Help on what kind of corals I can have with a...

[larsson]

JBJ 18 watt PC clamp on for a 2 gallon nanoreef with a 5" DSB? Can I have any low, medium, and high light corals?

[Brooke]

5" of sand in a 2 gallon? there's not gonna be much room for water in there . You should be able to keep most softies like leathers and mushrooms, and polyps happy. I would decide between either softies or LPS because in such a small tank it would be hard to keep them from possibly stinging each other. I would probably rethink such a deep sandbed in a 2g tank....simply because you will need all the water volume you can get.

HTH-
Brooke

[larsson]

Originally posted by Brooke
5" of sand in a 2 gallon? there's not gonna be much room for water in there . You should be able to keep most softies like leathers and mushrooms, and polyps happy. I would decide between either softies or LPS because in such a small tank it would be hard to keep them from possibly stinging each other. I would probably rethink such a deep sandbed in a 2g tank....simply because you will need all the water volume you can get.

HTH-
Brooke

I was told that a sand bed between 2 and 5 inches could cause problems. That I should stay under 2 or over 5. It's a hexagonal tank, so there's still about six to seven inches of water in there.

[larsson]

I just measured the sand bed and it is 3 1/2". I thought it was deeper.

[ylmaya]

I am keeping a 12 g nano and have ENDLESS problems keeping constant water paramaters.....temperatures shift all the time and never mind salinity level changes because of evaporation.....

Please rethink the size of your tank....I think a 2G tank might be better for fresh water stuff....you may be wasting a lot of your $$ as well as some marine life......can you do a 10G???

Sorry this is a strong opinion - please don't be offended - just experience speaking here.........

[larsson]

Originally posted by ylmaya
I am keeping a 12 g nano and have ENDLESS problems keeping constant water paramaters.....temperatures shift all the time and never mind salinity level changes because of evaporation.....

Please rethink the size of your tank....I think a 2G tank might be better for fresh water stuff....you may be wasting a lot of your $$ as well as some marine life......can you do a 10G???

Sorry this is a strong opinion - please don't be offended - just experience speaking here.........

I'm not offended. The 2 gallon is already set up, so it's a little too late to start over now. However, my specific gravity readings have been holding well. I just tested for nitrites, ammonia, KH, and PH and everything is within range. I got the water, live rock, and live sand from an established tank. The shrimp and snail I have in there now came from the same tank as the sand, water, and live rock. They seem to be happy.

If something goes wrong though, I haven't put that much money into it as I already had the tank and base, and the majority of the equipment was bought with fish store credit. Thus, I didn't have to pay much out of pocket for everything because I traded in a lot of my old freshwater fish.

I was charged $14.99 for one peppermint shrimp and went by Petco today and saw them for $5.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by larsson
I just measured the sand bed and it is 3 1/2". I thought it was deeper.

ahh, the old added water and it got smaller syndrome.

having kept a 1.5G nano-pico reef. the most important thing to do is keep your S.G. under control. at one time i was experimenting with a drip top off for it. it would work if you only dripped during the day when the light was on and evaporation was at its highest.

G~

[larsson]

Originally posted by Geoff
ahh, the old added water and it got smaller syndrome.

having kept a 1.5G nano-pico reef. the most important thing to do is keep your S.G. under control. at one time i was experimenting with a drip top off for it. it would work if you only dripped during the day when the light was on and evaporation was at its highest.

G~

S.G. as in specific gravity?

[Brooke]

Originally posted by larsson
I was told that a sand bed between 2 and 5 inches could cause problems.

Well....I think that's pretty bogus..especially since the last thing you'll need to be concerned about in a tank that small is the sand bed. Topping off the tank with fresh water and avoiding algae blooms will be the big challenges for the tank. I've seen some little 2g tanks and they are cool..but most people in the end tear them down . Good luck with yours...take some pics for us when you get it really going.

[uurt]

I only have about 1" in my 1 gal, my brother has about the same in his 2 gal.
keeping the water in check is a problem, by the time you do all the testing ytou have to add water and your param's are different anyway.
Lee

[MontanaRocknReefer]

You could buy a 10 gallon tank and leave about an inch of sand in your 2 gallon and transfer the remaining sand to the 10 gallon and using the 2 gal as a sump(thus having a greater water volume from the 10 and 2 sump. Don't know what you have for LR but don't need much even for the 10 gallon(10-15lbs).
Others can tell you how to set up a sump for water to the 10 and back! If this is feasable! Any other suggestions gang!