flow rate adjusted and working well for your tank.
Top Tip: You also won’t need one of the larger filters and can use a nano protein skimmer and hang-on-back filter instead. This saves space and money, as well as hassle.
Drawbacks of Nano aquariums
1. They’re Not for Absolute Beginners
Nano tanks are admittedly not for absolute beginners who aren’t ready to spend a lot of time in study, testing, and learning how to care for a delicate saltwater environment.
Corals and small fish tend to be very delicate and require special care that easy critters like hermit crabs and goldfish don’t.
If you’re ready to put in the time, though – especially beforehand – you’ll be keeping a pro aquarium right away.
Author Note: Even if you are able to put in the time, you’ll likely to lose some fish and coral along the way, because you’re learning how to care for your unique environment.
Things you’ll need to understand:
- Salinity
- Temperature
- Nutrients
- Toxins
These things are critical not just for the mere survival of your aquarium, but for the happiness and health of your critters. If you’re not ready to invest the time, go freshwater.
2. Your Fish Options in nano aquariums are Limited
Despite the common belief that small fish don’t need large “bodies” of water, a lot of the most popular tropical fish actually do require more gallons than a nano tank provides.
You’ll need to carefully study your fish species of choice before finalizing your decision on a nano tank versus a larger saltwater aquarium.
Check out lists of fish that do well in a small environment and only plan on keeping those few species around.
3. Nano aquariums are Primarily for Coral Keeping, Not So Much the Fish
If you’re a huge fan of fish and want those beautiful colors darting around your tank, go bigger.
Corals are much more conducive to nano environments than most fish. You’ll be able to keep some, of course, but the coral is going to be your primary focus in these kinds of tanks.
How to Choose Your Nano aquariums or Kits
Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned hobbyist, you’ll need to keep the same few things in mind as you shop for your new nano reef tank.
1. Make Sure it Fits Your Budget
The first – and easiest – thing to look at is your budget. Before you set your budget though, it’s important to look at your current monthly expenses, any expected big purchases coming up, et cetera.
It’s also important to look at the current prices of nano reef tanks to see what kind of cost you’ll be looking at for those and the various equipment items, fish, corals, and supplies that you’ll need to purchase for a full set up.
Many nano tanks come as a kit, which means several pieces of equipment and supplies come included. These often reduce costs, though you may not always get the best quality in the accessories.
Be sure to carefully read reviews on the accessories to determine if you’ll also need to budget for those or if what comes with the kit works well enough for your needs.
2. The Size Tank You Need – One Size Doesn’t Fit All
For beginner aquarists, I wouldn’t really recommend starting with an aquarium smaller than 20-gallons. Smaller than that may seem like a cool idea, but you’re likely to run into devastating issues.
Author Note: As you develop your saltwater care skills, you’ll be able to attempt smaller tanks.
3. Design Matters More than Style
That awesome little aquarium that looks super cool may not be a great option for your set up. Be sure to look into how the aquarium works before you buy.
You also need to understand the fish you plan to stock before you click that buy button.
Make sure the aquarium fits your needs for feeding, fish size/type, and, of course, whether or not it will fit in the space you have for keeping the aquarium.
What Equipment do You Need for a Nano Tank?
For a 20-gallon nano tank, you’ll need the following equipment to get things going and keep everything healthy, safe, and happy in there.
- High-quality fish tank (glass or acrylic – verify suitable for saltwater)
- Live sand – I recommend between 5 and 10 pounds if you’re going to add dry sand or 20 pounds if you’re just using live sand
- 10 to 25 pounds live rock
- Testing kits for pH, nitrites, nitrates, et cetera
- Reef salt
- Thermometer
- Heater
- Water filter
- Wavemaker or powerhead
- Nano protein skimmer
- Saltwater tank lighting
- Fish
- Coral
How to Start a Nano Reef Tank
Before studying the reviews, let’s look at one last bit of information that can help you do this thing right.
Select the Right Kit
Below you’ll find a series of reviews on kits and tanks that you’ll want to look into for your nano reef kit.
Be sure to look for exactly the kind you need, though, with the right dimensions, included accessories, style, et cetera. Don’t go with a “second best” for your situation – you’ll regret it.
