Lethal's 2.5 Gallon Nano Tank

[LethalResistanz]

Been wanting a desktop tank for a long time. Spent a long long time thinking of a good size and buying a kit or not. I went against buying a kit and bought the peices individually. Here is what I got.

-AGA 2.5 $14
-50W heater $13
-Aqueon power filter 10 $16

Everything else I already had laying around.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0617001940.jpg

I ended up getting the cartages free with he filter from Petco. But I picked up the wrong size. Oh well. I usually just make my own. Couldn't imagine paying 8 bucks for 3 of those little things jeeze.

I deiced to place it on the second level of my desk. Makes since just incase of a computer leak my case-less computer won't get ruined.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0617001355.jpg

[LethalResistanz]

Figured it could use a paint job. Went with a cheap can of flack black for 97 cents. Used some electrical tape and newspaper to protect what I didn't want to paint.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001336c.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001408.jpg

Let it bake in the sun. Dried really quick like 15 minutes.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001414.jpg

The final product.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001432a.jpg

[LethalResistanz]

Decided to use some Flourite I had laying around. Really wanted black Flourite sand but just wasn't worth paying $22 bucks and only used 2 or so pounds of it.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001530a.jpg
It has pretty good bed. Maybe 2 1/2 inches at the lowest point.

For decorations I want to keep it simple. My Ph is always pretty low so I'm going to try and stay away from driftwood. Took 2 of the smaller rocks out of my Mbuna tank.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001543.jpg

[LethalResistanz]

First problem came up. The filter intake is just to long. The intake is not retractable like the bigger aqueon models(i have a 30 that is retractable). I'm going to have to create something that will prevent the fish from getting sucked up and minced by the impeller. For now a small piece of plastic mesh I was using for a moss wall on my other tank will have to do.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001604.jpg

Temporarily I'll be using a clip on desk lamp with a 25w 65k bulb. I plan on getting a black one that is not seethrough so I won't have to put tinfoil around it.

I added the corkscrew vals from my 10 to the tank. I have one large on and 3 very small baby plants. We will see how they do.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001714.jpg
notice the plastic piece clinging on to the filter. that is my strainer for now at least.

[LethalResistanz]

I added a couple drops of flourish excel and flora pride. I feared I added to much. So i decided to add a small piece of hornwort form my mbuna tank. This stuff is really good at absorbing nutrients from the water column. So if anyone wanted to know a plant to add to a mbuna tank. I'd highly recommended Hornwort. Never seen my mbunas touch it and it is taking off. However if parts are not floating right under the bulb it will die if you don't have a powerful light. I think the bulb i have is 32w and the tank is 55 gallons.

Look at the monster glob of hornwort. Must of grown 3-4x the starting volume in my mbuna tank.
http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx51/justindickenson/0618001736a.jpg

[Sarkazmo]

Looking good so far!

Use a hacksaw and shorten the intake for the HOB filter then just replace the strainer at the end.

This would be a great tank for Red Cherry Shrimp, btw. :)

Sark

[rich311k]

Nice looking tank.

[domjd05]

Really cool, I'd like to try a nano tank sometime!

[SunSchein89]

Looks lke you're off to a good start. Any ideas for future plant stock yet?

[LethalResistanz]

Looking good so far!

Use a hacksaw and shorten the intake for the HOB filter then just replace the strainer at the end.

This would be a great tank for Red Cherry Shrimp, btw. :)

Sark


I would do that but i need the top lip so that it will stay on. Under the top lip there is about 2-3 inches of just tube then the strainer is an inch or two. I just gotta find an elastic somewhere in my house and I'll just wrap some plastic mesh around it.

I'm going to try ghost shrimp first since they are cheaper. I tried them once before and they didn't last very long. Don't want to throw money away. I think there might be to much copper in my water since my house is pretty old and has old copper pipes.

So for stocking it is either a shrimp colony or a betta.

[LethalResistanz]

What is a good number of ghost shrimp for this tank?

Do you think a could keep a small colony of shrimp and a male betta? Might be a bit overstocked. Never had anything this small.

[Lab_Rat]

Tank is looking very nice!

I have that size tank and all I keep in there is a betta, 2 zebra nerites, and some ramshorns. I'll probably move some RCS in there eventually. You could do a couple ghosties, but ghosties can get a bit territorial so you can't do as many as you can with RCS. That filter may be too much for a tank that size, I've got the azoo palm filter on mine and I have to turn the flow down or else it's too much for my betta. Remember, it's a very small area, it's easy to get too much flow. I'd consider taking the 10g filter back and getting a palm (rated for 5g).

[Sarkazmo]

You could do a few micro rasboras like the Chili or Phoenix. Ghosts and RCS are very different shrimp. I've had next to no luck with Ghosts but RCS is another story. They breed like a plague! :) RCS are more expensive but they're much hardier than Ghosts. You could have about 30-40 RCS in there. :) So buy 10-15 and watch 'em go at it! You could house a Betta nicely but you'll have to diffuse the output of the filter for the Betta as they don't like high current. You could have a Badis Badis.... a pair of Mexican Orange Crayfish... hmmm... what else... Don't over look female Betta, they're just about as beautiful as the males anymore.

