For maintaining a reef aquarium--in particular an SPS-dominated reef aquarium--the water quality must be very high. Dissolved organic waste (aka-fish poop) will not be filtered out by the type of filter you are describing.
It's definitely possible to have a 5G "pico" like you're describing, but I think it would be difficult, especially for someone just beginning saltwater. The ability for something very small (a snail dying) to foul up a 5G aquarium is very strong. Things can go bad in a hurry and there is very little water to absorb whatever it is.
That said, if you still want to make the effort, it IS possible....but I would recommend asking a lot more questions and doing a lot more research first. After all, these are living creatures we are talking about! We don't want to kill anything, if we can help it.
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~Drew
10G Nano * 10G Sump * Deltec MCE 600 Skimmer * JBL Viper 150w MH * Zeovit * Vortech MP40W
Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ~S. Ertz
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