3G Tank With 23W Lighting?

[aly_starh]

Hi all! Im back (again)..
 
For those of you who remember i attempted to start a marine tank about, say 4 times last year and the year before. None of them went past setting up the actual tank. Yes, epic fail. I have since left one of my two jobs which has give me more spare time! Anyways, as the title suggests i am looking into starting a little 3 gallon tank, yes i know it is not reccomended for inexperienced people but surely its not impossible. I am willing to give it ago! I should really explain my reasoning for this shouldn’t i? Well basically in the short term it would be cheaper than starting a big tank, i have a 65l jewel tank in the shed; LR and RO water would cost quite a lot for that!
 
My plans for it? Lots of clown fish; i kid, i kid. No fish! i think it would be rather cruel putting fish in a tank of this size. My actual plans are some easy corals, and a few invertebrates? Any ideas on what CUC i could stock in this tank without it going crazy? 
 
Now, getting on to my actual question, i have purchased this light; - http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150792930378?var=450073234085&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 Would it be an overkill for soft corals? Or could i venture out into getting other corals too?
 
Thats all for now folks!
Aly

 

[Donya]

T5s are pretty standard for corals. I assume it must be 2 bulb if it's going to fit on a 3gal. The biggest issue you'll face with a non-LED fixture on a tank that small is temperature, even if room temperature is on the low side. Even T5s can heat up a small volume of water substantially, so I would run the system for a few days animal-less to make sure there are no surprises there. Similarly keep an eye on evaporation if you run it open-topped. If you can find one, I would also suggest a heater that has a dial you can adjust rather than one one of the super-small ones for tanks this size that "automatically" figures out the temperature (too prone to overheating with a powerful light and subtle room temp changes IME). 
 

Any ideas on what CUC i could stock in this tank without it going crazy?

 
A few hermits (of a single species; don't mix in small spaces) and some snails would be what you'd need. How many is down to the individual tank, so you'd just want to start with say a couple of each and then see how it goes. If you need more, you can add more as the need arises.

 

[aly_starh]

T5s are pretty standard for corals. I assume it must be 2 bulb if it's going to fit on a 3gal. The biggest issue you'll face with a non-LED fixture on a tank that small is temperature, even if room temperature is on the low side. Even T5s can heat up a small volume of water substantially, so I would run the system for a few days animal-less to make sure there are no surprises there. Similarly keep an eye on evaporation if you run it open-topped. If you can find one, I would also suggest a heater that has a dial you can adjust rather than one one of the super-small ones for tanks this size that "automatically" figures out the temperature (too prone to overheating with a powerful light and subtle room temp changes IME). 
 
 

Any ideas on what CUC i could stock in this tank without it going crazy?

 
 
A few hermits (of a single species; don't mix in small spaces) and some snails would be what you'd need. How many is down to the individual tank, so you'd just want to start with say a couple of each and then see how it goes. If you need more, you can add more as the need arises.

Hiya! thanks for the reply. I’ve actually gone and brought a 5G tank now, so a little bit more space. I think the 8w is still 3 bulbs. Would i be right in thinking this are not ‘marine bulbs’ they are regular bulbs. Yep got a small heat with a dial so will be keeping a close eye on the temperature. 
 
So confused with lighting though, any ideas on what corals i could keep? Anything beyond soft corals?