Fluval spec 2 (est.8-19-13) video on pg. 4!

[jjaro]

Hello! my name is Jjaro im new to this site, and ive spent the last few days looking for the perfect site and i believe this is it! so i hope im welcome lol.

 

Anyway ive had expeirience with saltwater tanks prior to this pico tank, BUT i am no expert, an expert is what im striving to be, but i love to learn, and love a good challenge!!!. currently my brother and I have an 8 gallon biocube currently set up with a red scooter blenny, and a green clown goby, and just now put a small piece of zoa in it.

 

Recently i was out and about and have been seeing this fluval 2 gallon that is almost set up like out biocube 3 stage filtration (carbon, biomax insert, and foam block). so i purchased this over the weekend, and am about to tear down our 8 gallon and set up our old 29 gallon biocube. im going to be using the water from the 8 gallon so hopefully i dont have to wait for a cycle as long, i have live sand ready to go, and live rock.

 

I set the fluval up to see how it works yesterday, and I noticed on the back wall there is a small incision near the bottom of the filter wall (vents at the top for water to flow in, and a small hole near the bottom that lets water in as well) which will keep the water level just a little lower in the filteration area becuase of the pump. since this is how it works, its not wet dry like our biocube is. so i plugged that bottom hole and now it flows entirely different, and it will allow the water to trickle over the biomax inserts so its wet dry to allow bacteria growth similar to the biocube. Im also going to replace the biomax insert with actual bio balls from the 8 gallon, so everything is almost how it should be a month from now (or atleast thats what im hoping ha..)

 

I have a few questions though, i assume this 2 gallon set up will be quite difficult, and will require alot of small water changes, but as for the altered filtration i spoke about in the previous paragraph, will that help any with the difficulty? and should i still use those biomax inserts? also what fish do you experts suggest to put in there (i know possibly none to one fish!)? and the amount of water change needed everytime?

 

ive seen plenty of these fluvals set up as saltwater, and im hoping to keep one personally, as my brother and i care for this 29 gallon! i will have pictures up as i go, and we are going to do another build on the 8 gallon and drill it so it has a sump and make that a nano reef as well! hope to hear from you other enthusiasts!

[jjaro]

The filtration set up that i altered. image explains itself i hope

 

here is the tank, you can see the plastic covering the sealant over that hole

 

 

 

this is our Saltwater 8gallon Biocube, and yes thats a decoration sphinx usually used for fresh water lol. my brother and i strive to be different, so we do this in just about all our tanks (we make sure its safe for use in saltwater)

[jjaro]

i thought everyone liked pictures??! lol

 

well we just tore apart the 8 gallon cube, and put everything in the 29 just an hour or so ago. damn live sand is foggy but its slowly dimming down. i used the water from the 8 gallon and put some fresh ready mixed in as well like a 60-40 (cycled - fresh)

 

i have a crab crawling aroung and a astro snail, that small zoa frag, and the filtration works great!

 

here are some shots

 

And the Zoa when it was in the biocube 8

[jjaro]

The tank has cleared up alot. the zoas are beginning to open this morning too under that semi weak light. any suggestions on better lighting for such a small tank?

[ihatesears18]

i gotta tell you, and you might want to sit down....that decoration in your salty biocube is tacky, but I really like the 2 gallon!

[jjaro]

i just found a website called rapid led on one of the banner adds, are XP and XT solderless bulbs compatable with each other? or will i resistors and what not?

 

 

i gotta tell you, and you might want to sit down....that decoration in your salty biocube is tacky, but I really like the 2 gallon!

ah man, come on now, who has a sphinx in their tank? thats why we do it lol. and it may appear we are children with a toy in the tank, but its for personal purposes i suppose. and thank you!

[ihatesears18]

At least put some gsp on his head to give him some hair

[jjaro]

hahaha nice, we were thinking of putting some frags on or around hoping they would grow onto it.

[jjaro]

last night i went a bought a 3 stripe damsel (dascyllus aruanus) from my lfs. he accilmated fine, but he was very shy hiding alot, im sure im not supposed to put this kind of fish in such a tiny tank, but we will see what happens lmao.... it was the only small fish this place had!

 

on another note, i had to buy from my second choice lfs, since the first one closes at 7 on m-tues. and not buying from here often, i asking about a frag of red mushrooms (only ONE polyp!!), the polyp was less than an inch in diameter, and on a piece of branch coral rock about 2.5'' long. they wanted 15 dollars for it!! the last time i set up a tank in 2010, those red mushrooms i could have bought for dollars if not pennys lol. does anyone know why theres inflation on price for red mushrooms?

 

[jjaro]

Anyone?? info on the shrooms?

[jadedanime]

Cute tank.

