What can I do with a two-gallon cube aquarium?

[CherryBerry670]

So, my aunt gave me a early birthday present this year of a two-gallon rimless cube aquarium. What do I do with it? Shrimp? Snails? World’s tiniest sump?

 

[10 Tanks]

Cherry. Your options are very limited. You could set it up with some small polished gravel and a small Anubias plant for the bottom. Add a few stems of Anacharis for the top. Fill it and make sure you treat the tap water and add some bacteria starter. Get a cup full of used gravel from the local fish store to instantly cycle the tank and allow everything to run for a few days. Then, you could add a few Neon Tetras. Just change half the tank water every few days and always use the bacteria starter when you perform a water change.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Naughts]

Plants? Either aquatic or a terrarium. They can look really good with a light.
Absolutely no fish, even small fish need a decent length tank to swim. Seriouslyfish states 60cm+ for neon tetra.

 

[Fishmanic]

shrimp tank with maybe a nerite snail to eat any algae...and lots of plants would make it look great

 

[CherryBerry670]

I’ve never done a terrarium before, so I’d rather just do a aquarium. Is a mystery snail with either Orange or Red Rili shrimp suitable for this aquarium? I’m buying a co2 system, so I can keep pretty much any kind of plant. I’m considering maybe putting a small anubis, a moss ball..and maybe bamboo or micro swords for the back? Either Java moss or Monte Carlo for the carpet? Do you guys think I’d overcrowd the shrimp with all those plants?

I’d prefer to not do any fish, as the cube is really, really small. Do I need a filter for my shrimp? I’m pretty sure a sponge is too big for this aquarium.

 

[Fishmanic]

Do you have an other tanks?
Be sure you properly cycle the tank before adding a snail or any shrimp.

 

[vince82]

Mi profile pic is a 2.5 gallons and I had a Betta in it for a while.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Yep, lots of plants, a really cool looking stick or two, and a colony of shrimp and small snails (I like ramshorns; pond snails or nerites would work too). Mystery snails are surprisingly active and like a lot of space. I had one in my 150g and she used the entire tank!

I advise not bothering with a CO2 system for such a tiny tank (I don't use one for any of mine). Stick with easy plants: Java moss, Salvinia cucullata, smaller anubias crypt species. Micro sword might work, but a tank this small doesn't really need carpet plants to look great..

 

[CherryBerry670]

In that case, I’ll nix the mystery snail and get the nerite snail, plus MTS. Not sure where to find driftwood this small, honestly. Maybe a really, really tiny piece of dragonstone? I currently have a 75 gallon that’s being set up for tetras, and two betta tanks. And am also asking for permission to get a mantis shrimp tank. The co2 system just has a manifold block add-on, so I attempt to get all my tanks set up with it. But yeah, this is probably too small. I will cycle: I just couldn’t really figure out what to do with the thing since it’s so small.

 

[emeraldking]

In that case, I’ll nix the mystery snail and get the nerite snail, plus MTS. Not sure where to find driftwood this small, honestly. Maybe a really, really tiny piece of dragonstone? I currently have a 75 gallon that’s being set up for tetras, and two betta tanks. And am also asking for permission to get a mantis shrimp tank. The co2 system just has a manifold block add-on, so I attempt to get all my tanks set up with it. But yeah, this is probably too small. I will cycle: I just couldn’t really figure out what to do with the thing since it’s so small.

Have you already decided...?