What to do with a 2-Gallon Tank?

[The Keeper]

I'm a newbie to saltwater tanks, but i have lots of experience with simple freshwater tanks.

I have a 2 Gallon Hexagonal Tank with a little cover that holds a normal lightbulb. All I wanted was maybe some live sand and rock, and maybe a goby, a shrimp, and a snail, and that's it. What kind of lighting do I need?

I went to my local acquarium shop, and was told I could order a 50/50 bulb that could screw in and fit.

I asked the guy about a 2 gallon tank, and he said throwing a powerhead on top of the undergravel filter would be enough filtration, is that true.

Any advice about a tank this size? Thanks in advance..

Here's the tank, sorry about the crappy pic.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

That's a 1.5g hex (I've got 3 of them). Anything under 10g is really too small for a fish, and the hex doesn't leave a lot of bottom room for a goby anyways. You could have snails and crabs in there, if you were really good about your water changes I think a smaller shrimp would be fine too. You'll also have to be really good about topping off with freshwater every few days or every day, so the salinity doesn't change too much. A 10g would be easier to maintain and keep stable, but it is possible to do a nano that small.

You'd definitely need a heater, which is really hard with those tops. If you don't want any corals or such, you don't need much lighting. Of course, it's really cheap to upgrade the lighting on that size tank with a PC bulb, like you said. I'm not sure if a undergravel filter will work with sand... you can actually just have the powerhead in there moving the water around without a filter. A powerhead will give you water movement over the live rock, which is your filtration.

 

[lordroad]

With a tank that small, you might get away with not using a heater, depending on the room. I have a 1 gallon vase that's heated solely by the motor of the powerhead, but the room never drops below 70 degrees.

Definitely no fish. But you could keep some pretty soft corals like green star polyps, zoanthids, shrooms, etc. I haven't had any luck with shrimp, i.e. sexy shrimp, but this was during summer and temps probably got too hot for them. My corals thrive and I keep an astrea and hermit crab in there. Also the bristle worms are fun to watch, as are the tiny starfish.

I top off with freshwater every day and change out a cup of saltwater every other.

I'd go with the 50.50 screw in for sure. They are cheap and look MUCH better than standard fluors.

 

[The Keeper]

You were right caps lock, although the box said 2g, it is actually a 1.5g.

I'm kinda discouraged to build it now, since I can't have a fish in it. That was my original intent. Just to be able to atleast get a firefish or goby. If I do build it, I will need to find a small 15w heater, since its about 65-70 inside my house due to my roommates needing the house to be freezing all the time.


I wanted a fish, so maybe ill have to wait until i can buy a nano cube.

 

[Pure]

Set up a 10 gallon with the same idea.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Yeah... if you don't want corals or anemones, you can use just the regular hood on a 10g for lighting and to prevent jumping (firefish). The only reason people like the nano-cubes is for the reef strength lighting they have.

 

[lordroad]

Yeah, a ten would meet your needs for a goby or two just fine.

Can't stress the hood enough with firefish like caps said. A firefish jumped out on me...