4 gallon fowl setup

[jhampton_wsu]

I just picked up a 4 gallon acrylic tank I was going to use as a mini fuge above my sump but when I got home my son reminded me he wanted a tank in his room. If I added water and live rock from my 90 would I still need to cycle again?... or could I add a little goby right away. I won't be putting corals in this tank. He wants a starfish, a goby and a small shrimp. Is 4 gallons too small for a Linkia star? My first sw tank is the 90 gallon I've had up for about a year now so I don't know much about the pico type tank.

Jason

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

If you are using LR and water from an established system you really shouldn't have a cycle, but to be safe i would monitor it for a week or so before adding any livestock. That tank is way too small for a Linkia SF. You could do a small goby and 2 or three sexy anemone shrimp though.

 

[jhampton_wsu]

Sounds good I put the rock and and water in on Saturday with a couple of snails. I've tested so far and all is well. I'll give it a week or so but I don't see any reason for a cycle. Now we just need to decide what he'll put in it. He likes the Yashia Goby but I'm afraid it'll jump out.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Yeah just put a semi tight fitting acrylic or glass lid, or make a lid out of a fine plastic mesh of some sort.

 

[jhampton_wsu]

I think I have some left over acrylic in the garage I can cut a piece.

Jason

 

[daveysmart]

What kind of filter are you going to run on it? Make sure you get something that will ripple the surface water so that you get good gas exchange. The Yasha Hasha Goby isnt recommended for a tank that small so if you are set on one you might want to move up to a ten gallon glass tank, it wont cost you much more than setting up a 4 gallon. There are some other really cool gobies that would be suitable for a 4 gallon tank like any of the clown gobies, trimma goby, or neon gobies or you might consider one of the smaller damsels like the yellowtail damsel, blue damsel, or fiji blue devil damsel. Some of the other damsels get larger so avoid those.

 

[roscoe]

You should be careful someone might pop up telling you that your tank is too small for all that LOL.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

What kind of filter are you going to run on it? Make sure you get something that will ripple the surface water so that you get good gas exchange. The Yasha Hasha Goby isnt recommended for a tank that small so if you are set on one you might want to move up to a ten gallon glass tank, it wont cost you much more than setting up a 4 gallon. There are some other really cool gobies that would be suitable for a 4 gallon tank like any of the clown gobies, trimma goby, or neon gobies or you might consider one of the smaller damsels like the yellowtail damsel, blue damsel, or fiji blue devil damsel. Some of the other damsels get larger so avoid those.

Not to be disagreeable but i would recommend a shrimp goby over any damsel in a small setup. The gobies use like 5" of their domain, they barely move beyond their hole. I know damsels are becoming common place in picos and they seem to handle it well as they are a near bulletproof fish, but they are very active opposed to a shrimp goby.

Just make sure the tank is semi covered so goby cannot get out and get the water parameters rock solid yasha is a $pendy fish! The other gobies mentioned are also great, trimma, green banded goby is another great fish and VERY small and active!

 

[jhampton_wsu]

I did build a cover with 1/4" acrylic and I drilled about 30 1/8" holes in it. I have a HOB filter with live rock in it so the tank gets decent water movement. Yesterday I tested again for ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates and all were good so I took my son and he picked out a Randa'll Goby and a pistol shrimp. We added them last night and they seem to be doing fine so far.

 

[small alien]

I know you've got this cute little tank, but you should really just get a 10 now. It's much easier than upgrading in two weeks. But if you made a lid, that probably aint gonna happen. Good luck!