Lighting for 5 gallon reef

[bad coffee]

Dale, I'm going to play devil's advocate here.

The Next thing you should buy is a book.

You've asked what temp you should keep the tank at. That's one of the MOST BASIC things about keeping a reef tank.

Check out This Book

Or this one if you're willing to spend a bit more. It's worth it

Please do some reading before you stock your tank. It will be good for your wallet (you'll learn how to do things right the first time) and the inhabitants you choose to keep will have a better chance of living.

B

 

[dale]

That's why i'm asking here. I have a 55 gallon FOWLR and know what to do. This is my first mini reef.

 

[Henrye]

Fish should be last. No matter how small, you still need to feed them, which means even tiny amounts of food will place a load on your bio filter. It's hard enough attaining, let alone maintaining, stability at that small size. Taking it slow, and allowing a tank that small to stabilize over time, is the most successful approach. Let it cycle, sit, and add your mushrooms next month. Later on, add your 1 small fish. That's the safest approach I can think of.

CUC can be kept simple. I like trochus snails, as they can right themselves if they fall, but they do get a bit large, so probably 1, or a most 2, should be sufficient, and some nassarius and ceriths for the sand. I personally don't like crabs, they seem to accomplish nothing other than annoying polyps when they bed down and stealing shells just as a fashion statement. An ex blue leg stole 2 shells, then took to knocking down a small rock I have with rics on it. Must have found it fun, because it did it every night, no matter where I put the rics(I didn't want to epoxy it down until I was sure of placement after upgrading lighting). Finally I think it was my wrasse that got it as a late night snack, as I've never dealt with it since (I wonder if the garlic dip had anything to do with it, my wrasse never ate anyone else in my tank:sgrin: )

 

[dale]

Thanks!!

 

[dale]

Update on my 5 1/2 gallon

I just wanted to say thank you for all the help you guys gave me on my
5 1/2 gallon mushroom tank. Everything in this tank was bot at the swap.

 

[reefman]

WOW ,those red mushrooms on the left is especially nice :biggrin:

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Funny that I am about to do a 5.5G these couple of days but with suncorals that basically need no light but feeding and more personnal attention.


So what's the light now, the red ones like more light than the other mushrooms.

Also if you do go for a snail watch the temperature swing and should not let the temperature go over 79. Some protein of snail would start to disintegrate at that level and eventually die over a period of time.

 

[EmilyT]

dottyback! great choice! fiesty when with other fish but O.K. as a solo

 

[dale]

Thanks! No other fish are going in there. The light is a Corallife 18 watt PC. So far so good.