The Puffer Forum

I'd like to use my 5.5g tank to house an anenome and small clown. Setting a skimmer/fuge up for a tank this size isn't realistic I know... Sooooo.... Can I just take water from my big tanks sump and do bi-weekly 20% changes out of my skimmed water, while running a HoB in the hex? Or would that not remain free enough of undissolved particles? Thanks in advance!

Honestly, sounds like you've gotten bit by the multiple tank syndrome mania bug. Anemone are VERY difficult to house period. They need very intense lighting of about some odd 14 hours a day, very warm water, very nutrient rich water as well. It's just not fair to keep an animal that can live indefinitely on a reef in something so tiny and inadequate. Even in what can be considered "best" hobby conditions, these guys don't live nearly as long as they should, most dying within a year. This being the type of anemone that clowns generally host.
Also, no marine fish should ever be kept in anything smaller than a 20 gallon as a permanent home IMO, some may disagree. 10 gallons are fine for quarantine or for baby fish grow out.

*Also forgot that those anemone get rather large*

IDK of any clown that would not outgrow a 5g. Same with a nem, except for the tulips & they won't host a clown. Any other nem would need a totally stable tank (stable for a year), which is nearly impossible in a tank that small. Research, research, research!!!

I trust you guys more than random flops on the net, thats why I run my silly ideas by you, thanks for being there 4 meh, lol. so the 5.5 is out.

Nah, you could make it a lovely little planted snail tank!

you could do 5lbs of live rock and some inverts





I think

Shrimp like to be in larger areas, and I think most of them like to be in groups. Not sure about snails or crabs

Yeah, I have ghost shrimp breeding in my 29 planted, they went from 3 to maybe 15, and they spend their idle time clustered together. As far as the live rock/invert idea, maybe an arrow crab.

my 5 gal fish bowl:
Live rock
sand
5 hermit crabs

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26696&hilit=+bowl

also Aiptasia and Majano are about the smallest anemone one can get and both are considered pests although interesting. If contained in your little 5.5 you shouldn't have a problem.

or look at frogspawn, hammer coral or torch corals. Those should only be looked at after the tank has been set up for at least 6 months.

My tulips:




No larger than 2" across.

nice!