2.5 gallon rectangle, ideas/help.

[Bwana]

I saw the coolest tank ever at Petsmart today. It's a 2.5g rectangle, it looks just like a mini 20g or something. It's hilarious!
Oh yeah...it's only $9.99 too (w/o filter/heater...etc)

So...my little brother is getting rid of his guinea pig, and I was thinking of setting this little bugger up in his room.

Need some recomendations on the following:
Filter: no idea???
Hood/Lights: It doesnt come with a hood. I dont even know if you can find hoods in that size either. Should I try to make my own with one of those florescent bulbs that fit in a normal socket?
Heater: Would a 25watt submersible be fine?

Fish: He really likes puffers of any shape/size, so I was thinking some dwarf puffers...but I've never seen them, and really havent heard anything about them.
What about a school of neons? Think 3 neons, with 1 cory would be ok?

Again...thank you all. This place is awesome.

P.S. I might pick up the same thing as a betta tank. :D

[Aquarius0015]

Try the Azoo Palm Filter and a 15 watt heater if you can find one. Stay away from the Junior Heater sold in Wal-Mart. It's evil.

As for fish... Maybe a few White Clouds, a betta, two guppies, a few pygmy cories, 2 kuhli loaches, or a few snails and shrimp.... Not all of these things of course.

I wouldn't try your luck with neons. They are somewhat fragile (IME only) and it's hard to maintain a stable 2.5 gallon tank. I've heard cardinals are hardier, but I'd stay away from all tetras in such a small set-up.

As for lighting, good luck. I had to look all over to find flourescent lighting for my 5.5 gallon. Online is your best bet.

Of course my 5.5 gallon was also $9.99 and so are 10 gallons. Remember, nanotanks are much more expensive per sq. inch, lol.

[TKOS]

No way you could keep puffers in there for very long. Plus you need to be raising snails for them already. They eat a tremendous amount of those little guys and can make quite a mess.

Really the only thing that can go in such a small tank would be a single betta or maybe 2 dwarf frogs or some shrimp (not crayfish) or a mystery snail.

I wouldn't put white clouds or guppies in anything less than a 5 gallon tank. There just isn't enough swimming room in a tank that size.

But the screw in flourescent light would be a good idea, especially if you got some easy live plants like a java fern or something. Java fern is perfect for those little tanks.

[Bwana]

Probably just go with a Betta anyway. :confused:

I'd get a 5 or 10 gallon...but the little one is so darn cool!

We'll see :p .

[TKOS]

You could add a big mystery snail to the tank for variety. Just make sure to get that water changed often, even with a filter.

[Aquarius0015]

No way you could keep puffers in there for very long. Plus you need to be raising snails for them already. They eat a tremendous amount of those little guys and can make quite a mess.

As I understand it, dwarf puffers do not have the same dire need for crunchy things in their diet because their teeth do not grow as quickly as those of other puffers. Although a few small snails every now and then would make a nice treat (and these are free at most LFS or chains), I do not think a daily diet of snails is necessary. If I remember correctly, bloodworms are popular with the dwarf puffer people.

Anyway I would not keep a dwarf puffer in a 2.5 gallon, although I have heard of two or three in a 5.5 being done before sucessfully.

[TKOS]

They still need crunchy things, even if they don't grow as fast. And most baby puffers when purchased won't take anything but live food. So it is possible to also start raising brine shrimp, though they aren't that nutritious compared to snails. Regardless such a meaty diet will lead to a mess.

And the fish stores around here have caught on to the snails as food and now charge for them, something like 5 for a dollar, outrageous.

[aquariumfishguy]

Personally, I wouldn't keep ANYTHING in a 2.5 gallon container. I look at it this way...

...If all you can afford is a 2.5 gallon bowl, then your going to have problems (financially) down the road as aquaria as a hobby is expensive.

...If all you desire to have is a 2.5 gallon bowl, then chances are you are going to get tired of keeping fish. 2.5 gallons will have constant water quality issues, and you wont ever get a real feel for fishkeeping.

[Aquarius0015]

True AFG, but sometimes space is the limiting factor, not money or interest. I am limited to small tanks because I live in a dorm environment. Other people move around frequently, so the weight and size become an issue for them.

It's not an ideal situation, but at least a 2.5 gallon tank properly taken care of (filter, heater, etc) is a better home for a betta (or any other fish) than a small bowl.

