newbie here!.. wanted to know about 2.5 gallon tanks

[remedy00311]

first i want to apologize about this post. i'm pretty sure there are lots of questions asking but....

what kind of 2.5 tank is recommended? where can i buy them from? can i get it petsmart and other chain stores?

how much will it cost to get started? i know they say the smaller the tank the more maintenance needed? is that true?

lastly, will i be able to keep a clown fish in that small of a tank?

 

[TimSchmidt]

Well any tank will work as long as you like it. I personally don't have a pico but I have seen hang on back filters to add mechanical and chemical filtration. The smaller the tank the cheaper the startup cost, but yes - more maintenance is needed the smaller the tank. I don't think that a clown is best for a tank that small. As a matter of fact I don't know if I would keep a fish...maybe a clown goby...maybe. Just my opinion, I'm sure more experienced nano tankers will help out.

BTW
:welcome to Nanotank.com!

 

[mrfipp]

Tim's right. I would not consider very many fish suitable for such a small area. Perhaps a few species of goby are acceptable. Hang on back filters would be a good idea. Even an oversized one with a replaced lower flow impeller. That would increase your total water a little bit. If you are not sold on a 2.5 but you really want a small tank like that, I would recommend a 5gallon cube. Same viewing space as a 2.5, but essentially twice as deep front to back. This way, you could turn the tank into an all-in-one. Use acrylic to build a small area in the back of the tank to create a filter. it would do a better job than a HOB, and would allow you to hide the heater, and pump. your tank would still be quite small, holding maybe 3-4 gallons of water. Check out the DIY forum for some good examples of these systems. More maintenance is required in small tanks, because the water volume is less. The less water you have, the less dilution of pollutants. Hence, your parameters are less stable(nitrate,nitrite, ammonia, phosphate) and your salinity fluctuates more rapidly from evaporation.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Check out the inverts! There are a ton of inverts that are over looked. For that small sexy shrimp would be nice. Or you could look into a more aggressive crab.