What is a nano aquarium?

Nano-aquarium is a marketing name for a certain segment in the market of ready-made freshwater or marine aquariums, having a small volume from 10 to 60 liters (figures are conditional, there are no exact limits), but at the same time fully equipped with all the necessary equipment, usually built into the back wall, sometimes supplied with decoration. The modest size and relatively light weight make it possible to place the nano-aquarium on the desktop at home or in the office. Suitable for keeping small and unpretentious species of fish, shrimps, ornamental snails and other aquatic organisms, it can also be used as a spawning aquarium for hatching fry.

The stumbling block and the subject of much criticism is the main feature of nano-aquaria – small size. This topic has been a hot topic of discussion among aquarists for many years, and it is not unfounded. Compactness is good for those who have nowhere to put a large aquarium at home or want to organize a small living corner at their workplace, but, undoubtedly, for most fish this is not the best place to keep. In a small volume of water, it is easy to disturb the biological balance and it is very difficult to keep the hydrochemical parameters within acceptable limits, therefore, in nano-aquaria, the probability of death of fish is high.

However, in fairness it should be noted that technologies in the aquarium industry are developing no less rapidly than in other industries and compare, for example, nano-aquaria of the 90s. with modern incorrectly. A large number of new equipment have appeared, ranging from LED lamps to electronic water quality monitoring systems and nanoparticle filtration systems that allow all three stages of filtration. Innovations have made nano aquariums less prone to wild fluctuations in water quality, but they are still only recommended for experienced aquarists.

This is the subjective opinion of the author at the time of writing this article, which, however, coincides with the opinion of Practical Fishkeeping experts.