Use Live Rock and Live Sand
If you’re not familiar with the concept of live rock and live sand, pay special attention to this. Live rocks and live sand provide your aquarium with a naturally built-in collection of colonies of beneficial bacteria that your tank needs to thrive.
Without this, the water that you’ve run through the purifier and taken special care to prepare won’t be enough to sustain your reef tank.
Choose live sand and live rock for the best combination, but you can also include some quality dry sand to flesh out the substrate and save a little. Follow the instructions for set up very carefully.
Make Daily Observations and Testing in your nano aquariums
Not everyone loves to journal but keeping a small notebook nearby is a good idea for helping you jot down the test results and observations you make daily.
These things will help keep your aquarium healthy and thriving throughout its existence.
You’ll know when to make water changes, if live sand or other supplies are doing their job, et cetera.
Make Small Water Changes Weekly in nano aquariums
Top Tip: Finally, make small water changes weekly. This should be between 10 and 20% to help maintain good water quality. And don’t forget to change the filter media!
Reviews of the Best Nano Aquariums
We wanted to make sure that we only recommended the best kits and aquariums possible, so we dug through a ton of tanks and reviews to craft this list of the best nano coral tank options possible.
What we looked for included all of the following, to provide you with the best AIO nano tanks and stand-alone aquariums.
- Well-trusted brand for guaranteed quality
- High ratings from people who know what they’re talking about
- Leak-proof glass and seals
- The right size for nano reef tanks (dimensions and gallons) for the best results
- Included accessories
- The best shapes for various setups
The Fluval Sea Evo XII Saltwater Aquarium Kit with LED comes from a well-trusted brand that’s got a reputation for some of the finest fishkeeping products in the world.
This kit comes with several accessories that help you get started, but the shape and design give you some of the absolute best viewing possible of any mini reef tank around.
Here’s the specs:
- Gallons: 13.5 gallons
- Dimensions: 22 x 15 x 11.5 inches
- Shape: Rectangular
- Material: Glass
- Includes: fully integrated LED lighting system, low-voltage transformer, circulation pump, foam filter block, BioMax insert, activated carbon insert, multi-stage filtration system
What We Loved
We love that the kit comes with a lot of high-quality accessories to get any beginner aquarist started right. The Fluval filter, for example, uses industry-leading 3-stage filtration.
The kit also comes with fully integrated LED lighting for incredibly easy setup and maintenance throughout the life of your aquarium.
The aquarium itself is made of super high-quality glass that won’t leak or easily scratch – designed specifically with saltwater fishkeeping in mind.
And the filtration is a powerful 3-stage system using oversized mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration for a healthier set up. The canopy with an easy-feed door is nothing to sneeze at, either!
What We Didn’t Love
There really wasn’t anything I could find about this kit that I didn’t love.
The accessories are all top-notch, the size is great for nano reef tanks, and the aquarium itself is really well-made.
Our Verdict on the Fluval Sea Evo XII Saltwater Fish Tank Aquarium Kit
For anyone looking for best nano reef tank setup for under 15 gallons, this is your best easy option.
This is beautifully designed, comes with really high-quality accessories, and overall, just does more than practically anything else you can find.
>> Tap Here to Read More Reviews and See Today’s Price on Amazon.com <<
The Aqueon Fish Aquarium Starter Kit is basically the most complete kit you’ll find on the market, which makes it your best bet for the best all in one reef aquarium or AOI aquarium.
We couldn’t find anything that included as much gear that will get a beginning aquarist started on a nano reef tank.
It’s a 10-gallon kit that comes with a filter and heater, hood, light, water conditioner, and more. Plus, it’s made of high-quality glass that won’t leak and the light is a pretty great one that simulates natural daylight.
Here’s the specs:
- Gallons: 10 gallons
- Dimensions: 20.2” L x 10.5” D x 13.3” H
- Shape: Rectangular
- Material: Glass
- Includes: Tank, low-profile hood, filter with medium cartridge, preset heater, premium fish food, water conditioner, stick-on thermometer, fish net
What We Loved
You can’t beat the quality of this aquarium. The fish tank itself is made of high-quality glass that won’t spring a leak any time soon. The completeness of the kit is another huge positive.
