Can I put any fish into a two gallon
- Thread starter jenni1979
- Start date
danedodger
Member
Hey don't get discouraged so easily! It's true that with a tank that small it will be a challenge but some people enjoy the challenge of "nanos"!! I haven't done it or studied up a lot on it so do your homework but I've seen people do tanks even as small as that! I'd think you'd definitely need to get rid of the marbles in there, replace with livesand, then put in a little bit of liverock, maybe one very smallish fish, then find out what else could possibly go in like a nice little featherduster or something.
danedodger
Member
Goldfish????
The goldfish I know of grow to about 12 inches (although some of them are just as cute as a baby's hind end like black moors or the big, fat panda orandas we have at our store right now
) !!!! And the whole thing about "a fish will only grow to the size of it's tank" is a pure idiocy. If you go fresh stick with a betta.
ezee
Member
Jenni,
It has been done. In my research, I have come across a person who kept a 2 gallon nano starfire cube with a goby successfully, until it jumped out! He then went to a mantis shrimp. It actually looked like a really cool little tank. I would definitely not attempt something that small myself though, I don't have the expertise yet. From what I was reading I would not suggest it for anyone unless they were pretty experienced and had a really good plan.
It seems cool though.
E
It has been done. In my research, I have come across a person who kept a 2 gallon nano starfire cube with a goby successfully, until it jumped out! He then went to a mantis shrimp. It actually looked like a really cool little tank. I would definitely not attempt something that small myself though, I don't have the expertise yet. From what I was reading I would not suggest it for anyone unless they were pretty experienced and had a really good plan.
It seems cool though.
E
chipmaker
Active Member
Sure you can, but I would not recomend doing it as its presently setup. If its freshwater fish, it would be no problem, but best bet for saltwater would require some changes. I wold pitch the undergravel filter, and marbles and start with just the tank. Add about 3/4 to inch max of live sand, and some liverock at the rate of 1.5 to 2 pounds per gal of water........Since the tank is so small, you can get my with a typcial filter called a NANO filter which is a hob type power filter.......or better yet get a aqua clear20, and turn the filter portion of it into a small refugium with some liverock rubble and cheato or calupera (sp?) A simple clamp on light of the power compact with a 13 watt 50/50 bulb is more than sufficient, and once its all cycled, you could throw in some mushrooms and other low light requirement critters. Cooling is usually an issue with the small tanks but its still a very doable project. Do a seach for PICO tanks..........Its being done all the time.......Its more of a challenege overall keeping things right than working with more water volume as small minor things are usually more noticeable to a small tank.........A weekly or every 10 to 14 day water change is usually sufficient, and once setup and you can maintain temps and water parameters, you could easily keep a fish in it.....Neon Goby would be a good choice. They do well in a specimen tank by themselves, and you can always add a snail like a cerith for algae control, and possibly a few tiny hermits........may even luck up and get a hitch hiker serpent brittle star in your liverock.......I have a few pico setups all around the house and to tellyou the truth I actually enjoy them more than my larger setups.......I wold definately recomend a AC20 powerfilter modded with a refugium though as it will add a bit more water volume and help in keeping the tank parameters better.
chipmaker
Active Member
Here is one of my pico tanks. Its a 1.8 gal Red Sea wave tank, with a AC20 filter/refugium, lots of critters and a single neon goby. It has a fan to cool it, and 1, 13watt 50/50 and one 9 watt actinic light and a 3/4 watt lunar light......Temps hold at a close 79.5 to 80 deg, and has been up and running for quite a few months now and is pretty well trouble free
darth tang
Active Member
Chipmaker, the question was regarding fish, not reefs. I have attempted what the original poster is proposing....and the answer is yes....I only did it for four months however. You have to do water changes daily though. about a cup a day. It just isn't worth it in the end to me, so I tore it down and gave the damsel to a friend.
liquidonyx
Member
Chipmaker, that tank rules. They sell those tanks at my LFS. I never thought of doing anything like that with it.
fishieness
Active Member
Originally Posted by sleeper
Why not make the 2 gal a fuge for a 20-55 gallon, which is much more worth it...
that is a good idea, but when you actualy set it up, the return pump and everything, your fuge would only be about 1-1.5 gallons or so.
i think you could do some mushrooms and stuff and it would look great, but IMO, i dont think it is ethicle to put a fish in a tank that small. If you do, i would recomend one of the small gobies like a neon goby though.
