2.7 gallon tank

[marchmaxima]

Happy new year all

In cleaning out my garage recently, I found a 2.7G tank containing a yukky rock, an UG filter, useless white substrate and spiders. I had totally forgotten I had it, and I don't even remember where it came from. It even has an old 8W AquaGlo plant light. So I threw out all the garbage out and cleaned up the tank and the light. It has been sitting upstairs in my study while I contemplate what to do with it.

Yesterday I happened to be in an LFS not looking for anything particular when I ran across a HOB filter perfectly-sized for the tank. So I bought it, plus a 25w heater.

I've decided on a shrimp tank. There are some beautiful red cherry shrimp around here at the moment.

Q on substrate: What substrate is best for shrimp?
Q on lighting: I do not want to implement a CO2 system. That said, what is my wattage limit. And what plants can I grow? Obviously with the tank being this small, the WPG rule goes out the window.

Thanks!

 

[neilanh]

Shrimp are a great idea. They don't really care too much about substrate, and since you're keeping it simple I'd use an inert sand or something along those lines.

Use the 8W light you have, just get a new bulb for it. You should be able to keep a range of mosses if there's one you like, some lower light crypts, and maybe an anubias nana, I'd recommend the eyes variety

 

[marchmaxima]

I have some left over white sand. Was thinking about using that. Alternatively I can buy a bag of Eco-Complete. I'll use the remainder for the 4x2x2 anyway.

I was thinking of upping the wattage to around 11-14w. I was hoping I might be able to grow a HC carpet or something like that. I just don't know whether I need CO2 at that point....

 

[neilanh]

To grow HC I think you're going to need more light than that. I tried growing HC in a 2.5 gallon with 26 watts and my results were not great. That tank had CO2, ferts, the whole nine yards with it.

Not trying to discourage, it may work for you, just not for me. Others used that same setup and it worked, though, so maybe it was just me.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

For sand, I suggest some of that Black Moon Sand stuff, that stuff is good looking in tanks and will make your plant and shrimps' colors pop well.

If HC is too hard for you to grow, you should try some dwarf hairgrass, it's a cool plant once you get the dense carpet going, plus you can jsut trim it like a lawn. The shrimp would really like that aswell. You will want to get into the medium lighting range though to grow any type of cool carpet plant. What you want to try to do is get a Spiral Flourecent light thing, I use a 20W 6500K over my 5 gallon and I can grow dwarf hairgrass slowly, I do use DIY co2 but no added fertz.

 

[Purrbox]

For that size aquarium Flourish Excel would be an excellent alternative to injecting CO2, and seems to make it easier to grow HC under medium light.

 

[marchmaxima]

In terms of watts on a sml tank, what is the medium light range?