# New Fluval spec 5 setup and Question



## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

hello i am a beginner and just bought a Fluval Spec V, i have read through most tutorial/faq etc but it is kind of overly complicated so i have some question about setting it up.

1. i am planning to buy/use "Pettex Roman Jet Black Gravel" it is ok if i only use this? or i need use some kind of fertilizer subtract? 

2. how many fish should/can i get?i was planning to get a school of tetra/barb/guppy/botia, i read they are need to be in group but is ok to mix them? for example 2 of each type or just choose one type? basically i need recommendation for hardy and tolerant fishes for beginner

3.Bottom feeder type fish or shrimp? i heard they both clean the tank but which is easier to care for? i personally like (yamato) shrimp more but shrimp look kinda easy to die or get eaten but feeder can grow quite big

4. for ammonia can i just throw a frozen king prawn in the tank?


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## tandaina (Aug 17, 2013)

Fish: Not many. A five gallon tank just doesn't have enough space, and while the Spec's filter is OK it isn't over filtered so you'll want to avoid over stocking.

I've got three endlers and a couple shrimp in mine. I wouldn't do more than a small school of tetras, 5 or 6 and you're probably really stocked unless you are quite experienced.

Buy ammonia for the cycle. It is cheap, and you can control the process. It also won't smell like rotting shrimp. Just buy ammonia!


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## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

does shrimp need space? as you suggested i probably get 5 or 6 black neon tetra and a pair or more of shrimp if the tank allow.

it seem quite hard to find ammonia even online in the uk and even then they are not 100% or for fish tank so dead prawn it is.

also can i ask what heater you use? and do you place it in the filter compartment or the tank?


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## tandaina (Aug 17, 2013)

I use a tiny little 25watt heater I got off eBay (no brand, Chinese). It was all I could find small enough to fit down in the filter compartment. But it works well, very stable water temp and it is adjustable so I can set it for exact temp I want.

Shrimp can fit quite a few in a 5 gallon, but shrimp also want really, really stable conditions and smaller tanks make that harder. My 9 gallon is big enough that water changes or top offs don't bother the shrimp (slightly different water temp, etc) but my 5 gallon? I've had shrimp actually go into early molt and die from a top off. So take some care, I'd drip water into a 5 gallon with shrimp it just doesn't buffer.


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## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

by filter compartment you mean when the little square compartment with the water pump right? if so because of the way of the filter and the compartment is structure will it not be very inefficient to place heater there?(since the water pass through the plastic tube) and by the i mean the water in the compartment will be much higher than tank water?

Is you Fluval noisy? can you hear loud buzzing noise? i can hear it from my fluval anywhere in my room(about 4mx4m)and get worse when the pump touch the glass since it sent intense vibration through to the glass producing a even louder buzz. it is normal or i got a bad pump?


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## tandaina (Aug 17, 2013)

The heater works fine in that compartment, might require being turned up a couple degrees higher than you want the main tank but it kept the tank at 80 for my betta and keeps it a nice 75 now for my shrimp.

The Fluval is noisy if hte filter motor is not seated properly. If it is touching the edges it'll rattle. If it makes noise pull the motor and reseat until it is silent. Mine is silent unless you are right up next to it, then very quiet.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

I have one at work, and you can't hear the pump unless you put your head up to it. I would agree that if it's rattling, you can pull it up and reseat it. The suction cups on the bottom should hold it in place.

The flow in that 2nd compartment isn't great. Someone on here said he put a hole in the tube both to increase flow in that 2nd chamber, and to reduce the current in the tank.

There's also room under the sponge if you can fit anything down there. I've got a bag of purigen in that spot.


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## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

my pump is vibrating quite bad i mean even if i place it in middle of the tank(not the compartment), as soon as the suction cup touch the glass bottom then the noise intensified heck you can even hear it if you let it free float in the water.


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

stpid question, but is yout flat on all corners and Level?

Mine's on some foamcore, but I had to shim one side of it up t make it level.

if I put it in a bucket o water and your pump makes, noise, I'ld have them ship you a new one.


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## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

i dont know if i am expecting to much since everyone say it is completely silent but yeah it make noise even if it float in water without touching anything although much quiter but as soon as that 4 suction cup(or even the wire or anywhere really) touch the glass anywhere in the tank then it get very loud. and yeah i press it all the way down flat but i am gona try to out foam or buble wrap around and see

actually is there any third party pump that fit the spec and is quiet?


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

i'd get in touch with Fluval. When they first put out the Ebi, there were lots of problems with they lights burning out in a 1-3 months, and they replaced the lights. I think I needed to scan my receipt since I got it at a LFS, but they'll probably work with you to fix that pump.


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## maux (Sep 26, 2013)

If you mention to Fluval that you think something is wrong with the pump they will ask for a receipt and send you another without hassle. I had an issue with my light and they were very helpful.

I would try fish food instead of a dead shrimp. That would have to smell pretty bad. Could you get some used filter media from an established tank?

You could get a small school of fish. I think 5 dwarf emerald rasboras would be nice. They are great looking and max out at one inch. I doubt they would bother any shrimp or snails you had in the aquarium either. Some little nerite snails and maybe 10 shrimp would be pushing how much you could stock though.

I have a little heater in the pump compartment and that's fine. All the water goes through the hose which is in that heated compartment. It does a very good job of keeping the tank between 76 and 77. I've got a digital thermometer on it. The probe is right behind the intake slots for the filter compartment so I believe this is getting the best update on temperature changes.


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## sion12 (Oct 30, 2013)

i got a replacement pump which is little bit quieter however it is still very much audible so i replaced it with Jebao 25watt pump, much quieter but still not total silent like the Fuval Chi i got. thanks for the feedback everyone.

i ordered tetra complete substrate and black sand gravel and planning to plant elodea,java moss, java fern and maybe some Anubis or other low/medium light plant but is the stock light enough? and how long should i leave it on?

and would flourish excel be a replacement for co2 ? or use co2 tablet?

i am thinking of getting new light but they are very expensive here in UK so i am thinking of just getting a led bar and suction cup it onto the fluval cover panel, will it work?


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

That's pretty much my tank to a t.

6 dwarf emerald rasboras (related to danios, not rasboras, like harder, alkaline water)

































Any of the neo shrimp, I've got oranges, but reds, yellows, or rilis would look great (ust don't mix types)

I've got 1 p diffusa, because I read they're "poor digesters" and make good biofilm for shrimplets.

Any maybe 2 horned corona nerites.



maux said:


> I think 5 dwarf emerald rasboras would be nice. They are great looking and max out at one inch. I doubt they would bother any shrimp or snails you had in the aquarium either. Some little nerite snails and maybe 10 shrimp would be pushing how much you could stock though.


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