The heater’s a high-quality product, the low-profile hood makes this a great option for nano tanks in small spaces, and the thermometer, water conditioner.
There are also other accessories which make this almost everything a beginning hobbyist needs to get started with a nano reef aquarium.
We love the lights that simulate daylight for a more natural environment and we love that the filter has a red light that flashes when the media needs changing.
What We Didn’t Love
The only real issue I found with this kit is the that the heater is preset. It hangs between 75 and 78-degrees Fahrenheit.
For many aquariums, this temperature is perfect, but for some, not so much.
Our Verdict on the Aqueon LED 10 Aquarium Kit
All-in-all, this kit has just about everything you need for starting a marine aquarium. It’s on the smaller side, so study up your materials heavily before venturing here.
It’s perfect for tight spaces, comes almost complete, and is super high-quality manufacture. Just know the pH that your coral and tropical fish need and be sure to also grab a test kit to keep track.
>> Tap Here to Read More Reviews and See Today’s Price on Amazon.com <<
For a great, mid-sized nano reef aquarium kit, the Marina LED kit is a really great option.
The kit comes with a high-quality aquarium built by well-trusted manufacturers of fishkeeping products, and includes a really great filter – the Marina Slim S20 – that clips onto the back of the aquarium for a less intrusive setup.
Here’s the specs:
- Gallons: 20 gallons
- Dimensions: 24” L x 12.5” W x 16.5” H
- Shape: Rectangular
- Material: Glass
- Includes: Filter, filter media, daylight LED lights, water conditioner, biological supplements, fish net, aquarium fish guide
What We Loved
First off, we love the value of this kit. It’s a fairly complete combination of things you need to get started, and overall is pretty inexpensive. This means you’ll have a great start all at once for a small budget.
We also love the accessories this kit comes with. They’re high-quality, useful, and great for beginners to start up with. You don’t have to go digging around for other items as much, and can get things set up reasonably quickly.
The aquarium itself comes from a well-trusted brand and is built to last, so you don’t have to worry about leaks or scratches.
And finally, we love the quietness of the filter. It’s already good quality, but toss in quiet, and we’re sold!
What We Didn’t Love
There’s really only one thing we saw any kind of consistent issues with this one. Obviously, this is a fairly small tank so you can’t keep certain critters – specific corals included – but the lighting can be a bit strong for certain species.
Be sure to only use this if you’ve got fish, plants, corals, et cetera who like bright daylight effects.
Our Verdict on the Marina LED Aquarium Kit
For those looking for a mid-sized small reef tank, this is your best bet. The kit comes complete with almost everything you need – grab a skimmer and heater to complete the set up – and the lights are really bright – great for coral growth.
While we don’t generally recommend such a small size for beginners, this one is actually a great option for those determined to do this thing.
Just be sure to study loads before getting your fish and corals to avoid some of the common pitfalls of small reef tanks.
>> Tap Here to Read More Reviews and See Today’s Price on Amazon.com <<
Acrylic isn’t my favorite material, I’ll admit, but when it comes to aquariums for homes with kids and clumsy pets, I’m on board. And the SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Kit is a great option for these kinds of situations.
The kit is fairly simple – only coming with the aquarium and light fixture – so it’s also great for anyone looking to explore other filters, heaters, et cetera than those typically included with a given brand kit.
Here’s the specs:
- Gallons: 29 gallons
- Dimensions: 30” x 12” x 18”
- Shape: Rectangular
- Material: Acrylic
- Includes: Aquarium, 24-inch reflector and electrical light fixture
What We Loved
While we do love a full kit, we also love the freedom that a simpler kit provides without the heater, filter, et cetera built-in. This is a great option for customizable nano reef tank kits that you build for yourself.
We also love that the acrylic tank is about half the weight of a glass tank and is extremely strong and durable.
It can handle impacts with many objects, and it’s scratch resistant – assuming you use the right cleaning supplies. It’s safe for both saltwater fish and freshwater use, too.
The tank is also extremely clear, which means better viewing than practically anything else out there besides a bow front aquarium.
