Lighting for 5 gallon reef

[dale]

Hi. I am thinking about setting up a 5 gallon reef tank. I am only going to keep a sixline wrasse and mushrooms and maybe polyps. What kind of lighting do you recomend?

 

[Deanos]

I'd recommend a bigger tank for the sixline wrasse. For the coral, power compact lighting should suffice.

 

[aaron]

I second deno's answer, a sixline needs space and i think a 5gal tank is two small. Also, keeping 5gal of water stable is going to be a little more challenging than a larger tank (say a 10 or even a 15Gal). I'm not sure if you are a beginner (I guess you are as you are posting on the beginner thread) but a larger volume of water is going to be more forgiving of mistakes as you work out what you are doing.

Having said all that I have a dual 55w PC ballast for sale if you need it

 

[dale]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I'll set up my 10 gallon instead. I currently don't have any reef tanks but I have a 55 gallon FOWLR.

 

[digitalreefer]

My sixline used to dart in and out of all of my rockwork in a 48" long tank. Scott W. Michael advises a minimum of 20g for the sixline. You may want to look into other fish, even if you do the 10g

As for lighting, check out Aaron's deal it should be perfect for you.

 

[ellebelle]

In a five gallon tank like that, you should consider fish that need less swimming room - maybe something like a firefish, some of the small shrimp gobies, maybe a clownfish....

Good luck!

 

[Deanos]

Please remember, this is not a Want to Buy thread.

 

[dale]

Wouldn't I be able to just set up a 5 gallon with no fish but just have different mushrooms?

 

[Deanos]

Yes.

 

[digitalreefer]

You could even toss 1 or 2 neon gobies in a 5g!

 

[Henrye]

Neon goby is nice fora 5g. For some mushrooms, a small CF fixture should be fine. See : http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11382&N=2004+113345
18W over 5g will work for you.

 

[dale]

Great. Thanks!

 

[dale]

Thanks all for your help. Well, I just set up a 5 1/2 gallon tank that I will probably keep 1 small fish(not sure which one yet)and mostly mushrooms. Thanks Henrye, I ordered the cf fixture that you recommended. I was planning on buying frags of mushrooms and polyps at the frag swap. I will post pictures once it's all done. What temperature should I keep the tank at?

 

[Deanos]

78-82

 

[nyumpa]

i never understood the first reef most people want to start is a nano.
correct if im wrong...the nano is really the for someone with a few years
under the belt dealing with something larger.
to be honest i have read numerous books etc. you should be looking into
55 gallons range of total water volume.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

Hey Dale

I sent you a pm about my 6.6 gallon tank for sale for 90 bucks. Its has a 36 watt Current Fixture on it, comes with a heater and a aquaclear filter that just needs a impeller. I used it for my Baby Bubbletip anemones and a small clown till he outgrew it.

 

[dale]

I have a 55 gallon FOWLR and had a 5 1/2 laying around. I'm not going full force reef. Just keeping mushrooms. I not interested in a bigger reef tank.

 

[dale]

When my 5.5 finishes it's cycle, what should I put in first? A crab/snail or a fish?

 

[tosiek]

clean up crew, snails and such. Not much though since the tanks new and small and even a turbo can create a mini cycle in a tank that small from its waste.

How long did you cycle and what are you dosing and all that other information thats useful. Like parameters and stuff....

 

[dale]

It's still cycling. I'm not dosing anything.