Roaming Reef: Mike Wolz’s Traveling Micro Tank

What if you could take a slice of the ocean with you, wherever you go?

For reef enthusiast and content creator Mike Wolz, that dream has become a reality with his Roaming Reef, a PNW Custom Micro Reef Tank built to travel. This pocket-sized saltwater aquarium has been making waves, showing just how far the limits of reef-keeping can be pushed when creativity meets quality design.

The Tank That Travels

Mike's Roaming Reef is built around the PNW Custom 40oz Micro Tank, a desktop saltwater tank that packs the full reef experience into a small footprint. With integrated filtration, adjustable flow, and full-spectrum lighting, it's designed for maximum function in minimum space, making it the perfect foundation for a mobile reef setup.

Since March 2024, Mike has been taking his tank with him on the road and sky. From hotel rooms to reef shows, this tank has clocked more miles than some people's suitcases.

What Inspired Mike to Create the Roaming Reef?

Mike's passion for reefing runs deep. He once worked hands-on in a local aquaculture facility farming coral, gaining firsthand experience with coral propagation, water chemistry, and system management. At home, his apartment was a sanctuary of large reef tanks, each brimming with diverse marine life. Reef-keeping wasn’t just a hobby for Mike. It was a lifestyle.

But life took a turn when he began traveling full-time for work. The demands of being on the road made maintaining large aquariums impractical. Rather than let his equipment collect dust, Mike chose to pass the torch: he gave everything he couldn’t sell to a close friend, hoping to spark the same joy the hobby had given him. As a final push, he took that friend to Reefstock Denver which was a pivotal moment not just for his friend, but for Mike himself. That’s where he first met Harley Finberg, founder of PNW Custom, whose booth featured compact, thoughtfully designed reef tanks perfect for small spaces and simple setups. The micro tanks immediately sparked an idea. If big tanks didn’t fit his lifestyle anymore, what if he built a tiny one that could travel with him?

Mike began retrofitting a micro tank for life on the road, laying the groundwork for what would become the Roaming Reef. It was the perfect fusion of his past passion and present lifestyle: a fully functional reef tank that could fit in a carry-on and thrive from hotel rooms to convention floors. Mike had found a way to stay connected to the ocean, no matter where work took him.

What’s Inside the Roaming Reef?

The current livestock lineup has 54 different species, including:

• The infamous Toby the Goby, a Blue Neon Goby with a vibrant personality.

• A huge mix of corals including zoanthids, mushrooms, xenia, hammers, frogspawns, fungias, cyphastreas, montiporas, and acroporas.

• Tiny inverts like sexy shrimp, bumblebee snails, nassarius snails, and stomatella snails that keep the reef lively and clean.

• Asterina starfish that aren't pests in a little tank!

Challenges of a Traveling Reef

Of course, traveling with a live saltwater tank isn't always easy. Mike prepares to minimize stress on the tank during moves:

• Prepping saltwater in advance with a milk frother and his 32 oz Yeti water bottle.

• A small heater and custom acrylic lid to regulate temperature and reduce evaporation during travel.

• A modified PNW Custom light with a custom driver for increased efficiency and reconfigured LEDs.

• A brush to clean the overflow and remove any blockages.

• A full emergency tool kit with everything needed to reglue and frag corals

  • Bone cutters, tweezers, glue, squeegee, and a little air line

• A secure transport tote with a built-in plastic stand to keep the tank upright.

  
  

Maintenance on the Move

Keeping a micro reef thriving while traveling requires a reliable and flexible routine and Mike has dialed in a system that is both simple and sustainable.

• He performs 16 oz water changes once every week or two using pre-mixed saltwater.

• Mike carries a Hanna salinity tester with him but doesn't find other types of water tests necessary.

• He feeds Reef Nutrition's TDO pellets.

The Future of Reefing

Roaming Reef is more than a cool experiment, it’s a statement. It proves that reef-keeping doesn’t have to be limited to large, stationary tanks. With the right setup and care, even a tiny traveling reef can bring the beauty of the ocean anywhere you go.

It also sparks curiosity and conversations about coral reefs and marine life across the country. By bringing a living piece of the ocean into unexpected places, he helps educate others about the beauty and fragility of our reef ecosystems. Roaming Reef not only inspires fellow hobbyists but also serves as a mobile ambassador for ocean awareness and conservation.

For those curious about desktop reefing or looking to add a little adventure to their aquarium journey, Mike’s story is an inspiration and a reminder to find beauty in unexpected places. Follow Mike on Instagram and PNW Custom on YouTube for more Roaming Reef updates and travel photos. Learn more about the 40oz Micro Reef Aquarium here and stay tuned for a future guide with details about how to build your very own traveling tank.