Mini Monster... 5Gal NANO...

[kittyhazelton]

Ok, so I have a spare 5gal kicking around, and I was thinking of trying my hands at a mini nano reef.
What would be good for this kind of tank?

Filtration/circulation? would a single HOB style filter (of what size?) be sufficient to provide the circulation/filtration for such a small system.

Lighting? How much wattage? What kind of lighting? Would those screw-in mini compact flouresents be sufficient? would it provide the right spectrum?

STOCKING? Slow-growing, hardy corals that stay small? Sponges? Those cool little spotted shrimp that wave their butts around? Or maybe a really small anemone-dwelling type of fish?

PICTURES! If you got pics of your nano tank I'd like to see.

 

[stingray man]

Lighting: you should have between 20-25 watts. You can do MH for alot of corals or stronger flourecents.
Stocking: i personly think that there is not fish that can go in there. Most inverts would be fine you can say a couple and we can tell u if they would be fine. Corals id say lik soft corals or polyps unless u get a MH then u could do anything. Stay away from anenomes in nanos
Pictures ill go find mine

 

[stingray man]

Lighting: you should have between 20-25 watts. You can do MH for alot of corals or stronger flourecents.
Stocking: i personly think that there is not fish that can go in there. Most inverts would be fine you can say a couple and we can tell u if they would be fine. Corals id say lik soft corals or polyps unless u get a MH then u could do anything. Stay away from anenomes in nanos
Pictures ill go find mine

Im just starting mine also

 

[Roflcopter]

I always wondered why these are so expensive.I could get a larger tank for a lower price of these.Oh well,now i want one!

 

[stingray man]

Well one reason for the expence is that they come with every thing (filter, tank, pump, lighting) and that light is enogh for coral and thats alot of money so it all adds up if not cheap but if u dont want corals then it is alot more

 

[Kdcarey]

now i want a nano

 

[ShadowBass]

Well one reason for the expence is that they come with every thing (filter, tank, pump, lighting) and that light is enogh for coral and thats alot of money so it all adds up if not cheap but if u dont want corals then it is alot more

The lighting isn't actually that great on most of them.
I could set up the same system buying the stuff seperate and brand new for less.
I do kind of want one of the 150watt HQI setups though.

However, you can't expect to get something fully set up like that where everything fits together perfectly and takes up very little room for a low price. Any prefab aquarium system is always more than you could do it yourself.

kittyhazelton, what are the dimensions of your 5g? Is it a hex or something or just a normal one? That will kind of determine your lighting needs and stocking. If it's a hex or a high tank you'd honestly be better off getting a cheap 10g for 10 bucks. There are believe it or not a few tiny fish that could dwell in such a small aquarium but I wouldn't recommend keeping fish if this is your first nano. Best that you set it up with some easy coral and inverts, something you won't get frustrated about if you lose, and learn to monitor water quality and stuff well.
Definately stay away from anemones, those guys are too messy and most grow too large for such a small tank. Unless you want some of the little invasive ones, lol. They would overgrow your tank though and can sting other critters.

Plenty of soft corals and polyps you could keep in a little tank with low light. I wouldn't suggest the plain screw in CF bulbs, and you would have trouble getting the correct spectrum for SW, but you can buy little CF strips that can fit your tank and would be more effective.

 

[spotfin]

Im just starting mine also

That arrow crab is going to grow big real fast in there.

 

[alcohologist]

you might want to reconsider getting MH lighting for such a small tank, as it will heat to pretty extreme temps. a compact flo will suffice, and i dont think you'd need an extra powerhead for circulation.
stocking-wise, xenia, zoas, suns, mushrooms are good choices. i wouldnt advise you to stock any fish, though

 

[kittyhazelton]

Ok, so how does this sound....
5gal Rectangular tank (16" X 8" X 10")
Filtration: Mini Hang-on canister filter: FilterLighting: 20W provided by screw-in coral-life 50/50 PC light bulb.
Liverock: As much as I can fit in there while still having room for inverts. Will be using already flourishing liverock from a friends tank.
Stocking: To start I will start with some frags from my friends tank and add slowly from there. The only "mobile" inverts I plan to eventually have in there will be a couple of those sexy anemone shrimp.

Any other suggestions?