I have a Fluval Chi 5 Gallon, is this too little?

[tim_s]

Hi Everyone,

My wife has lost interest in keeping fish and was going to throw out a Fluval Chi 5 Gallon, but I have the acrylic sheets and an aquaclear.

Question is, Is 5 gallons too small?

[nwnugget]

Too small for what? There are guys in here running 1 gallon tanks. I have a 10 gallon nanocube and a 3 gallon picotope. I only have about a year experience in reef keeping and have learned the hard way. The smaller the tank, the more diligent you have got to be.

What are your goals for the Fluval?

P.S. If you decide to "throw it away", I'll pay shipping and take it off your hands.

[tim_s]

Not sure but I am in a lucky position that I have most of everything I need.

I just have to get a light and put together the setup.

I think I need to cruise around the nano forum for ideas.

[nwnugget]

Not sure but I am in a lucky position that I have most of everything I need.

I just have to get a light and put together the setup.

I think I need to cruise around the nano forum for ideas.

I say go for it! There are some really nice nano reefs on here. Keep on posting about your tank. I'll follow along.

[tim_s]

Do you have any pictures of your 3 Gallon?

[nwnugget]

Do you have any pictures of your 3 Gallon?

I do. Set it up Saturday.
http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u674/nwnugget/Picotope/frontfinishedHDR_zps19be1d99.jpg

[tim_s]

Looks great so far! - What lighthing did you use? My only concerns I have are evaporation, I of course can just top up daily.

[nwnugget]

Looks great so far! - What lighthing did you use? My only concerns I have are evaporation, I of course can just top up daily.

Factory light that came with the unit. Compact florescent 50/50 white/blue.

Nano tank best friends, top-offs and regular water changes.

I plan to build a DIY LED fixture. Maybe use a multichip LED and play with the colors. Plans are for dimming capabilities. Smaller scale tank means smaller scale light means less expense for the learning curve.

I used 2 aquaclear 20s for filtration. One with the sponge and carbon. One with live rock rubble and cheato and the flow rate reduced.

Going to ammonia dose tonight to bump the cycle.

SET UP THAT 5 GALLON. Show your wife what she is missing!

[tim_s]

Factory light that came with the unit. Compact florescent 50/50 white/blue.

Nano tank best friends, top-offs and regular water changes.

I plan to build a DIY LED fixture. Maybe use a multichip LED and play with the colors. Plans are for dimming capabilities. Smaller scale tank means smaller scale light means less expense for the learning curve.

I used 2 aquaclear 20s for filtration. One with the sponge and carbon. One with live rock rubble and cheato and the flow rate reduced.

Going to ammonia dose tonight to bump the cycle.


This is great information I was thinking of using two aquaclears (As we already have them) or I was going to make a bulk head and allow the water to over flow and use the aqua clear to return it to the tank.

SET UP THAT 5 GALLON. Show your wife what she is missing!

Ha ha, I have a 120 G discus tank and a 75 G Salt, and it is 75 G because the wife is purposely keeping the tank sizes under control LOL

I am hoping to sneak this by her -- Should be quick thought being I have everything.

[nwnugget]

This is great information I was thinking of using two aquaclears (As we already have them) or I was going to make a bulk head and allow the water to over flow and use the aqua clear to return it to the tank.



Ha ha, I have a 120 G discus tank and a 75 G Salt, and it is 75 G because the wife is purposely keeping the tank sizes under control LOL

I am hoping to sneak this by her -- Should be quick thought being I have everything.

I stole the aquaclear idea from this thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2151887

Better her to be happy. Makes life a little easier.

If you have all the pieces, you must solve the puzzle!

[tim_s]

Well! I threw the idea by the wife, she just was concerned about the amount of time this would take for me to maintain. I.e. Adding a 3rd tank into the house hold.

As odd as this sounds, the discus tank takes more than double the time to do water changes. Just because of the amount of water being changed.

[Giovanni]

Check this out. Fluval Spec V (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2216743)

[tim_s]

What are your goals for the Fluval?

Alright, I spent last night hovering through the posts that has pictures and I have come at two ideas.

1: Inverts only, find a live rock that gradually declined from the back to front with a nice little growth and include an anemone but oddly liveaquira is stating 30 Gallons as the minimum.

2: Also, may find just like Dream # 1 this might not work but a Goby and a pistol shrimp.

Check this out. Fluval Spec V (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2216743)

This looks fantastic - Thank you for sharing. I too might have to wrestle the lighting issue. Oddly I have perfect LEDs they are just for a 30 G tank, which I no longer have. I increased all my tank sizes and the lights found their way into my redundant pile. I am wondering if i can modify it in some fashion.