Fluval Spec 2.5g Nightstand Nano

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Figured I would do a little thread for my new desktop tank. I just moved across the country from Southern California to Miami, FL and I didnt bring a tank with me, so my coworker offered to sell me his nano that he wasnt as interested in anymore. It is a Fluval Spec 2.5 (technically I think its 2.6, but when the tank is this small, every drop counts) with a Par38 bulb and a piece of live rock with some crushed coral and a couple zoa frags. I figured this would be a nice tinkering tank until I set up my future 45gallon.
Not sure what the plan will be as far as the corals and livestock, but I am thinking sexy shrimp or a cleaner shrimp and a pom pom crab. Something to that effect.

I got the tank and gave it a good cleaning, including a full 90% water change, and filter cleaning, and also added 4 blue leg hermits that are about 1/4" in diameter as well as one pound of live rock. My hope is to completely revamp this system and getting running cleanly as well as stable.

Here is the pic I took after I got it on the nightstand and cleaned up a little

 

[nivram]

Nice. How's the evaporation on that? Does it come with a lid?

 

[ANFPO]

Really nice. Tons of potential. Fluval should make a "reef" version of their LEDs for this nano. It actually looks pretty sweet but not the right spectrum for us.

 

[Fishman7]

had one set up for about 6 months on my night stand swapped to a Nuvo 16 its was fun while it was running
you may want to find a stronger pump down the road

 

[doreo]

i like the little nano i won from the frag swap deff overstocked but thats ok, when fish grow up i have 2 more tanks to put them in

 

[mlivvy]

Is it noisy at all? I used to have a nanocube in my room but I hated the noise.

 

[Fishman7]

yes it is DEFINITELY over stocked !!!
never really hear mine and i ran a 250-300 gph pump in it

 

[doreo]

its not that bad lol. Mine is not that loud either, have a aquaclear on it and it only makes noise if i don't top it off. My biocube is louder by far.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

these pictures were from 12/14 I will get some more recent ones when the light comes on






Here is my roommates fish that I am holding for him until we get bigger tanks. Smallest assessor I have ever seen. His name is Brutus

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

 

[nivram]

Watch that cowrie. I had one that munched on zoas and other corals.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Do you know what kind it was? I saw this guy roaming around at the store and asked for him, so I dont know what species he is. He was just a hitchhiker

 

[nivram]

Do you know what kind it was? I saw this guy roaming around at the store and asked for him, so I dont know what species he is. He was just a hitchhiker

No I don't sorry. It's shell was brown and black if I remember correctly.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I found mine on top of my zoas early this morning before the lights turned on. First time I had even seen him on the rocks, and it looks like he may have been eating them. I lost a couple polyps about a week ago but just considered it to be a loss of nature, but now I'm thinking the cowrie may have had something to do with it

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Conch is now in the back chamber. If he eats corals, he will die since there arent any back there. If he eats algae and detritus, he will live and I will put him back in the tank.

Today I did a half gallon water change, as well as replaced the filter floss. I also decided to replace the carbon since I don't know when the last time it was replaced was, and the tank looked in-need so I added a second small bag on another level of the media rack. Lets see if that helps clear the tank up a little

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

I got a couple rescue corals yesterday, I have more hope for the orange scoly than I do for the green one, but I am hoping for the best. I also Added a torch and some duncans about a week and a half ago, along with a rescue gorgonian, that broke into three places.

This tank is actually doing way better than I was anticipating, and the gorgonian went from only showing 3 polyps (one per "structure") to about 4 per stalk as of last night.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

The scolys didnt make it through the week despite my best attempts. I guess thats the risk you take when you try to bring back dying corals.

I drilled the false wall of the tank, and put the other powerhead aiming out of that, the flow in the tank is WAY better.

 

[gemini aquarius(t)]

Tank is starting to fill in. Big thank you again to Alex for the corals. Been adding bit by bit. and he old pieces are starting to recover from the alkalinity spike. The hermits had just walked across the gorgonian and the star polyps up front so I will have to get more pictures soon when everything looks better, but this will do for now.

 

[doreo]

love the nano