[as40]

I'd have to agree that the ":cool:" aspect of the 2.5 will wear off really quickly with all the extra maintanence you're going to have to put into it, not to mention that it will be more of a pain to find equipment for such a small setup. And you'll be frustrated with the lack of diversity/variety that such a small FW setup will afford you. I'd go with at least a 10. A 10 won't be THAT much more of a space hog and wouldn't be TOO hard to move if needed, and that way you've got room to grow, and a bit more space to play with. Look for some unique designs on a larger tank, I'm sure you might be able to find something that looks good. But, if you do go for the small tank, good luck, and have fun. :)

[dethjam316]

i kept one dwarf puffer in a 3g. i wouldn't put more than that in a 2.5g for sure, but one should be okay. just make sure you do the necessary water changes, etc. other than that...well, you can't keep much else. puffers are messy and incompatible with most other things. they'll terrorize shrimp and snails.

[Minty]

I thought the 2.5 was cute too! Until I got it home and put a male betta in it...a few hours later it reminded me of a large cup-it sucked! For ten dollars you can probably find a ten gallon easily...puffer's cannot be kept in such a small space-waste,waste,waste!...my dwarf puffers are super active and their teeth do grow indeed-even with snails and coral..the only thing I would consider is possibly a...er...nothing actually!
Not intending to appear snarky by any means but these gimmicky "tanks" should be left on the shelves to gather dust!..it's like living in a toilet.

[smatts]

I think you could have a betta and 2 dwarf frogs, that would be cool, with some plants.

[WildFrisco]

For filtration, they actually have undergravel plates for 2.5 gallon tanks for $3.

http://www.petguys.com/-010838132040.html

Alternatively, you could use that Azoo Palm hanging filter like Aquarius0015 mentioned. I've seen it at one LFS hanging in a tiny plastic betta container. For $6 you can't beat it:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9821&Ne=40000&R=2700&N=2004+22769

For lighting, if you can locate the hood somehow, it'll probably have a standard socket for use with incandescent bulbs (like the ones in your 40 to 100 watt ceiling/table lamps). Obviously you want to use fluorescents when possible. Get a socket adapter/reducer from Home Depot or Lowe's (less than $2), then get a tiny fluorescent bulb (2 to 4 bucks) from Ikea. These bulbs are the smaller socket sizes and come in at least 2 wattage ratings, 7 and like 3 or 4 watts. I haven't seen these tiny self ballasted fluorescent bulbs at any hardware store yet. I did it for my sister's friend's 2.5 gallon tank.

Some numbers printed on the self ballasted fluorescent 7 watt Ikea bulb:

K207/E12
E180257
FCC:L2ALC40407 350Lm 1312

For heating, I gave my sister's friend my 25 watt Hagen Radiant hanging heater. It's probably a bit strong for 2.5 gallons, but I don't know where else you could find an adjustable heater under 25 watts. The Junior Heater or whatever at Walmart is not adjustable. Various 25 watt heaters, hanging & submersible, from 6 to 15 dollars:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/
Do a "Search" for this number: 16794

http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/itemdy00.aspx?HKW=&TKW=&SKW=F45&EDP=8790&T1=F45+0291+0008&PgNo=3

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3925&Ne=40000&R=13114&Nao=9&N=2004+112984

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3957&Ne=40000&R=12849&Nao=0&N=2004+112984

The only thing that'll do ok in a 2.5 would be a betta. Anything else you should have a 5.5 or bigger tank. But if you want to make the most of your 2.5, then these are some of the parts you can use.

[aquariumfishguy]

Maybe I'm strange, but I consider the overall success and health of the animal before I put my own personal needs fourth. I would love a dog, but I dont have the time for one right now = hence, why I can't have one.

That being said, you can set up the 2.5 gallon, but what will you put in it? Most of the fish mentioned will not work, because of the size issue. Cories like extremely clean water, and like to be in groups. Neons are very sensitive fish, and also like groups. Thats just a little idea of fish which cannot workout, and why. HTH

[Bwana]

The neon/cory idea was just that...an idea, to get suggestions flowing. ;)

I'll probably go with a 5 or 10 gallon anyway. The :cool: factor of the small tank doesnt out-weigh the short comings.

Thanks everyone...again. :D

[aquariumfishguy]

:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

...Anytime!

[waterdog1]

People open yourself to new ideas. How about this..get some of those colorful feeder guppies(they stay very small) and coat the top of the tank with duck weed(maybe a water lettus) with their roots hanging down into the water. This will be great Nutrient export for the tank. You can even have some rooted or emergent plants in the tank to suck up all the naughty nutrients. Light the think with a screw in CF bulb in a 6.99 petsmart incan. fixture and maybe even leave the back of the tank uncovered and exposed to some sunlight. If you blow of a small tank like this you are not interested in experimenting with mini-ecosystem(thats fine) but dont tell people they should be gathering dust. If you want to see what people can do with 2.5 gallon tanks fo to www.nano-reef.com and search for 2.5 gallon, they have these tanks as awsome mini reefs. If that is easy enough(as I have one and If I can have a nano reef anyone can) then you can have a small planted freshwater ecosystem in a tank of this size. I keep mine on my desk at work. I also have a 75 gallon at home and I tell ya, sometimes I get more enjoyment out of my mini 2.5 reef.

