5 gallon tank.

[jkalfsbeck]

Hello,

I'm ready to set up a 5 gallon acrylic bowfront tank for my office.

Like anyone here I like the unusual and "attention grabbers" and color.

Now I know if I tried to cram any fish in that size it would have to be under constant supervision to make sure the levels are correct and constant feedings.

so I guess the theme of this tank is going to be a invert tank. So any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I would really love a smaller species of mantis like the wennera(sp) or the smithii but its hard to find something like that around here.


Also forgot to add I'm using the substrate, water and live rock from my other 2 tanks that have been up and running for a while.

So ideas on species and stocking levels and all that would be cool


Thanks.

 

[lando]

A mantis is a great species-only tank inhabitant. However, if you are looking for an "attention grabber" It may be what you want. They tend to live in the rockwork and substrate and do not make an appearance except during feeding time. If you want a "wowwer" look into doing a nano reef, depending on the lighting you have. SOme LR, corals and inverts like skunk cleaners, blood shrimp, tiny brittle stars and reef hermits will give you more visible life in the tank. Emerald crab or porcelain crab would be nice as well. The only fish I can think of that I would consider putting in a 5gal is a yellow or green clown goby. They are not active swimmer and prefer to "perch" on corals and LR.

 

[MarineFlake]

Skunk cleaners are your best bet. They like to hang out in the light. Most other shrimp stay under rock work and feed at nigt. You could look into some small red or fluro green brains, some xenia (Pulsing makes people ask lots of questions..) zoos of all colors, shrooms of all colors, star polyps (With actinic light they glow a cool green, very awesome). Lots of choices really. Some colored feather dusters, sexy shrmp, bumblebee shrimp, maybe get away with a catalina or red head goby.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2316

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2315

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2033

Peace.

 

[Florida8]

What have you decided? My daughter has a 5 gal bow that housed a betta for a couple of years, but it's on it's way to a nano as well. We bought the mini compact 11wt screw in bulb so it has about 2 watts pg. What lighting are you using? I think I paid like 11 bucks for the bulb, but I heard you can get them lots cheaper at a local hardware center.

She can't wait to cycle and add a cleaner shrimp (her fav) and a few cool colored srooms and a wee little clown goby if we do a fish at all down the road... of course, she might be asking for a bigger tank before we know it LOL

 

[jkalfsbeck]

Well I decided to add a few hermits, an emerald crab and a Coral Banded Shrimp (Center Piece) and just for now I added a Pulsing Xenia frag. (from the mother coral in my main reef tank)

For lighting right now I'm using the Coralife 50/50 10 watt fixture. But eventually I'm going to look into PC lighting for it. But i'm happy for the time being.

And I have about 12 lbs. of LR in there and around 3-4" sand bed and a little RIO 80gph PH.

The water, rocks, sand are all from my 210 gallon main FOWLR display.

 

[Hara]

just to clarify a statement made in your first post...fish are alot more forgiving of water issues than inverts are..so going with shrimp etc is not going to make your life any easier.