my little project

[mhaynes01]

my 2.5 gallon bow front has opended up and my female betta has left to go other places, (friends tank)

so i was thinking hmmmmm... how bout a 2.5 gallon nano reef, so i did it well half of it any way , there is abotut 8lbs of live sand in there with abotu 3-6 lbs. of live rock, and for filters i am running a whisper HOB filter rated for 10-15 gallon tanks, and a small powerhead that came off teh filter that came with the tank when i bought it. and a 25 watt heater...

so i know there is no room for fish (or is there), but coral will raine supreme in this tank and maybe a peppermint shrimp for a while then put it in my 15 gallon.

what is everyones thoughts

any likes or dislikes

for light i have 1- 10 watt 50/50 compact flourescent bulb
(any other lights, people recomend i want to keep zoos, shrooms, maybe soem leather, and xenia

 

[jamal-188]

IMO, most fish will not be too happy in that size tank. You may be able to get away with a tiny goby....sometthing like a green bang goby that stays very small.

 

[mhaynes01]

well i dont really watn any fish in there anyway, btu is that light ok for what coral i want (zoos, shrooms, leather, xenia and maybe

 

[echo7]

to add some movement i think a flowing coral or an invert would be good. How about a tube anemone placed in water movement? A conch or nassarus snail would stir the sand and add intrest, or perhaps some mini brittle stars? If you did get a tube anemone it might pose a prob to your filtration, they require frequent feedings and tend to be messy.

 

[mhaynes01]

i jstu saw this and was wondering should i get it

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...tid=11382&Ne=40000&R=1443&Nao=9&N=2004+113176

is this worth the money or should i get the 10 watt 50/50 screw in CF bulb

 

[steve-s]

I've used the 15 w mugul PC. They work well but tend to lose the spectrum rather quickly and appear yellow. I upgraded to the 2x9w on my 5 gal bow and have been happy with them so far. I currently only have softies in it though but all are growing and doing well.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ReefGuru]

Check this fish out: Catalina Goby. Reef friendly, GREAT color, stays very tiny. It coul be the best fish you could put in that tank.

Andrej

 

[mhaynes01]

naw, i dotn watn any fish in there anyway, thanks scuba steve will get that light

 

[steve-s]

Catalina Gobies should not be kept in a warm environment such as a reef. They are a cooler water species.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mhaynes01]

thanks again steve, but no fish in the tank! (lol)

do you think 18 watts over 2.5 is good enough for leathers, xenia, stuff like that

 

[steve-s]

Actually in a 2.5 gal, you could get away with something like a neon or sharknose goby. The body profile is quite small and will not be cramped for a single fish but no more.

In my 5 gal I have a green encrusting gorg, toadstools, zoo's, shrooms & GPS. All doing well. I am a bit lazy with the chem checks on the smaller tanks so I have not attempted scleractinians as yet. I intend to add at least one non-branching LPS species soon to see how it fairs but I think lightwise they would do fine. Xenia would require you to maintain the chem much closer than with soft corals only but as long as you're willing to do that, it should be fine as well. The only caution would be their aggressive growth rates. It could end up smothering alot eventually so be mindful and frag often.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mhaynes01]

what is GPS, i know what every thing else is but what is that?

 

[steve-s]

Green star polyp.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mhaynes01]

thansk again steve and cheers to you too