Just my two pennies


Maybe I'm strange, but I consider the overall success and health of the animal before I put my own personal needs fourth. I would love a dog, but I dont have the time for one right now = hence, why I can't have one.

That being said, you can set up the 2.5 gallon, but what will you put in it? Most of the fish mentioned will not work, because of the size issue. Cories like extremely clean water, and like to be in groups. Neons are very sensitive fish, and also like groups. Thats just a little idea of fish which cannot workout, and why. HTH

[nursie]

I don't see why folks are down on 2.5 gal tanks. I have one on my desk at work. That's all I have room for. The betta I have there seems quite content..he has a small heater, a filter and a clump of java moss/fontainlis. If the plants die..no big deal, I throw the stuff away at home by the handfulls. I'll bring more in.
I figure I rescued the guy from a cup in a pet store.

[thesydmonster]

I agree with everyone's statements about not being able to do much with a 2.5 gallon tank -- really, a 10 gallon hardly takes up any space and is very easy to do weekly water changes on. Not to mention hoods/lights/filters are easier to find and your fish would be SO MUCH happier :)

[josht]

You can do plenty with a small tank, but you just have to be realistic and plan carefully. Mini ecosystems are quite fascinating if you are in the right mindset. 95% of the livestock you see at the pet stores will not work. If you're up for a challenge, I say go for it. We have a 125g malawi tank, a 55g tanganyikan tank, and a 5g planted tank that currently is housing some khuli loach refugees. Each tank has characteristics that make it stand out.

Do your research. Don't make impulse purchases. It looks like you're off to a good start by posting here for suggestions. Make sure you're up for the weekly maintenence required for a tank with a large bio load. If you're going to be in it for the long haul, go ahead and set the tank up, start a fishless cycle (do a search for more info). While you wait for the cycle, figure out what you're going to stock it with.

You can buy small compact flo. lights online. I had a small Coralife 19w light that I bought online for like $20. It was small enough to fit on a HOB refugium, so it should work for a 2.5 gallon tank. For a hood, you could just use a piece of plexi glass or maybe a piece of that plastic grill used to cover shop lights. You may not need a heater depending on your environment and what type of animals you're planning to stock it with. The heat from the lights and the pump on the submersible filter may keep your temps where you need them.

P.s. If your tank is acrylic and you get the Coralife light that I mentioned: don't prop the light directly on the sides of it because it could cause the tank to crack when it heats up. I rested the light on a small shim of scrap wood. I've also heard of people using clothes pins, I'm sure you can find something that would work.

[born2lovefish]

I have a 2.5 gallon like that and I love it. It has sand in it and live plants. i inject the DIY CO2 and my plants look sweet. I keep some ghost shrimp in there and also some cardinal tetras. Like you said, it is a sweet little tank. I want to try it saltwater....

[Emg]

Do up a nice little low light planted tank with a couple of ADFs and some endlers. You wouldn't need a heater for a setup like that...both the frogs and the endlers don't need it....oh, some ghost shrimp too would do nicely.

And...they DO make small strip lights for those little tanks....PetSmart sells them and they only cost about 11$...and you can put either an incandescent bulb in there, or a screw in flourescent. For lowlight, I'd go with the incandescent though, otherwise, you may end up dealing with algae. You can get a glass top for it, but you can also make a plexiglass cover for probably cheaper. I think the glass tops are about 3$.

Here's a little 2 gallon planted I've setup....lowlight, no problems....I do dose with excel as a carbon source, but other than that...no muss no fuss...very good inhood filter though......about the only filter you can get for one of those little tanks would be the "REDSEA" version of the Azoo palm filter...I hear they're much better than the Azoo brand. I have also seen a very small submersible powerfilter type thing that's made for 2-3 gallon tanks. I wish I could remember who makes it though. It's similar to the fluval type intank filters. Works sort of like a little powerhead/filter. The LFS I've seen it at work in has one of those 2.5 tanks setup with that filter, a live plant and a betta...been setup and running like that for ages and eveytime I go in that store it always looks in great shape.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/morroman/emgfishpics/DSC02240.jpg

[ljse]

I agree that a small tank can look great. I like the look of a nicely set up miniature aquascape. There are plenty of interesting ways you can set it up with some nice plants and driftwood. I would suggest either getting a betta or some shrimp. I also liked the feeder guppy idea, I recently noticed those at the lfs and some of them look great.