2.5 gallon tank

[Betty]

If anyone keeps these small tanks, what do you use for filtration and heat?

I have a small submersible heater and submersible filter for mine, but they still take up a large amount of room and look unsightly in this size of tank. The cords are regular size and stiff and limit where I can place the tank as well.

 

[pbmax]

Depends if they need heat or not. It's easiest if they don't What are you putting in it? I have a hydor 25w in my 2.5g walstad, though I don't know that it's necessary. How warm do you keep your house?

If filtration is desired / required, a mini sponge filter would get the job done nicely. Or just an air stone for surface agitation. I have no filtration in my 2.5g apart from a ton of plants.

 

[sandnuka]

I have a 5.5 I was having the same issues with... the sponge filter stuck out the top of the water! the heater I had to put at an angle cause it was popping out too. lol...... I think If i ever got something smaller I would definetly just not filter it.... I would use water from one of my bigger tanks everyday for water changes.... The heater is easy, they make really tiny ones for lil tanks.

I agree with the walstad tank idea if you were gonna do a fish that is fine with plants/acidic/and softer water. then you dont have have to filter, or put lights!

 

[pbmax]

Here we go, this is a tiny sponge filter on ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/7uhy8gb

unfortunately I believe their photo has it upsidedown, but that will definitely fit in a 2.5g tank. As will a rio 90 "internal filter" (pump with sponge over it), though you'd have to dial the output way, way back to avoid turning the tank into a whirlpool. I use rio 90s in a couple of my tanks where I want a little more circulation (a 3g and a 10g).

 

[Betty]

Thanks for the suggestions! Going without heat and filtration is what I'd really like to do. I was thinking about putting the tank in my kitchen window and didn't want cords and pumps running across the counter, but we keep it pretty cool inside during the winter (thermostat set to 66) so I'll probably need to keep the heater.

There are some shrimp in there for now, but I wanted to put my betta in it.

Here is what the equipment looks like. Awful! I just wanted a cleaner look if I were to put it in the kitchen. Guess I'll just keep it in the laundry room until it warms up enough not to need heat.

 

[pbmax]

66 is plenty warm for shrimp. I have a heater in my 2.5g (happy home to 1 yellow shrimp) because my night time temps get down to 60 in the room where it's at in the winter. 66 is probably too cold for a betta though, or so the intertubes tell me.

I have a MUCH larger heater and I can't see it on account of plants.

 

[Betty]

I'm terrible with plants. I keep trying and they keep dying.

Do you have any pics of your 2.5?

 

[sidekicking]

Betty get some java moss its crazy hard to kill it lol

 

[pbmax]

Here are a few photos I took of it in early march. It's a bit more overgrown now and the red root floater on top has expanded and is flowering I have 18w of 6500K CFL lighting over it and it sits in an east-facing window that gets direct morning sun.

 

[flo77]

I have a heavily planted gal, no heater and a small cascade filter. Initially it was no filter, but I put to add some water current to fight against hair algae.
Inhabitants: apair of CPD, 2-3 RCS, pest snail. I add CO2(just because is available and I'm not a fan of Walstad method).
Plants: microsword, Fissidens fontanus, H.pinatifida, Eriocaulon blood vomit, Anubias nana petit. Right now a good trimming is needed, it looks like Fissidens is taking over, suffocating the other plants.

 

[pbmax]

Photos???

 

[Betty]

Pbmax, that tank is beautiful. It looks much larger than 2.5 gallons.

Sidekicking, I've tried java moss twice in the past and it didn't work out well.

Flo77, yours sounds nice as well.

 

[pbmax]

Thanks! It's the antithesis of "aquascaping", but I'm happy with it. I need to take a photo of the flowering RRF.

It's planted with sagittaria subulata, helanthium tenellum, and echinodorus amazonicus (admittedly a bad fit for a tank of this size, but it's stayed pretty small thus far).