just got a 6gallon, need help w/filter

[krazekajin]

I just was given a six gallon long bookshelp type tank. It is awesome. I am thinking of making it a nano tank.
Here is my question. It has a HOB filter that is basically an intake into a clear box of about the size of a coke can and a half with a simple readymade filter filled with carbon. Just your typical hang on back $15 filter.
The exception is that this filter has a pretty good capicity of around a quarter of a gallon or so. Can this be made into a fuge by taking out the premade filter and using the HOB container filled with live rock pieces or micro algea?
I hope I am making sense.
thanks for your help in advance.

 

[nanomantis]

yea sure it is pretty normal to do that, just take out the carbon but some LR in there with a little bit of LS and your set

 

[chipmaker]

Sure can........every drop of water that can be utilized n a small tank is usefull. You may want to put a baffle across the outflow and another to keep macro algae from getting into and around the pump impeller area. Using baffles is pretty well standard with hob turned into fuges. Especially on the outflow portion, which is really a guard more than a baffle, as it keeps fish and snails etc out and macro algae in but allows water to pass. Look for some live rock rubble thay has lots of porosity to it. The lighter the better usually means its more porous. Don;t add any sand unless you think out a system in the hob to keep it out and away from the impeller. In no time though, you'll still get some sand in the hob anyhow but it usually does not amount to much that causes any problems. The sand in there is not a real necessity if you have good pieces of rubble and a decent macro algae going.

 

[nanomantis]

yea sorry u dont want sand in near the pump as chip corrected me... i was meaning large pieces of crushed coral or small pieces of broken LR, just to give a small bedding for little critters to grow in there, hopefully copepods and if your lucky maybe a beneficial bristleworm or two will grow up there

 

[krazekajin]

Well it looks like tomorrow I start cycling a new tank. Yea.
Also can a false perc, nemo, common clownfish, (whatever the name is) be kept in a 6 gallon. Also could a mated pair be kept in a tank that small if they were the only fish?
Also, what are good choices of 1 or two fish for this size tank.
I was thinking of a one or a mated pair of false percs,
Or a couple of very small gobies
or a firefish.

 

[krazekajin]

it came with a light it is a flouresent of some sort that has two pins on each side. How would I know the wattage?

 

[nanomantis]

1 clownfish max no ifs ands or buts, however in would do a school of a couple of clown gobies if i where you instead. They are small, dont need alot of space, and have vibrant colors. You could also do a single neon goby instead.
light - is there a box for it?

 

[krazekajin]

The aquarium has a plastic lid and the light is housed in a box that sits over the tank on top of the lid.
I will look into a clown goby.