Super Nano Fish

[BigBeginner]

im thinking of getting a nano but its only like about 5 gals, so i was wondering how many fish and why type of fish i could put in there.

or if it should just be mostly corals

im guessing i could only fit 1-3 tiny fish in it with out causeing to much trouble, and some snails, maybe a shrimp, and corals.

the local pet store has a biocube with good coral lights and such, it says its a size 8 but no where does it say how many gals it is...

 

[Donya]

5gals is maybe ok for one fish, but not more than that unless you're thinking about something like the really small seahorse species (although I don't know the min. tank size for those guys). There are very few "tiny" fish that will do ok in 5gal of space. Also keep in mind that 5gal is entering the pico size range, which means it's harder to keep a stable environment in terms of heat, evaporation, etc. than in larger nanos. Snails don't have a problem in general with crowding and aren't a big load on the biological filtration, but unless you target feed them you probably won't be able to support many snails purely from the algae in the tank. Most commonly available shrimp species I wouldn't keep in 5gal just beause of how cramped it is.

 

[karaim]

5 gallons? NOT a good idea. Not a good idea at all. I don't know anyone who has a tank that small (and those that do are probably experts). Water quality will be very, very, very hard to maintain.

 

[BigBeginner]

okie dokie, thanks for that, i wont get it =] ill wait till they have a bigger small tank

 

[Ter]

wait guys lets not get hyperventilated tell us more about ur future pico tank, what ur system plan is
Ter

 

[ben1987]

there are loads of tanks similar to that size around they are called pico tanks. They are usually coral only tanks ran by experts though as they are often more demanding than big tanks. Not a good idea imo

 

[BigBeginner]

k, i did plan on making it mostly corals, but its fine, ill wait for a more nano sized tank

 

[GShorty1981]

I would go for something closer to 20-30 gallon as your first tank mate,the water is a nightmare to keep perfect...i struggle with salinity in my 30 gallon,where it can jump from 1023 to 1028 in a week if i dont add fresh water.

 

[Ter]

common lets try this.. give us more details on what ur system plan would be... if it doesnt workout on paper then lets not try it..
Ter

 

[SkiFletch]

About the only fish suitable for a pico would be a clown goby . Another option worth researching might be a mantis tank... G. Smithii and N. Wennerae species do just fine in a 5g

 

[BigBeginner]

ooo that might work, i always wanted to try something different, ill look into that mantis

btw i found out that for biocubes, size = gallons, so the tank is actually 8 gals if that makes any difference

EDIT: does anyone know a link to a site or a post where i can learn more about mantis?

 

[SkiFletch]

Everything you ever wanted to know about mantids

 

[BigBeginner]

wow that really is everything i would need to know, thank you very much.

i went to the local pet store and it turns out that mantis shrimps are a bit out of my reach, unless i ordered online =\ is a mantis my only choice in a 8 gal? =[

also i was wondering, will mantis hurt corals?

 

[SkiFletch]

A mantis won't necessarily hurt coralss, but they will aquascape as they see fit... Superglue and epoxy putty can help with that though .

Consider calling up tampabaysaltwater.com for a N. wennerae if you happen to be on my side of the atlantic

For an 8gal you could go with a goby/pistol shrimp pair, clown gobies, or perhaps a firefish

 

[BigBeginner]

wow you answered my question before i even got to ask it i am seriously thinking about doing this!
i have a few more questions corals (any certain types that would be best for this size or for a mantis tank?)
firefish (what mantids could i keep with this?)
gobies (i dont think i could find a clown around here, any other gobies i could keep with mantis? if so, what type of mantis?)
mantis (is a pistol the only type i could get with a gobie?)(what other mantis could i keep with with fish?)(without fish?)(and that i could keep in a 8gal)

sorry i have so many questions, i really appreciate your help

BTW, i am in the us and ill look at that site

EDIT: did you mean literally calling up the site? cause i dont see anything except liverock lol