2.5 gallon powerless desktop

[dskidmore]

I would really like to have a small aquarium at work, but there is a strict policy against "electric appliances." I have a 25W T5 lamp affixed about 20" above my desk that could light the aquarium.

Shaky plan:
2.5 or 5 gallon aquarium, open top or diffuser grid top
low-light plants (I have at home crypts, java fern and java moss. I have some micro sword that would go well to scale but might not do well in this light.)
freshwater clam (For filtering. Can they be happy in a small tank?)
"algae eating" shrimp (available at my LFS, likely Amanos.)

[Tong]

Although I have never done it, I think it can be done. And I hear of lots of people who do it in their "natural aquariums".

Biofilter = plants
Mechanical filter = water change vacuum
water movement = very active fish
Light = You covered this. You might need a different bulb though!
Temp = ambient. Might need cool water fish though as most offices are pretty cool.

[jibboo]

you could do it ... light is only a requirement for plants, not fish

If you can't power a filter, then do daily water changes

other than the heat factor I can't see why not to do it. What temps does your office stay at?

[toddnbecka]

FW clams are filter feeders. In a small tank w/no circulation, I doubt one would live long.

[hc8719]

i dont think i'd do it, daily water changes can be hassle at work (are you gonna bring an empty milk gallon with you, fill it up in the office bathroom, then put dechlor drops in it, then empty the tank and add the new water, even when done carefully will leave at least a few drips on your desk

and were can you find really small coldwater fish that are very active?

[Fishyfanatic]

Fish do need light to have healthy coloration. What are you going to use for airation?

[joannde]

A betta with java fern and java moss might work, no ? If your willing to do the daily water changes as pointed out - I don't think there's anyway around that. Its too small to create a true micro-environment I think

EDIT - another thought. How about a battery powered air pump with a corner filter ? Might cut down on the daily water changes a little. I have no idea how loud those battery powered pumps might be, or how long the batteries might last but you could look into it

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by Tong

You might need a different bulb though!

Not sure I'm brave enough to replace company equiptment on a whim. I'm not going to get stellar plant growth with a standard bulb, but that's not really the point.

Originally Posted by jibboo

other than the heat factor I can't see why not to do it. What temps does your office stay at?

I don't have a thermometer here, but it's pretty well air conditioned. I would only be able to keep cold water species. I was thinking of keeping only the shrimp, no fish.

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

FW clams are filter feeders. In a small tank w/no circulation, I doubt one would live long.

I know this is true of filter feeders like shrimp, that passivly filter moving water, but I thought clams activly pumped water through thier filter?

Originally Posted by hc8719

i dont think i'd do it, daily water changes can be hassle at work ...

and were can you find really small coldwater fish that are very active?

I want to avoid the daily water change, and I don't plan to have any fish. My 75 gallon tank at home runs with really minimal filtration, I think a smaller tank with a negligable bioload should do ok without daily filtration.

Originally Posted by Fishyfanatic

What are you going to use for airation

Same as mother nature, depend on the plants to provide oxygen. They don't need to be pearling to produce enough oxygent to support a small bioload.

Originally Posted by joannde

A betta with java fern and java moss might work, no ? ...Its too small to create a true micro-environment I think

The betta would take it out of the true micro scale. Would need a decent plant mass to filter for the beta.

Although.... I do have a vine growing in a bottle here that could probably take up the extra ammonia load if I was determined. It wouldn't pump much O2 into the water though.

Originally Posted by joannde

How about a battery powered air pump with a corner filter?

I think that might still qualify as an electric appliance. They didn't specify "corded" or "AC".

[JRagg]

I'd honestly doublecheck your company policy. I know that where I work the idea is to keep people from bringing in coffee pots, refrigerators, microwaves, etc. I don't know that I'd really consider a very small pump for a micro aquarium an "appliance". I would agree that a heater would probably be out of the question, but a pump and a small light would seem perfectly fine to me. Do people use desk lamps there? Drafters where I work use additional desk lamps, those are no different than something on a micro tank.

The point of those policies is generally for fire prevention, and I don't know about you but I've never heard of a submerged pump starting a fire.

[joannde]

Hmmmmmmmm ..... mystery snails and shrimp ... that would actually be pretty cool