 

Couple things. Cycled water doesn't make the cycle faster. Bacteria really isn't in the water but in the rocks. I think you will find that a better fish would be a smaller species of goby. The damsel is far too active for this tiny tank. Look at it this way, when you add sand, that's a quarter gallon minimum.....then you add rock..lets say another 3/4 to 1 gallon of space. So now you've got less than a gallon of water for the fish to swim. You really need a percher like a neon goby or similarly small fish. I would suggest take the damsel back and wait it out for a better fish.

 

I don't know anything bout the shrooms...but I figure it's because they are popular now. I know most places sound me sell them for a buck or two a piece. Not that craziness lol

[jjaro]

thank you for the reply, and yea i was thinking about its swimming, it is VERY active lol, i almost feel bad watching him, and i think i will return him tomorrow, or maybe try a trade a the fish store i want to goto. and i only added about 3/4'' of sand, i dont imgaine that adding up to about a cup of water, and for the rocks maybe a quarter to half gallon. but seeing that the water is cycled from a differnet tank, im sure that is better then fresh water over all, and i did use some bio balls from the 8 gallon that was cycled. idk if i might have did something wrong i guess i will learn my lesson here soon lol....

 

one last ? does a neon goby count as a percher? i know they swim a decent amount

[jadedanime]

They are small and have a tiny bioload....let me see if I can dig up the fish stocking thread for you...

 

Here it is. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/74703-lgreens-ultimate-guide-to-nano-fish/

 

Just pay attention to the warnings and all that, because certain fish have certain special needs, with diet, tank temp, etc.

 

Clowns and neons will probably be the easiest to find.

[jjaro]

hey thanks alottt for that help!!! ^^ i will def look into that, ive been doin saltwater tanks without a problem but im a very impatient person, i just really wanted a fish hahaha.. but i will research, im going to need patience for this nano!!!

[jadedanime]

Nanos aren't a ton different, but fish stocking is a big part of which tanks make the cut.

[marqese]

For your lighting situation I would go with a single par38. I have one on my Fluval spec-v 5 gallon.

[jjaro]

For your lighting situation I would go with a single par38. I have one on my Fluval spec-v 5 gallon.

could i find that at my lfs?

 

 

Nanos aren't a ton different, but fish stocking is a big part of which tanks make the cut.

and i completely understand, thank you again!!

[Snow_Phoenix]

I think once the LR and LS weight is taken into account, the remaining amount of space and water left in the tank will simply be too small to host a fish, even a nano-sized one like a neon or clown goby. I think it's better for you to make this into a shrimp tank and get a pair of sexies and maybe a pom pom crab, and focus on stocking the tank with some corals.

[marqese]

Maybe, my LFS carries them...but they would be cheaper online. They even have them on amazon.

[Mojado]

Is the water level in the DT by choice? Why so low? I'd put a pump with higher GPH-rating (and more water) to get the water level up a bit. Such a shame to leave volume devoid of water.

[marqese]

Is the water level in the DT by choice? Why so low? I'd put a pump with higher GPH-rating (and more water) to get the water level up a bit. Such a shame to leave volume devoid of water.

 

Its the design of the fluval specs. To get the water level higher you have grab a piece of acrylic and block off the lower half of the overflow slots, because the slots are to long.

[Mojado]

Its the design of the fluval specs. To get the water level higher you have grab a piece of acrylic and block off the lower half of the overflow slots, because the slots are to long.

Or get a pump with a higher gph flow. The rate of water going through the overlow slots is a function of water height. If you have a pump that is double the gph than your current one, you'd go up approximately twice the height of the slots that you are currently doing now. Just make sure you add the extra water volume if you do it, otherwise the pump will suck all the water out of its compartment.

 

They masked the use of a smaller pump by putting that opening in the bottom that you eventually covered up.

[marqese]

Or get a pump with a higher gph flow. The rate of water going through the overlow slots is a function of water height. If you have a pump that is double the gph than your current one, you'd go up approximately twice the height of the slots that you are currently doing now. Just make sure you add the extra water volume if you do it, otherwise the pump will suck all the water out of its compartment.

 

They masked the use of a smaller pump by putting that opening in the bottom that you eventually covered up.

Ah yes thats what I did...and didn't even notice it. Im running a hydor 300gph pump.

[jjaro]

Is the water level in the DT by choice? Why so low? I'd put a pump with higher GPH-rating (and more water) to get the water level up a bit. Such a shame to leave volume devoid of water.

yeah like marqese said. that is brilliant for fluval though lol.

 

i do not have a problem at the moment with the tank i think plugging that hole did a better job for the the filtration, and its a good idea for the long run. if i didnt plug the hole. i could have had the water level anywhere. i just really wanted my own sw tank with space effiencey so as of right now im just saving money for goodies while enjoying the fun of caring for a saltwater tank!!!.., and i completely understand the bigger pump concept, and that will be done at a later date, for now i need better lighting and i found a light at my lfs i may purchase tomorrow, im on the way there now so grab another frag, i will post a pic of the light to hopefully get some criticism.

[marqese]

What kind of light is it???