To be honest, anymore, I just avoid Ghost shrimp. Every time I get them I really enjoy watching them, then they turn white and die. I got a dozen one day, drove directly home (about 10 minutes away,) two were dead by the time I got home, half were dead by the next day, within a week there were about three left. Less than two months, none.

Here's my DIY Diffuser: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=44359&highlight=Diffuser

Here's a site that sells Nano fish: http://www.franksaquarium.com/nanofish.htm

EDIT: Whatever you do make sure that your filter is cycled. Shrimp + Ammonia = Dead Shrimp.

Sark

[LethalResistanz]

Tank is looking very nice!

I have that size tank and all I keep in there is a betta, 2 zebra nerites, and some ramshorns. I'll probably move some RCS in there eventually. You could do a couple ghosties, but ghosties can get a bit territorial so you can't do as many as you can with RCS. That filter may be too much for a tank that size, I've got the azoo palm filter on mine and I have to turn the flow down or else it's too much for my betta. Remember, it's a very small area, it's easy to get too much flow. I'd consider taking the 10g filter back and getting a palm (rated for 5g).

I've already thought of that. I went to three places and this was the smallest name-brand filter I could find that didn't use an air pump. ( i plan on using diy c02 when my excel runs out) If i see a palm filter I'll pick it up but for now this will have to do. I plan on shoving some filter floss in there to drastically stop the flow. It is rated for 100gph. Somehow I'll have to bring that to under 20gph I would assume. I can also pull the pump a bit out of its housing. That will also slow down the flow.

Anyway, I forgot all about snails. Defiantly going to want a couple snails. I'll but slowly and you guys can tell me what you think.

[LethalResistanz]

You could do a few micro rasboras like the Chili or Phoenix. Ghosts and RCS are very different shrimp. I've had next to no luck with Ghosts but RCS is another story. They breed like a plague! :) RCS are more expensive but they're much hardier than Ghosts. You could have about 30-40 RCS in there. :) So buy 10-15 and watch 'em go at it! You could house a Betta nicely but you'll have to diffuse the output of the filter for the Betta as they don't like high current. You could have a Badis Badis.... a pair of Mexican Orange Crayfish... hmmm... what else... Don't over look female Betta, they're just about as beautiful as the males anymore.

To be honest, anymore, I just avoid Ghost shrimp. Every time I get them I really enjoy watching them, then they turn white and die. I got a dozen one day, drove directly home (about 10 minutes away,) two were dead by the time I got home, half were dead by the next day, within a week there were about three left. Less than two months, none.

Here's my DIY Diffuser: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=44359&highlight=Diffuser

Here's a site that sells Nano fish: http://www.franksaquarium.com/nanofish.htm

EDIT: Whatever you do make sure that your filter is cycled. Shrimp + Ammonia = Dead Shrimp.

Sark

Didn't realize I had so many choices. Well I'm going to start with the basics since this is my first nano tank. I'm leaning towards a betta and a couple snails. If I can find some red cherry shrimp somewhere locally though I'll jump on them. But never seen anything like that here.

[Sarkazmo]

Another way to modify the filter would be to drill a LOT of tiny holes in the intake tube and just plug the bottom of the intake tube. So the intake tube itself would function as the strainer.

Sark

[Amazon]

hey look you have AC on your computer!:ssmile:

good luck with the tank. i love nanos

[LethalResistanz]

Well. I'm a little depressed right now. Just went to a LFS that I won't mention the name(not sure if thats allowed). It looked really promising from the pictures. They ended up having almost as many tanks as me(I have 6).

This was one of the last places relatively close to me I have not been to. And it was another disappointment. There just isn't a good place in RI to buy fish. I either get a small place with good quality basic fish. Or a big place that has the majority of their tanks empty or filled with water you can't even see through. Never mind the majority of tanks have more than one fish dead inside.

I guess I'll be stuck at petsmart and I'll be asked if my tank is already set up every time when I want to buy something. It is awesome when some teenager ask me if the tank has a filter on it.

Going to go back out in a bit. Maybe I'll find something....anything..... Ughhhh

[domjd05]

if i was you I'd be ordering online, I have about had it with some of the crappy operations up in my area as well.

[LethalResistanz]

Got a solid red betta today. Was about to take pictures when the bulb in the clip on light blew. Oh well. I wanted to replace it with a solid black one anyway. Will be getting that tomorrow. I think the bulbs wattage might of been a bit high for the fixture. I believe it was 26 watts

Little disappointed I had to get a betta. However he seems pretty active and does not quit flaring so I guess he is rather interesting. I'll get some pics tomorrow when I got a light on the thing.

Probably see if I can get some luck with java moss from my other tank. Seems to only grow in very low light so I'll put the bulb on one end and put the moss in a shaded area on the other.

Not sure if I should run two light fixtures or one. The HOB filter makes it kinda awkward for the light to go in the middle. And if it is to high it is burning my retinas when I'm using the computer.