A Reef Tank Built to Travel: The Nomad Takes Flight
This past weekend, we packed up our 0.5 Gallon Nomad and traveled from Portland to Reefapalooza California for its first aquarium show adventure!
The Nomad is our first aquarium designed from the beginning specifically for travel. Our 40oz Micro Tank has traveled across the country for a few years, but it was originally designed as a desktop aquarium. We took a tank meant to stay on a desk and found ways to make traveling with it possible.
That experience inspired us to take the idea even further. We wanted to create a fully travel-dedicated aquarium with features that would make taking a reef on the go easier and more practical. With a fully sealed design, built-in battery pack, integrated controller, filtration, lighting, heating, and a fitted travel stand, the Nomad was born.
Its first trip to California gave us the perfect opportunity to put that design to use.
Setting Up Our Traveling Reef
We set up our Nomad using soft corals from an existing Plug-N-Play rockscape. Because the rock was already established and the corals had grown in, the aquarium looked mature and full almost immediately.
After securely gluing the rockscape into place, we added it to the display, filled the aquarium, checked the equipment, and made sure everything was ready for the journey.
Our Airport and TSA Experience
Traveling through Portland International Airport is always an adventure. We are lucky to have such a great airport here in the Pacific Northwest, and many of the TSA agents who have encountered our traveling aquariums have been genuinely interested in what we are carrying.
Over the years, we have received plenty of surprised reactions while traveling with our 40oz Micro Tank. This trip was no different and the agent was excited and a little surprised to see the Nomad come through!
One of the biggest differences we noticed was how much easier it felt to move through the airport with the Nomad. Because the aquarium is fully sealed, it can be carefully tilted and repositioned with much more flexibility than our original Micro Tank. That added freedom made navigating security, boarding the plane, and moving through crowded airport spaces feel much more manageable.
The Nomad Arrives at Reefapalooza
Once we made it to California, it was time to bring the Nomad to Reefapalooza! It was awesome getting to display the tank at our booth and introduce it to so many hobbyists in person. We had conversations with reefers who had followed the project from the beginning, as well as people seeing a fully sealed traveling aquarium for the very first time.
We also had the opportunity to participate in several interviews focused on the Nomad, including conversations with big names in the aquarium community like Serious Reefs and Dalua. We were genuinely excited to share the thinking behind the design, walk through its features, and talk about what traveling aquariums could mean for the future of the hobby. The future is looking bright, and much more portable!
A Few Very Cool Visitors
As exciting as it was to bring our own Nomad to the show, one of our favorite moments of the entire weekend was seeing customers arrive with theirs.
We didn’t have just one Nomad visit our booth, we had two! Seeing other hobbyists walking around the show with their own Nomad was an incredibly rewarding experience. They were able to show off their tanks, shop for new corals, talk with other reefers, and enjoy the show with their aquariums right beside them.
We are even thinking about hosting a PNW Custom Tank Meetup at one of next year’s shows. Nomads, Micro Tanks, and other PNW Custom aquariums could meet in one place for a group photo, tank showcase, and chance to connect with other micro reefers.
Would you bring your aquarium to a PNW Custom Tank Meetup?
Yes, I'd bring my tank!
I'd attend, but leave my tank at home
Maybe, depending on the show
I'd love to see photos and videos
Finding the Right Way to Carry the Nomad
This trip also gave us an opportunity to experiment with a few different ways to carry the Nomad. We tested several bag styles, including a traditional canvas bag, a clear bag with additional storage pockets, and a fabric carrying bag with strong internal supports. Each option had features we liked, but it also taught us something new about what a dedicated Nomad carrying system would need.
We want something that securely supports the aquarium, makes it comfortable to carry, and provides organized storage for essentials and supplies.
We came home from this trip with plenty of notes and a few exciting ideas. Nothing is finalized just yet, but stay tuned! A dedicated Nomad carrying system may be part of our future travel lineup.
A Tank That Travels
There are a lot of exciting things ahead for the Nomad. We are continuing to work through our pre-orders, learn from every trip, and refine the experience for the future.
The Nomad is more than simply a small aquarium. It represents an entirely new way to experience reefkeeping, one where your aquarium doesn’t always have to stay at home. Whether it’s traveling to an aquarium show, visiting a local fish store, heading out on a road trip, or simply bringing a small piece of the reef along for the adventure, we believe traveling aquariums have the potential to introduce something completely new to the hobby.
Reefkeeping has always been about creativity, experimentation, and finding new ways to connect with our oceans. We are excited to keep exploring what is possible and we can’t wait to see where the Nomad travels next.
