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[adrock718]

hey i have a spare 5 gallon tank just lying around i was wondering if i could turn it into a salt water...i wanted to get a couple of clown fish and maybe a puffer if possible would that be ok or no?
i could live without the puffer also what would i need all i have is the tank and a fluval 1 filter which im not sure i could use as well as a heater

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com

In a 5 [acronym:a2ac6fd539="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:a2ac6fd539] tank you would be able to get away with one small growing fish or smaller species of clown. A pair would be best suited in a 10 or 20 [acronym:a2ac6fd539="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:a2ac6fd539] tank depending on species. The puffer would be out for a 5 [acronym:a2ac6fd539="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:a2ac6fd539] tank.

The fluval 1 could definately be used for water flow but I would remove the media. In smaller tanks, any amount of trapped detritus will affect water quality quickly. I would instead suggest about 10 lbs of live rock and some quality oolitic aragonite sand (1-1½") to function as your primary filtration source.

The need for a heater will depend on the ambient room temp where the tank is set up. There are many small titanium submersibles that could be tucked behind the [acronym:a2ac6fd539="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:a2ac6fd539] out of view.

Cheers
Steve

[adrock718]

so all i would need is the live rock and sand?
and what is oolitic aragonite sand ? is that live sand?

Originally Posted by adrock718

so all i would need is the live rock and sand?

That and good water flow will really be about all the fitration you will need. The Fluval 1 can be used to house media when you want to "polish" the water but media is not necessary 24/7.

and what is oolitic aragonite sand ? is that live sand?

Oolitic refers to the shape of the sand which is rounded and smooth. Unlike silica based sands that are flat and have sharper edges. Aragonite is a [acronym:a4e2c82425="Calcium carbonate"]CaCO3[/acronym:a4e2c82425] based sand that will aid in buffering the tank water.

Cheers
Steve

[adrock718]

where could i get these items like the sand...my pet store guy doesnt seem 2 know 2 much

[srgetz]

you need to find the [acronym:49c412f4ef="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:49c412f4ef] with saltwater stuff by finding your nearest stores on a website like switchboard.com or mapquest.com yellow pages, then call to see what they have and take a road trip, mapquest is good because you can get directions right there, just search for pet shop

I have gone 20 or 30+ miles to fetch stuff, all part of the fun!

[Hara]

one note of warning...a tank that small will be very difficult to
keep stable. The bigger the tank, the easier that chore is.