About to set up 5 gallon, wonderin on options

[Jarred Darque]

ok. I am about to turn my FW 5 gallon into a SW tank. I am looking for a lighting upgrade right now (BTW< it is a 5 gallon hex tank) The filtration isnt the best, but I will be supplementing with power heads (I am prolly gonna run two small power heads and position them to have a circular current flow horizontally aorund the tank). I am looking at aobut 2 inches of live sand, and about 7.5-10 lbs of live rock. this enough or need I go with more?

Probably a cleaner shrimp and some turbo snails, is there any type of fish I can put in there? Most of the ones I have seen at liveaquaria.com where about 3 inches in length minimum and they said 10 gallon tank, however, I know for FW, tehy overrate the min tank size normally.
One of the fish I would like is a cardinal fish, but live aquaria says this 3 inch fish needs a 30 gallon tank..for a 3 inch fish? but I can udnerstand a 5 being too small though.

there are some cool looking 1 and 2 inch fish that liveaquaria lists as a 10 gal min, but I was wondering if a 5 would be ok if properly maintained?
example http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...cfm?pCatId=181

A protein skimmer is out of the quistion on this tank cause of the hood set-up

[Devilishturtles]

Your setup sounds good to me. Are you looking to do a reef? or just a FOWLR tank?

I wouldn't add fish. Especially to a Hex tank that doesn't have much room. You can have a very active tank with inverts only, trust me. Cardinals are a schooling fish and need a group. They would be out of the question.

Upgrade to a 10 gallon, and many opportunities open up.

[Jarred Darque]

Upgrgading to a10 would be nice, but I am tryint o run breedin operations on freshwater tanks, and living in a college dorm, a 75, 3 10s, and a 5, plus a 1 gallon used for hatching eggs is certainly enough tnaks...


BTW< I was thinking about getting something likea hi-fin goby, or another type of goby that only grows to about an inch to inch.5

[Devilishturtles]

A goby would be a choice. As I'm sure you know, the tank would take daily top offs to keep salinity correctly. You may find that with a cleaner shrimp in there taking up alot of the tank space, you won't need a goby to keep you entertained.

[No_Floaters]

If you have a good closed lid, you could keep a little firefish.

[Jarred Darque]

ok I am gonna start setting the tank up in a week. (well, putting in sand, and mixing water, setting salinity and temp) Getting live rock the week after hopefully, and then after a month fish

In the mean time, I was looking at this little guy.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=1728

Says they do best in groups or pairs, could 2 of them go into a 5gal? I may still decide to go with a single Hi-Fin Goby if I can put a pistol shrimp in there

and can anyone give links to suggested inverts to use?

Also, a friend is breeding a small anemone, about 2-3 inches across is as large as they get in his 75 gallon. After my tank is up and running smoothly for a few months, could I put one into the 5 gallon? He says that the maint on his are pretty easy, or at least easier than any anemonies he has had before and they breed like rabbits, gone from 1 to about 25 of em in the last 6 months

[Devilishturtles]

Tough call on the goby, I'd stick with one to be honest.

About inverts, a cleaner shrimp would do well. Stay away from the Coral Banded Shrimp.
Nassarius snails are awesome too. I think with the cleaner, a few nassarius snails, and the goby you are more than well stocked. Check out Liveaquaria sw inverts page.

The anemone sounds an awful lot like a aipstasia anemone, which are pest anemones. Chances are good that you will get one in your LR. Fish do not host this anemone and it will sting any other coral you add. Definitley not desireable.

No anemone splits that fast save for the aipstasia, sorry.

[Jarred Darque]

ok cool, thanks for the information.

[Ziggy953]

Jarred, Check out this link I think it will give you a good idea of what you can do with a small tank!! Read everything that goes with it so you understand the full implications of a small tank!! Good luck!! I too am playing with the idea of a nano tank! http://www.melevsreef.com/pico.html

I think you will be impressed!!! HTH