Need advice on 5.5 gallon setup!

[Breaker4show]

Hi All,
IM in the process of setting up a 5.5 gallong nano tank! I would like to run by a checklist and see if I have most of the things covered and also would like suggestions for other items!

Equipment :

Custom made wood Hood and Base
5.5 gallon AGA Tank ( Black Back )
AquaClear300 with baffle ( need Mini impeller) for refugium
Compact 50 watt thermal heater in the AQ300
RadioShack 3" 32 CFM 35 dB fan
2 X 32 watt (actinic and 10000k) powercompact retrofit
13 watt powercompact bookworm for AQ300

Live :

6 pounds Keys Live Sand with 1 pound from established tank
5 pounds Figi Live Rock seeding around 3 pounds base rock
Black Ocealus Clown ( is it ok in a 5.5 gallon or no ? )
Hammer ( for clown to host )
Assortment of Zoanthids
Assortment of Ricordea
2 Sexy Shrimp
( suggestions for clean up crew ? and also is a clown and 2 sexy shrimp to much bio-load considering I wont have a skimmer ?

Thanks for all the Help,
Nick

[Carl_in_Florida]

Sounds like a comprehensive list, my only reservation is the hammer.

Carl

[Breaker4show]

What other coral would you suggest that the clown could host and also small enough for a 5.5 gallon ?

Thanks,
Nick

[Carl_in_Florida]

They will often host in a frogspawn leather. Alot less demanding and a lot hardier than a hammer.

[kite]

ditch the clown for a neon goby, minimum ten gallons for a clown

[jg013c]

A clown in a 5.5??? Let me know if it makes it.

[Breaker4show]

Can someone please post me a list of fish that would be ok in a 5.5 ? I dont want to endanger the fish, but im curious as to what other fish I could have instead!

Thanks,
Nick

[Sugar Magnolia]

Basically any of the smaller species of goby would do well in a tank that size. Check out www.liveaquaria.com. They list the fish's size along with care requirements.

Everything on your list looks fine to me, but I'd also suggest not putting a hammer in there. I think Carl ment to say toadstool leather rather than frogspawn leather. :)

Oh...one more thing. I'm not sure if the AC300 will produce enough flow in a 5.5. You may want to add a micro-jet if there too.

[Carl_in_Florida]

Sugar is right. I am constantly getting those backward. I think someone needs to send me a frag so I can remember.

Carl

[AttackDonut]

I had a very successful 5.5 for a while. I used the following instead for filtration/flow:

CPR bakpak skimmer, and 2 powerheads. I was amazed at the amount of gunk the skimmer could pull out of such a small place.

Rainsford gobies are wonderful species to have in the 5.5, just make sure the tank is fully seasoned before introducing one.

Ditto with lemo or citroen gobies.

I used a 130 watt PC overhead. Lots of light, though a little overhang.

[69vette]

Originally posted by kite
ditch the clown for a neon goby, minimum ten gallons for a clown

Why would a small clown need so much more room than a goby?

[Carl_in_Florida]

Clowns get bigger and are dirty fish.

[ODOG]

an adult clown would probably be like 4" to 6" fish depending on type and whether it's male or female...too big. i have no fish in my 5.5 and really believe it's the best way to go on tanks under 10 gallons. having said that a goby would be fine with maybe a shrimp. i agree it's not ebough flow either, especially with you switching the 300 impeller for a mini. my setup is similar, i have a custom canopy with 72 watts of pc and run an ac300 for a fuge with the mini impeller. i also have a rion 400 and a mj 900! for flow. no fish, hermits, snails, peppermint shrimp, emerald crab and a bunch of softies. hope that helps some. watch the heater in the fuge i once used a ac 500 on a 10 gallon tank with a heater in there....the heater came detached from suction cups and was resting on the bottom of the ac...started to melt the bottom. maybe get some type of heater guard.

[Carl_in_Florida]

And now that i think about it, clowns are terribly active. I can't imagine watching it go back and forth. I had one in my 6 and i felt bad for him.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Agree, I too had a clown in a 6, and later moved him to a 7. Not much room in there for them, which may explain why he decided to leap to his death one day. (doubtful, but hey...who knows)

[Breaker4show]

Sooo if I left the AQ 300 impeller on, would that be enough flow ? Is an old AQ 1000 powerhead enouggh if I go with a mini impeller ? I really didnt want a powerhead and everyone said that the AQ 300 impeller had 2 much flow for the 5.5! Well now im curious if a skimmer would be better than a fuge! Don't leather put out a toxic slime that will kill SPS or is that just a rumor ???

Thanks ,
Nick

Edited to add :

How do yall think 1-Actinic and 1-50/50 ? I am definately starting with 1-Actinic and 1-10000k but Later i may switch them out for the above lights!