I set up my tank just about 3 months, problem goes and on or still going, but I'm still very enjoying this hobby. Now here is my set up:
Main tank 5 gal,
sump tank 2 gal
a plastic refugium tank about 4 gal with 3 inch deep sand bed
Led lamp
4 DIY fan
Wave maker
Substrate in sump: dead coral, activate carbon, sponge
Water flow set up:
A HOB on main tank with DIY flow over to sump, a pump flow over to plastic refugium then flow back to sump, and a pump suck the water back to main tank.
As what I know a nano tank needs to keep it simple, so not sure am I over do it.
I'd cycled my tank for a month by using natural sea water. Yeah natural seawater. I live at small town very near the seaside and have couple of fisherman friends so they can help me when they going to off shore.
I let the water sit for 3 days, then filter it by using Fine clothes and use activate carbon, pump and mix with some coral salt to get the desire sanality.then cycle NSW for an hour and use it for water change. If still left some NSW I will store it in the plactic bucket and seal it tide, and keep at dark place. I only store for 2 weeks or else I will dump it. I'd tried a 3 weeks NSW and Copepods in tank all dead, thou my fish and coral still alive but coral is not feel well too. so I recommend the FRESH NSW only.
I got a malloon nemo, 1 toadstool, 1 buttons, 2 turbo snails and 1 nassarius snail, and a small bunch of chaeto in refugium.
Here is the photo
The main problem I met in this 3 months is the nitrate high problem, brown algae everyway in the tank, but very lucky fish and corals are all able to stay still and now start seeing the brown algae is lesser and hopefully the chaeto able to compete the nitrate high problem soon.
I'd stop adding invert about 1 and half month to deal with brown algae, and maybe 1 more months later can start add some new member to the tank, hopefully.
My refugium is full of Copepods and main tank too. That's make me feel lazy to feed the nemo, but it's too picky not really likes to catch Copepods but just wait for fish pallet, what a weird fish. I only feed it when I remember, maybe 2 or 3 time per week.
Still planning what is the next new member to add. It's a nano tank so I will try my best to choose the right corals for it. And for myselt too. Haha..