Fluval Spec 2.5g Nightstand Nano

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Figured I would do a little thread for my new desktop tank. I just moved across the country from Southern California to Miami, FL and I didnt bring a tank with me, so my coworker offered to sell me their nano they werent as interested in anymore. It is a Fluval Spec 2.5 (technically I think its 2.6, but when the tank is this small, every drop counts) with a Par38 bulb and a piece of live rock with some crushed coral and a couple zoa frags. I figured this would be a nice tinkering tank until I set up my future 45gallon.
Not sure what the plan will be as far as the corals and livestock, but I am thinking sexy shrimp or a cleaner shrimp and a pom pom crab. Something to that effect.

I got the tank and gave it a good cleaning, including a full 90% water change, and filter cleaning, and also added 4 blue leg hermits that are about 1/4" in diameter as well as one pound of live rock. My hope is to completely revamp this system and getting running cleanly as well as stable.

Here is the pic I took after I got it on the nightstand and cleaned up a little

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/DSC_0104_zpsff608246.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/DSC_0104_zpsff608246.jpg.html)

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Tested the water today, and it wasnt super pretty.
Nitrates were at about 20-30
Salinity was 1.029
Phosphates were at .10

at that point I gave up testing and decided a water change was necessary so further testing wasnt. I did a 1g water change, and tried to get some of the gunk out.
I also added one small conch of some kind (still trying to get a positive ID) as well as about 10 Stomatella snails.

[Salty Dog24]

How's it rollin for you?

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Water quality must be much better now because all the zoas have been starting to open. I bought a couple of really cool loose mushrooms, as well as a single head of candy cane that I am trying to rescue. They all look like they are enjoying the tank, and tonight I saw my first (and only 1) pod crawling on the glass.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Also I forgot to add that my coworker brought me a remote control for the Par38 and told me I can make it as white as I want. Thats a big surprise since I didnt even know it was dimmable.

Next step is to add:
New Carbon
Purigen
Some kind of shrimp/crab/invert as a showpiece... any ideas?
More mushrooms
Ricordia
More zoas
and maybe a few other corals here and there

[Salty Dog24]

A Pistol Shrimp is pretty interesting to watch, but not so sure it's a show piece though. Are you going to add a fish?

[gemini aquarius(t)]

The tank is right next to my pillow since its on my nightstand, so I am trying to stay away from noisy inhabitants. I.e. pistols and mantis shrimp.
I was thinking either a couple of sexy shrimp, or a pair of harlequins, not sure yet.

I cut up some eggcrate and made a makeshift media tower to replace the sponge tower that goes in the back chamber, since it seemed that the sponge was acting more as a nitrate/phosphate trap than it was as any type of efficient filtration. I think that will help the levels to stay stable.... I hope
I took pictures today too, I will get those up in a bit

[deebs]

Yo Xavier hope things are going good down in Florida, gratz on your new job that awesome!!. Any who, what about a dwarf seahorse tank? possible with 1 pipe-fish? of course weekly water changes would insure a better survival rate. Of course some might argue with it being to small a tank but if taken proper care of I don't see a problem, + it would be very peaceful in a bedroom tank. That would be nice and different if you haven't already decided on some inhabitance.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Yo Xavier hope things are going good down in Florida, gratz on your new job that awesome!!. Any who, what about a dwarf seahorse tank? possible with 1 pipe-fish? of course weekly water changes would insure a better survival rate. Of course some might argue with it being to small a tank but if taken proper care of I don't see a problem, + it would be very peaceful in a bedroom tank. That would be nice and different if you haven't already decided on some inhabitance.

So far so good! Feels a lot more like "home" now that I have a fish tank though! I thought about dwarfs, but I just dont know if I have the time to take care of those little guys. Its a lot of work with feedings.
Maybe a small pipefish if I can find one eating frozen, or pellets.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I have added some more zoas, and mushrooms, and just recently my roommate bought an assessor for me to hold for him until our non-nano tanks are set up.

We named him Brutus, and he is the smallest assessor I have ever seen

[gemini aquarius(t)]

these pictures were from 12/14 I will get some more recent ones when the light comes on


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/403F0EB9-BC30-4D7E-A0B5-90538927D9A0_zpsx3sh33qj.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/403F0EB9-BC30-4D7E-A0B5-90538927D9A0_zpsx3sh33qj.jpg.html)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/F3CF6A25-086B-4BEC-AD70-C2D77F7045A1_zpszjkpdmdc.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/F3CF6A25-086B-4BEC-AD70-C2D77F7045A1_zpszjkpdmdc.jpg.html)

Here is my roommates fish that I am holding for him until we get bigger tanks. Smallest assessor I have ever seen. His name is Brutus
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/DBFB3F01-A2D7-4DE8-A55C-E0E2E7D15574_zpstj3prcgm.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/DBFB3F01-A2D7-4DE8-A55C-E0E2E7D15574_zpstj3prcgm.jpg.html)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/39B717C0-A1F5-4561-9DAA-B216F5D4650F_zpsunixgtax.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/39B717C0-A1F5-4561-9DAA-B216F5D4650F_zpsunixgtax.jpg.html)


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/242A2C3D-1DAB-4F66-87D9-E13EF7F03F0C_zpsb0qsbl9p.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/242A2C3D-1DAB-4F66-87D9-E13EF7F03F0C_zpsb0qsbl9p.jpg.html)

[clownman33]

nice little tank!!