Why not make the 2 gal a fuge for a 20-55 gallon, which is much more worth it...
that is a good idea, but when you actualy set it up, the return pump and everything, your fuge would only be about 1-1.5 gallons or so.
i think you could do some mushrooms and stuff and it would look great, but IMO, i dont think it is ethicle to put a fish in a tank that small. If you do, i would recomend one of the small gobies like a neon goby though.
chipmaker
Active Member
Originally Posted by Darth Tang
Chipmaker, the question was regarding fish, not reefs. I have attempted what the original poster is proposing....and the answer is yes....I only did it for four months however. You have to do water changes daily though. about a cup a day. It just isn't worth it in the end to me, so I tore it down and gave the damsel to a friend.
I am aware of what the question was and I do belive I stated that yes you can do it......SInce I do not have a bare or almost bare bones tank with marbles and a fish to show that it can be done, I posted my mini reef tank complete with neon goby in it.....I htink it got the point across. I also pointed out what I would do or not do to keep fish in the best possible environment in such a small tank.....I do not think a damsel has any business being placed in a small tank.......Sorry if the picture of a pico reef or my post offended you.
So to ammend my previous posts, just eliminate the live rock and sand, and any critters in the tanks pic's posted, as well as suggestions for a fuge on the back and just get a hang on back filter and fill it up with saltwater and throw in a fish..it will live if its taken care of.......I am sure it will enjoy playing in the marbles as well....So does this answer stay within the scope of the question asked?
Smoney.......lots of folks put clown gobys in their picos......its yet another very popular fish for a small tank.........they do great. The tank I have the neon in may be packed but that fish rarely ever goes muich of anyplace except when I feed it. Its usually setting on a shroom somewhere watching the world go by or picking stuff off the bottom or tank sides..........He was only a baby, perhaps 3/4" long, now he is about 1 1/2" long and soon to be moved to a larger reef tank.
Liquidonyx........Thanks for the compliment.
chipmaker
Active Member
jhill5
If your looking for the Red Sea (Deco Art) Wave style tank, IIRC the website by the 2 Doctors carry that brand........could check there..I picked up 8 of them for under $10.00 each when my lfs that deals only with marine fish had a closeout on them and filters and associated PC lights. He thought the PICO craze would catch on in this area, so he stocked up, but seems larger tanks were more of a thing than the picos........The Wave tanks came with a 13 watt PC light, and NANO filter........very hard to pass up.
If your near a ***** (Pet Co), store they have a closeout on 2 different all glas tanks. One is simple a rectangular tank, which comes with a light (el cheapo 3 watt incandescant type suitable only for FW stuff at best) for about $3.25. Its called a Super Betta Tank Plus made by Ocean Free......The other and much better deal is a curved corner tank (same brand) called a Super Betta Cuved Tank Plus, also made by Ocean Free and it comes with the typical hob NANO filter, which in most cases is useable, but not as good as adding a AC20 HOB type filter.......It is also on closeout for around $6.11.
The stores do not have the sales closeout prices listed, and they still carry the regular price tag, but they discount it at checkout........IIRC the last tank/filter/light mentioned listed for about $26.00.
I like the curved corner tank best as its made nice and the rounded front corners make it look great.....but either is a pretty darn good deal.
If your looking for the Red Sea (Deco Art) Wave style tank, IIRC the website by the 2 Doctors carry that brand........could check there..I picked up 8 of them for under $10.00 each when my lfs that deals only with marine fish had a closeout on them and filters and associated PC lights. He thought the PICO craze would catch on in this area, so he stocked up, but seems larger tanks were more of a thing than the picos........The Wave tanks came with a 13 watt PC light, and NANO filter........very hard to pass up.
If your near a ***** (Pet Co), store they have a closeout on 2 different all glas tanks. One is simple a rectangular tank, which comes with a light (el cheapo 3 watt incandescant type suitable only for FW stuff at best) for about $3.25. Its called a Super Betta Tank Plus made by Ocean Free......The other and much better deal is a curved corner tank (same brand) called a Super Betta Cuved Tank Plus, also made by Ocean Free and it comes with the typical hob NANO filter, which in most cases is useable, but not as good as adding a AC20 HOB type filter.......It is also on closeout for around $6.11.
The stores do not have the sales closeout prices listed, and they still carry the regular price tag, but they discount it at checkout........IIRC the last tank/filter/light mentioned listed for about $26.00.
I like the curved corner tank best as its made nice and the rounded front corners make it look great.....but either is a pretty darn good deal.
darth tang
Active Member
Chipmaker, I apologize. I missed your previous post and just saw the photo post. Bad day yesterday so a bit crabby then. Again, I apologize.