Planning a 2.5 gallon tank for my desk at work.

[kwjones]

I'm toying with the idea of setting up a 2.5 gallon tank on my desk at work.

Here's my thoughts, and I'm hoping someone that has more experience can provide some advice and help me refine my plan.

Equipment:
2.5 Gallon AGA tank.
50 Watt submersible heater
90 gph power filter (Whisper 10).
Possibly a Mini-Jet 404 pump (106 gph)
Coralife Mini 18 Watt PC lighting (1 9W 10K, 1 9W Actinic).
Egg Crate to cover top of tank.
A siphon hose.
1 Liter soda bottle converted into an auto top of.
A few lbs of LR from my established 75 Gallon, or going to the LFS to get a few lbs of branch rubble and curing it at home.

I'm planning to keep it bare bottom for easier cleaning.

I have a 1.5 hour train ride from my house, by the PA border, to DC and then a block and a half walk from the train station, so I worry about the LR and any potential inhabitants. My plan was to bring all the dry goods down one day, 2 gallons of salt water the next day, set all the equipment up and let it run, and bring the LR a day or two after that.

In my office we have Deer Park bottled water. I'm assuming it's RO water, because I tested it with my TDS meter and got a reading of 4ppm. Other than that, I haven't tested it, but I was planning on using this for my top of water. I can always bring in a gallon of RO/DI to refill the auto top off.

I'm thinking weekly 50% water changes, so I'd have to bring a gallon of saltwater from home for the water changes. I can adjust the Alk and pH before I bottle it and bring it in, but I'm not sure how I'm going to bring it up to temp before I dump it in the tank. I'm guessing a heater will fit inside the mouth of a gallon jug, so maybe I need two heaters?

I'm still not sure how I'll keep the LR warm on the trip down. I can bag it and put it in a styrofoam box, but I'm sure it will cool off several degrees on the trip down. Any ideas on how to keep the LR warm?...oooh, just remembered...the train has 110 Volt outlets, might be able to keep a heater and a mini pump running.

After that...the usual wait, test, get all the parameters nailed down, and then stocking.

I'd like to put some zoo's, ricordia and mushrooms in it. What are some other suggestions for stocking? I don't want GSP or Xenia. For a clean up crew I was thinking about some Astrea and Cerith snails.

My other question is feeding. I can't see feeding it more than once or twice a week. I use frozen Cyclopeze at home for my planktavores, but since I don't have a freezer at work that I trust, I was thinking about using a dry pellet or flake food. Anyone have experience with the dried Cyclopeze?

I'm pretty sure I can set the whole thing up for less than $75 since I already have some of the stuff laying around not being used.

Thanks in advance and happy reefing,

Kevin

[Jeremiah]

Sounds like a great plan so far. I wish I could have a fish tank at my new office.

[kwjones]

There's a few guys here that keep freshwater bettas, which I could too, but I'd rather have a mini reef.

[dhoffroad]

sounds like a good plan. I would'nt worry about the LR , bag it (in tank water) put it in a cooler (styrofome box) put a towl or something in there with it to take up the space in the cooler and your fine for that amount of time .heck I do this when I go to my LFS which is a little over 1 hour from my house then I will do other stuff while I am down that way ,so I have had corals, LR, fish in the cooler like that for 6 hrs with no problems at all . Oh yea 50% water changes might be too much I change 1 gal weekly out of my 10gal . well good luck

[kwjones]

The only reason I'm contemplating a 50% weekly water change is because I won't have a skimmer to remove DOM. I may not have to do 50% changes, but I want to at least be prepared to do it if I have to because of going BB and skimmerless. It's the only solution I've been able to come up with that deals with organic and phosphate loading.