chadr Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Hello forum! I am a newbie of course, and I just picked up my 2.5 MinBow. I have been lurking around this site for a while now but this is my first post. I am looking for as much feedback about setups for the 2.5 as possible (equipment wise). It came with an internal Whisper filter that I am not impressed with. I wanted a HOB because I need as much space inside the tank as possible. It seems a may need to modify the tank to make this happen?? And what about lighting? I am tempted to go with a mini-might. Although I am wondering if I can modify it somehow to hold a much stronger light. And initial info would be great! I plan on posting a lot more in the near future!! Thanks, Chad Link to comment
Raise Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Damn, i never even knew of a 2.5 MB! Sounds cool as hell though. Id for sure get a HOB, although I dont know the details of an "internal" whisper.. There are some folks on here who have done some custom work on 2.5s, id look into a hood from them and then you could put in the hardware you wanted.. How long is the tank? Link to comment
chadr Posted June 12, 2003 Author Share Posted June 12, 2003 Thanks for the reply! The tank is 11.5 inches long. They sell them all over the place. I picked mine up at Wal-Mart for $24. PetSmart etc. carry them also (more expensive). The Whisper filter is pretty cheap though and very bulky......it is suppose to go on the inside of the tank. With very little space to work with, the last thing I need is a bulky filter taking up all my room. I am hoping to keep using the hood that came with it. I might need to modify it for lighting though. I was actually thinking I might not need an HOB. I was only going to use it for circulation anyway....and I can get a PH or two to do that. Right now I am just concerned with my lighting. I am going to mess with it today and call around to a couple of aquarium shops today. I will also try to get some pics if possible. Thanks!!! Chad Link to comment
JonnyMiata Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Chad, I have a 2.5 minibow as well and I am going to replace my whisper filter with another powerhead. Right now I have a Aquaglobe powerhead that is super tiny and moves a lot of water. I don't think a HOB filter will work well with the hood but I don't know that for sure. I have replaced the stock bulb with a 13w PC bulb from All-Glass. It is an all-spectrum bulb that is about $20. It just screws in the existing hole. I have about 5lbs of LR and 3lbs of LS, 2 bumblebee snails, 1 red-legged hermit, 1 frag of brown polyps, 1 brown mushroom, and 1 frag of green star polyps. Link to comment
JonnyMiata Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 Oh yeah....what color did you get? I got purple. Jonny Link to comment
chadr Posted June 12, 2003 Author Share Posted June 12, 2003 JM, Your setup sounds much like what I am trying to do. How long have you been running it? I got the "neptune blue" by the way. I am gonna go today and check out this Coralife full spectrum bulb that I am told, screws right into the existing socket. For a while, I was looking at a 13W retro fit from hellolights.com Their bulbs (50/50) are really nice and put out 10000K. The total outfit shipped is only $27. I will wait to see the full spectrum first before deciding though. Does your full spectrum seem like enough light?? The filter is another issue. I want to find a small filter that I could possibly rig onto the back somehow. If not, I will just get a couple of mini-jet PH's. I am going to pick up my water and salt today. Still haven't decided where to get my LR/LS from though. I may end up ordering it from www.drmaccorals.com Have you though of adding a small fish to your tank? How often do you do water changes? Link to comment
JonnyMiata Posted June 12, 2003 Share Posted June 12, 2003 I have been running my tank for about a month now. It seems to be running a bit hot. I have a cheap stick on thermometer and it says I am running between 83 and 85. I think that is a bit hot but I have rad articles that this is the right temp for many corals that live in the indo-pacific region of the world. I will be monitoring this closely. I have no heater in the tank since my temps are high. I may buy a nice thermometer to get more of an accurate reading. Other than that there has been no problems. My bulb seems to give out enough light. The coral seems happy. The bulb is not situated good though because it is more over the left side of the tank and that side gets more light. I am going to get one fish. I want a clown goby. He will be prefect for the tank. Very small and doesn't swim around a lot. I don't want a fish that I would make fell cramped. These little gobies don't stray too far from their homes. I also have a blue legged hermit on order. I do water changes on Thursdays. I use r/o water from the grocery store around the corner. I picked up two 3 gallon bottles that should last me a long time at this rate. One is filled with salt and the other has salt mixed in it. Jonny Link to comment
HiRes60 Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 those tanks sound awesome. I might have to stop at wal-mart today. Could u try to post some pics? Link to comment
chadr Posted June 15, 2003 Author Share Posted June 15, 2003 I will do my best in the coming days! Link to comment
zizmans Posted June 15, 2003 Share Posted June 15, 2003 2.5 is too small for newbie IMO. Start with 20. Or even a 10. Link to comment
plhsurfer Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Just thought I would post a couple pics of my 2.5 minibow and light modifications. Link to comment
JonnyMiata Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Can you tell us where you got all of the stuff for the lighting and how much it cost. Nice Work! Jonny Link to comment
Dustin Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Get the minimight. Its a good light Link to comment
plhsurfer Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Light came from Lowes, Bayco Utility Light 13w.. approx 18.00 I took out the original light and was able to use a dremel tool on the side of the top to create a hole and slot for the power cord and on/off button. The light is almost a perfect fit side to side, however I wanted to make sure it stays up and I attached it via a zip tie. (Hope this makes sense... typing and watching the hurricane out the window at the same time) Link to comment
JonnyMiata Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Very cool.....thanks! Jonny Link to comment
digitallinx Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 I have one of these tanks, i did a few modifications to it. Get, sky blue paint for acrylic, from any hobby shop and paint the back side of the tank(looks awesome). Take the existing whisper filter and disconnect the motor on the bottom and you have a small enough powerhead to fit perfectly in the tank. And for extra water movement add a acuaclear mini. You can also add a small computer fan with an ac adapter to the back of the hood, by cutting out a small space for it and it works great for cooling. Link to comment
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