Nils 2.5G upgrade to 5.5G DP Build!

[Nils]

Hey guys, finally time for a new build!

This is going to be a standard 2.5 gallon glass tank, I'm not really satisfied with the 2.5 mini bow that Richard the puffer and Wilson the cray are in now. I recently just reshaped the tank, and now I have to take it all down again! :face palm: Ok but now on a serious note:

Filter: Zoo Med Nano 10 Canister (Please let me know if this is good and if anyone has had experience with this filter)
Tank: Standard glass 2.5 gallon
Heater: No heater because my room gets pretty warm
Light: Nothing special, just a desk light that I'm going to get from Ikea or Target or wherever
Co2: Hopefully I'll be doing DIY Co2, doesn't seem too hard, and I have the space
Plants: So far I have Dwarf Sag and Micro Sword and a Marimo Moss Ball
Ferts/Dosing: API Root Tabs and API Co2 Liquid Booster
Fish: Dwarf Puffer and Dwarf Blue Cray

So this is kind of a build thread, hopefully it won't die like my last ones did......
I don't know how to post pictures, so you'll just have to bear with me. Right now my only question is if I need the DIY Co2 or will the root tabs and dosing be enough to get really good plant growth? Also, has anyone had any experience with that Zoo Med Canister? It looks really great, but I don't want to go out and spend $45 on a bad filter. And what plants would you guys still add? I'm open to any suggestion! That's it guys! Oh, and the video I attached is of the tank, don't know if you can watch it or not, hopefully you can.


Nils

 

[GoldeenTrix9898]

Please do some more research.

Dwarf puffers, while small, need 10 gallons of space to themselves. Dwarf Blue crayfish also need around the same tank size. A 2.5 gallon tank will not be able properly cycle, never mind keeping puffers or crayfish in them.

I also recommend getting a heater, it's not just about keeping the fish warm, it's about keeping the temperature stable. Warm environments can still have large temperature swings from day to night.

And regarding your plants. Don't just use any old desk lamp. Plants have specific requirements just like fish. A good light intensity for the plants you have would be about 2 to 3 watts per gallon. Also get a light that's around 6000k to 10000k. This ensures that your plants get light from the right color spectrums. CO2 is only required if you can provide your plants with sufficient lighting so they actually can grow. If you use any regular old desk lamp, don't bother with it. Root tabs are good though, put them around the roots of your plants after you plant them.


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[Nils]

Thanks for the input, GT, but I'm still going to go with the 2.5 gallon setup because I'm basically just moving all the water, substrate, filter media and plants over to everything new and the new tank. My puffer and cray are at their full size, and have been going strong since September in here, so I'm sure they'll do fine in the new one as well. I did do plenty of research beforehand, so I think I'm set. I'm not ignoring you'r opinion at all, and I probably will end up getting a heater for this tank. And I'm not planning on getting "any old desk lamp", it's a good one from Ikea, looked at the wattage and it has way more than what I even need for this tank. Plus the plants receive plenty of light from the window at the front of my room. Thanks for your opinions GT, but I still need answers to the questions in my first post. Thanks.

Nils

 

[GoldeenTrix9898]

Thanks for the input, GT, but I'm still going to go with the 2.5 gallon setup because I'm basically just moving all the water, substrate, filter media and plants over to everything new and the new tank. My puffer and cray are at their full size, and have been going strong since September in here, so I'm sure they'll do fine in the new one as well. I did do plenty of research beforehand, so I think I'm set. I'm not ignoring you'r opinion at all, and I probably will end up getting a heater for this tank. And I'm not planning on getting "any old desk lamp", it's a good one from Ikea, looked at the wattage and it has way more than what I even need for this tank. Plus the plants receive plenty of light from the window at the front of my room. Thanks for your opinions GT, but I still need answers to the questions in my first post. Thanks.

Nils

Well, you're still far more experienced than I am, so I suppose if you can make it work, I shouldn't be concerned. You should wait for a fish keeping veteran's opinion though. I answered because I saw that no one posted.

Sadly, I have no experience with the filter, so someone else will have to answer that. I still suggest getting an aquarium lamp, no matter how much wattage a desk lamp has, it's still not built for aquariums. It costs about the same and it'll also be much better for your plants. Too much wattage isn't a good thing though. It could cause low light plants to struggle. Sunlight can also cause algae problems. But again, I'm no expert, I'm going on what I've learned from other fish keepers and the research that I have done before setting up my tank.

Feel free to use your own judgement though, in no way do I think you're ignoring me LOL. I'm glad somebody actually thinks an amatuer's opinion counts.