What We Didn’t Love
There are two things we don’t love about this.
The first is more important – the lid doesn’t fully detach. While this is convenient for moving and such, it’s not so great for cleaning.
Secondly, the lighting fixture is just okay and not really what we’d recommend. We highly recommend LED lights instead that will provide multiple benefits for your best reef tank set up.
Our Verdict on the SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combo Kit
Basically, this is your aquarium-only purchase, despite coming with a light fixture.
We love the aquarium itself, though, which is why recommend it to anyone looking for mid-sized reef tank set up that’s going to resist the smears, smudges, scratches, and bumps that your kids and energetic pets provide.
It’s got super clear viewing and high-quality materials, so you’ll enjoy this for years to come.
>> Tap Here to Read More Reviews and See Today’s Price on Amazon.com <<
For a small saltwater aquarium for tight spaces and specific aquatic life only, you’ll find the Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium LED kit is a fantastic option.
This Coralife fish tank has some of the best lighting included for a kit – and note, it comes in a few different sizes (many listed as 5-gallon reef tank when they’re not), which vary greatly, so read the fine print!
Here’s the specs:
- Gallons: 5+
- Dimensions: 15” x 16.8” x 17.5”
- Shape: Nano cube
- Material: Glass
- Includes: Lighting, hood, filtration system, circulation pump
What We Loved
There are several things we love about this modern, sleek little aquarium. The looks, of course, are one of them. This is about as modern and attractive as you can get. The unique shape and design add to the viewing quality.
We absolutely love the lighting system that comes with it, too. It allows for 24-hour timers with three independent channels for bright white, sparkling blue, and color-enhancing LEDs.
You can program for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonlight, daylight, and more for your most natural biorhythm lighting possible for your fish and corals.
We also love that the compact and customizable built-in filtration for the best possible setup and maintenance.
Finally, we also love the submersible pump and dual intakes and adjustable return nozzle for a great water flow in your aquarium.
What We Didn’t Love
The only real issue we’ve found with this is that the equipment is a little noisy. So, if noise is an issue, you may want to look elsewhere or think of a less intrusive place to keep the aquarium.
Well, technically, the other issue is that it’s hard to identify which size aquarium you’re getting. The sizes aren’t very intuitive, as they’re not based on gallon-size, so it seems.
Our Verdict on the Coralife LED Biocube Aquarium LED Kit
Overall, this is just about the best small reef tank you’ll find. It comes with great accessories – especially the lighting – and almost everything you need to keep your aquarium going well.
Just be sure to read the fine print to find the right size for your needs.
>> Tap Here to Read More Reviews and See Today’s Price on Amazon.com <<
Best Fish Species for Nano Aquariums
If you’re looking to keep a quality nano aquarium, choosing the right fish species is going to be important.
Some of the most popular species are perfect for these small tanks because of their size.
Additionally, these species do well in a small, closed ecosystem. These means they do well in small communities with corals, other fish, and invertebrates.
Clownfish
One of the absolute most popular species for saltwater tanks also happens to do great in nano aquariums.
Clingfish
These long, narrow fish have pointed snouts and colorful bodies. They do well in nano aquariums, as long as they’re fed well enough. They’re carnivores.
Cardinalfish
Bright, colorful, and fun – cardinalfish come in a few species that do well in nano aquariums. They do need to be kept in relatively large schools of their own species.
Basslet Fish
Basslests are fast-moving, colorful fish. They dart around, move like crazy, and thrive in nano tanks when well-cared for.
They come in wide color ranges and styles.
They naturally live in deep waters but the right lighting can help give them the right atmosphere and really pop in the nano aquariums.
Firefish
Fire fish are beautiful, brightly colored, unique looking fish that do well in nano aquariums.
Goby
A variety of goby species do well in nano aquariums. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes.
Blenny Fish
Blennies are another fun, unique looking fish that adds to the attractiveness of any nano aquariums you’re stocking.
Need more ideas? Check our full list of attractive, fun, unique nano aquariums fish species.
I really like the FLUVAL PREMIUM BOW FRONT, but I’m a beginner. Can I take care of them? Can you give me some advice?