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Thanks clownman!

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/226A4306-CA30-41BB-B726-DA6DFC76CD00_zpsdmvklwle.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/226A4306-CA30-41BB-B726-DA6DFC76CD00_zpsdmvklwle.jpg.html)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/08D475A3-41AC-4E9E-BF82-0A617468728C_zpsvitcusq3.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/08D475A3-41AC-4E9E-BF82-0A617468728C_zpsvitcusq3.jpg.html)

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Conch is now in the back chamber. If he eats corals, he will die since there arent any back there. If he eats algae and detritus, he will live and I will put him back in the tank.

Today I did a half gallon water change, as well as replaced the filter floss. I also decided to replace the carbon since I don't know when the last time it was replaced was, and the tank looked in-need so I added a second small bag on another level of the media rack. Lets see if that helps clear the tank up a little

[gemini aquarius(t)]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/Fluval%20Spec%202g/DSC_0146_zps19272fd3.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/Fluval%20Spec%202g/DSC_0146_zps19272fd3.jpg.html)

[RubenG88]

Just bought a tank just like yours and im setting it up tomorrow, i got my live sand and premixed ocean water from petco, my question is, what did you use in the filter i know alot of people dont use the sponge and carbon bag that comes with the kit

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I made a rack out of eggcrate and I am currently just running carbon and filter floss. I plan to get some GFO or phosban in there eventually too. Are you planning to upgrade the return pump?

[RubenG88]

I was gonna keep the one that comes with the tank, do you recommend upgrading the pump?

[Aquat]

Have you thought about removing the corals from the frag plug? You'll get more room for more corals

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I was gonna keep the one that comes with the tank, do you recommend upgrading the pump?

I would. The one that is stock just isnt enough flow for much of anything. I have been getting a lot of detritus settling, and in a tank this small, that can add up pretty quickly. I actually put the other pump in the back chamber with the filter media, and have it aimed out of the little hole in the bottom of the tank, and it has improved flow a little. I am still figuring out a way to drill into it so I can direct all the flow out into the tank, but I dont want to mess with the coral placement, since everything is starting to do well where it is.

Have you thought about removing the corals from the frag plug? You'll get more room for more corals
Yeah, I have been working on it, I hate frag plugs... a lot. But most of the corals are glued onto them pretty well and I would hate to damage the corals just because I didnt like what they were living on.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I got a couple rescue corals yesterday, I have more hope for the orange scoly than I do for the green one, but I am hoping for the best. I also Added a torch and some duncans about a week and a half ago, along with a rescue gorgonian, that broke into three places.

This tank is actually doing way better than I was anticipating, and the gorgonian went from only showing 3 polyps (one per "structure") to about 4 per stalk as of last night.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/Fluval%20Spec%202g/0DFA8850-0A0F-49D8-B2AF-69606BB85804_zpshmud9qyd.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/Fluval%20Spec%202g/7E5C09B1-C3CB-4371-912D-6804446D5877_zpsncgxfm6g.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/Fluval%20Spec%202g/7E5C09B1-C3CB-4371-912D-6804446D5877_zpsncgxfm6g.jpg.html)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/Fluval%20Spec%202g/D38153FC-55BD-4D80-86C6-EE2D3AE24A86_zpshyy3zcdu.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/Fluval%20Spec%202g/D38153FC-55BD-4D80-86C6-EE2D3AE24A86_zpshyy3zcdu.jpg.html)

[gemini aquarius(t)]

The scolys didnt make it through the week despite my best attempts. I guess thats the risk you take when you try to bring back dying corals.

I drilled the false wall of the tank, and put the other powerhead aiming out of that, the flow in the tank is WAY better.

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Tank is starting to fill in. Big thank you again to Alex for the corals. Been adding bit by bit. and he old pieces are starting to recover from the alkalinity spike. The hermits had just walked across the gorgonian and the star polyps up front so I will have to get more pictures soon when everything looks better, but this will do for now.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/reefgeek/7F00A3F1-A551-4E31-80DC-9E4C08B07330_zpsqlt8ceqx.jpg (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/reefgeek/media/7F00A3F1-A551-4E31-80DC-9E4C08B07330_zpsqlt8ceqx.jpg.html)

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Just finished the process of going bare bottom. Took about an hour, and I am confident that the tank will be much healthier without the detritus trap that is crushed coral substrate.