Sometimes all we need is a few extra bubbles

 

[F.Sam]

I still think the bare minimum for fish should be 5g. Unless you plan on going shrimp or microsrasboras I would not do it... Remember fish adapt to survive, this doesn't mean it's healthy and happy. Goldfish can live in a bowl for some time, they adapt, but they are far from happy.
Remember they are sentient beings but I'm not the boss of you.


Sent per three-eyed raven..

 

[GoldeenTrix9898]

I still think the bare minimum for fish should be 5g. Unless you plan on going shrimp or microsrasboras I would not do it... Remember fish adapt to survive, this doesn't mean it's healthy and happy. Goldfish can live in a bowl for some time, they adapt, but they are far from happy.
Remember they are sentient beings but I'm not the boss of you.


Sent per three-eyed raven..

I know this is off topic, but your betta fish is absolutely gorgeous.


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[sinibotia]

I dunno if you've bought all the stuff already or not. If you have, then I don't think it's a huge deal. But I definitely think a 5 gallon would be better than a 2.5 gallon and would probably fit about equally well! It also opens up more aquascaping possibilities with more space...

Honestly I think any canister filter for a tank smaller than 30 gallons is overkill. My results have been just as good on smaller tanks with HOBs, sponge filters, small internal filters, etc. The advantages they provide just don't matter until you start dealing with bigger quantities of water.

I also 2nd the heater thing. Swings in temperature are worse than consistent, wrong temperature. And in a 2.5/5 gallon it's gonna be much more prone to swings.

 

[Nils]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I think I'll definitely go with a heater now, just going to have to stop by PetCo or wherever to pick up a small one. Trust me guys, if I could, I'd have a 20 long set up for my puffer and crayfish, but there's only so much space I have in my room and there's only so much stuff my mom allows me to put in my room. I looked at the measurements for a 5.5, and unfortunately they're 17 inches long, while I only 14 inches to fit the tank in. I'll see if I can get a different space to put the tank in, and also see if I'd be able to fit a 5.5, and ditch the 2.5 (but that is only a maybe) Thanks for the input, hopefully someone with experience with the filter will see this! I would use the stock filter, but it's absolute garbage.

Nils

 

[PassengerTN]

Read reviews on Amazon.
Or
http://bit.ly/1H0TtLc

 

[Nils]

Lol thanks, I did look up reviews and stuff but I was just looking for first hand reviews.

 

[PassengerTN]

I found a few on other aquarium forums but I'm not sure if its frowned upon to link them or not. Only thing I seen was quite a few people said it had very low pressure.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Personally I think a single dwarf puffer and micro fish are the only thing acceptable in a 2.5 as far as fish go. A full size DP is still tiny. If you keep a good diet and water quality I think personally he would be fine.


Caleb

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[Nils]

Update: I have my eye on a cheap $5 glass tank from PetSmart, I think that's what I'm going to end up getting. It might be a couple weeks before I can set up the tank because I'm kind of broke right now and I'm only going to set the tank up once I have all the equipment. I've already started setting up the Co2 generator, and that's mostly done. I would post pictures but I don't know how. I think I'll stick with the ZooMed, it's $45 for the filter off Amazon and free shipping. Hopefully someone can help me out on that one.

Nils

 

[PassengerTN]

Personally I think $45 is a lot for a filter only capable of 10g filtration. I only spent $32 piece for the HOB that's on my 55(x2) and 65g hex. Are you wanting a canister for any particular reason?

 

[PassengerTN]

If you're set on a mini canister look at the Sunsun HW-603b. More flow rating than the ZooMed, and capable of filtering up to 20 gallons. They're in the $25-30 range on amazon

 

[ImACoolguy]

Keep in mind DP are not the best swimmers. Don't want a current swooshing him all over the tank.


Caleb

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[TheresaM]

Small tanks can be awesome! Sorry, no experience with that filter; have you considered a sponge filter?

I have six tanks 5g and under, none of them are heated.

 

[Nils]

Hey Caleb, I realize that they aren't the best swimmers, and was planning on putting the spray bar or outlet tube underwater anyway to reduce the splashing noise and to reduce the current. Theresa, I have considered a sponge filter, and I just think it kind of ruins the natural scene when you a big piece of sponge sitting in there with bubbles shooting out the top. I've already tried an air stone in there, and it was complete chaos! Anyway, thanks for the suggestion with the SunSun, I'll measure out the cabinet underneath the tank to see how much space I have and if it would fit. Thanks guys!

Nils

 

[Nils]

Just got back from school, what a relief. Ok anyway, I measured this morning and it works out fine. I found a pretty cheap one on Ebay, so I'm looking at that one. This SunSun looks much more quality and lots better than the ZooMed. Ok so if anyone has an opinion on this please chime in!

Nils

 

[PassengerTN]

I'm fairly certain Mebbid has one. Try sending him a PM and asking