Just received a 50G Tank. What Now???

MJV0103

New member
Parents gave me their old 50G tank that was setup for FOWLR. I got about 50lbs of LR and maybe 2" substrate, its not fine sand. 2 section sump with submerged pump. No idea what lighting system it has, except 18" 10,000 single bulb per fixture.

They were never able to keep anything but damsels alive. I'd like to keep everything alive that I buy.

My question is what equipment modifications would you recommend so that I can take this tank to the next level? Maybe even hold some anemomes or other inverts.

All recommendations welcome!!!
 

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Not sure why they couldn't keep things alive but I would look at their live rock and sand. Before putting anything in there with the live rock I would cure it to make sure it is safe. Also if they had any diseases that caused the other fish to die it may be in the substrate. You may want to start from scratch and get new substrate.
 
Check out the newbie thread on how to set up a tank. It will give you a good general idea of what you need to take your tank to the next level.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

What do you have in that tank for water flow? I don't see a powerhead in there.

Does it have a skimmer?
Does it use bioballs? What's the sump look like?

Have you done any water tests? What are the salinity, ammonia, nitrates at?

Did your parents quarantine new fish?

anemones can be difficult and require strong lighting and clean water. I would suggest mastering the basics for awhile before you move to more challenging animals.
 
I would add macro algae, will help keep nutrients in the water down. if you see hair algae all over, you know you need to feed less and/or more water changes yes damsels are the goldfish of the saltwater world. do your test, keep tank stable, do water changes, make sure salinity and temp is the same as tank. be carefully with using tap water water
no reason you cant more fish
 
System came with bio balls and a skimmer, originally. Dad removed both when they went to LR and live sand. I did find the skimmer in a catch all box he gave me. Not sure if its working. When i got the tank, we started with brand new water dad had mixed up. So it's essentially a brand new tank. The rock and sand traveled from NC to MD in 35 degree weather in the back of a truck. Everything was 40 degrees when we set the tank up. Pretty sure we had some die off in the move.

Will be picking up a testing kit this weekend, a friend tested it, and ammonia was above 8, nitrite was around 1, and nitrate was 0. There are currently 4 damsels in the tank.

Nothing was quarantined when added.
 
ammonia is a problem, your tank is now cycling. I would find a new home for your fish asap. They *might* live, but you'll be damaging them in the process.

It's ok to get rid of the bioballs when LR was added, but I would suggest hooking up the protein skimmer.
 
I'm the only one I know around me that has a salt water tank. Will a LFS take them? I plan on making a trip to my nearest one in 2 days.
 
You need one extra tank anyway, for a quarantine tank or you'll go on losing fish---there's a procedure for this. Just put your damsels in new salt water with a bubbler and heater and jump screen for right now. 4 Damsels in a 50 are just too many (they're a fish that's better in 100 gallons), so you do need to re-home all but one.

We can help you. STart by reading that SETTING UP sticky, so we can be on common ground, and get another 10-20 gallon tank and some salt water. No rock or sand in that tank, but netting to prevent jumping, an extra heater, and aeration will help until you can get these fish to a fish store. Then we can talk about getting that 50 gallon ready for fish and inverts that will live a respectable lifespan. Plan on mostly gobies, blennies, jawfish, wrasses, basslets and such for that size, and you will have a happy tank.
 
Sk8r, thanks for the info. I've been reading the setting up info and just about everything else i can get a hold of on the web for the past few days. Will pick up a 10g tank and everything for the quarantine tank tomorrow. Petco is running a 40% off sale on their aquatics this weekend, and my good friend works there...:)
 
Sk8r, thanks for the info. I've been reading the setting up info and just about everything else i can get a hold of on the web for the past few days. Will pick up a 10g tank and everything for the quarantine tank tomorrow. Petco is running a 40% off sale on their aquatics this weekend, and my good friend works there...:)

Definitely look into an RODI system if you haven't already, tapwater can cause heaps of issues, and you'll save a lot of money in the long run :)
 
Will be putting in a 5 stage RO unit at the kitchen sink so the wife and daughter can enjoy that yummy water, unfortunately, will mean i have to do my own top offs. I'm evaporating about half a gallon a day right now.
 
Thanks Fraggled. Wish there were some smaller pieces of it. My dad figured the bigger the better. I tried arching from the left piece to the right, but couldn't get it to stick.
 
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