# 2.5 reef



## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi i was thinking about getting a 2.5 gal reef what kind of fish is good and wat live reef plants?????


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

a few questions come to mind before answering yours.. 1st and probably most important .. have you ever done a reef before?
i the reason i ask is that such a small tan kis really hard to maintain and often goes wrong very quickly if you are not the type of person to stay on top of such a small tank on a daily basis.. that said if water quality is good then most macro algae will grow well as long as they have the proper lighting... for fish in a 2.5... maybe a goby shrimp pair but nothing more.. and honestly i probably wouldn't even do those unless you have a really cool set up with a bit of room...


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

what about a 10 gallon or a 5 bc i want a reef with clown fish...


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

i would realy like to do a 10 gallon with 2 clown fish with live corals is a 10 goodfor that


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

or what i might do is i have a 20 gallon with 2 blood parrots i might reture them and do a saltwater reef in the 20. the the Question i have is do i need to gravel vac it every month and what kind of water should i put in it????


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## pretzelsz (Jan 14, 2010)

For a tank there is alot to learn before jumping in. Check out the article section of the SW part of the forum to learn the basics. 

Once you have looked into it you might not need to ask so many questions. But for water Reverse Osmosis is best for a reef tank.

EDIT: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/saltwater-articles/


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

thank


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## bearwithfish (Sep 29, 2009)

ok slow down we are not always on line to answer right away..LOL *smile*
so for starters you should return the parrots any way as a 20 is just to small for even one much less a pair... if you are going to start a salt start with the reading suggested and go with the largest you are able to... for stability if nothing else.... as for clowns if you are wanting a pair i would suggest a 20 as a minimum with no other fish but a lot of really nice corals.. as you get more experience and things mature is when you even begin to think corals and research as many of them as you can .. you want to consider water needs, aggressiveness, and other things in the tank ....


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

ok and i had the parrots for 3 years in the 20 and they layed eggs and everthing and there were fine in the 20 but im getting tired of them and i was thinking to do saltwater for a really long time i kno the tanks needs the different lights and a powerhead thats really it bc i got a 30 to 40 filter on it!!


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## pretzelsz (Jan 14, 2010)

For lighting look for the right length and output, etc. http://shop.aquatraders.com/T5-High-Output-Aquarium-Light-s/9.htm
As for the filter. You will want to at least mod it to have chaeto algae in it(or in the tank but it might take away the look0 and a 5500k CP bulb over it(not the tank).
Don't get carried away and do this all tomorrow take your time and spend your money wisely. I tried jumping in and lost alot of money...money that I could be using to have my 55 gallon tank up. So trust us when we say take your time. Have us help you plan it out.
We can help you turn the 20 gallon into a tank with a nice sump built in. I have a plan for a 20 gallon tank like that in mind(20 gallon long).


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## dylanfish (Oct 3, 2010)

its a 20 gallon high... and im gonna plan every thing out and im getting only money for xmas soo it will be up and running after xmas


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