50 gallon dream!

[boyesreef]

i just picked up my first BIG tank, cant wait to get it started! what im going to do is make it a budget tank, and keep the tally running on here. you guys get to grow this one with me! i will ask you guys and take votes on everything i do.

lets start!!!

50 gallon long tank - $50 on craigs list
tank stand - $20 on craigs list
marineland hang on tank canister filter - $80 on sale at pet supplies "plus"
50 LBS. of live sand - $4 on sale at pet supplies "plus"

pics comming this weekend when i put the sand and water in!

[CarmieJo]

Woo Hoo!

[Skurvey Dog]

Sounds like a great project! We have another reefer on TR that is building a budget tank, name doesn't come to me at the moment, but he has done an awesome job doing just what you are planning to do! It does require some time and patience, being in the right place, at the right time, but well worth it. I will enjoy following your adventure!

[boyesreef]

i think the live sand was a "right place right time" find! that stuff is expensive, and i got 50 pounds for four dollers! they are closing there salt water care department, and are rying to get rid of it all. i bought all the sand. all they have left is the fake starfish, and stupid useless stuff like that.

[boyesreef]

the pictures are in from the darkroom! lol
the dark looking ones are with flash, the dim ones are without. enjoy!

[Skurvey Dog]

Looks like you're on your way. Oh, and by the way, I see your first tank inhabitant on the table. I believe that species favors 92 degree, fresh water with a touch of glycerin. J/K
Thanks for the pics and hope you fall into more great opportunities to make your tank purchases.

[rayme07]

Hi boyesreef cant wait to watch another tank build up to something butiful. The tank looks great cant wait to see more.
Raymond

[boyesreef]

yes, the rubber ducky on the table has many miles riding the waves of the filter, and has many more to come!

[boyesreef]

any ideas for fish? i am thinking about a FOWLR tank, but who knows!

[rayme07]

Theres many fish you can add to your tank but to find the right ones thats the question. I would probly go with cardnals, gobies, angels,clowns, jawfish wich are realy neat fish Ill give you a link to some fish theres so many i cant name them all.

Saltwater Fish: Marine Aquarium Fish for Saltwater Aquariums

Thanks Raymond

[boyesreef]

right now im keeping two percula clowns, a magenta dottyback, and a green clown goby. they are in the bio-cube 14. im wondering what my limits are for a 50 gallon with a 1" sand bed.

[rayme07]

right now im keeping two percula clowns, a magenta dottyback, and a green clown goby. they are in the bio-cube 14. im wondering what my limits are for a 50 gallon with a 1" sand bed.

Im not sure on the rule but i read 1 inch of fish per 2 gallons of water but I dont know of any other rule so Ill let someone else chime in and answer the question if im wrong.
Raymond

[bbl_nk]

boysreef, I think the amount depends on the size and type of the fish. With a 50 you should be able to stock it with a variety of specimens from dwarf angels, gobies, blennies, wrasse, clowns, dottybacks, etc. Just look around, get a book, find that 1-2 that make you go WOW! and work around them.

Also, I'd advise going with the FOWLR setup with the ability to go reef and add simple corals and inverts in the future. I was going to go FOWLR but after seeing and hearing about everyone's corals and such, it got me heading towards the reef. I want to get as much biodiversity as possible and right now my only limits are on some hi-light specimens.

Welcome and good luck!

[CarmieJo]

Nick, any reason you want to go with a 1" sand bed? I have a SSB in my nano but a DSB in my 54. (And I have the sand here to increase the nano to 4.5", just haven't got it done yet.) If you are going to go FOWLR the nitrates won't be a major issue but if you ever want to add corals nitrates over 10 or so can be a problem.

I don't think inch of fish per gallon of water is a useful rule even though people tell it to you. There is a big difference in the bio load of a 2" firefish and a 2" clown. In my 54 I have a 3" firefish, 3" sixline. 2" Atlantic angel and 4" maroon clown. I could probably add another fish or 2 but I believe in stocking lightly.

[rayme07]

I don't think inch of fish per gallon of water is a useful rule even though people tell it to you. There is a big difference in the bio load of a 2" firefish and a 2" clown. In my 54 I have a 3" firefish, 3" sixline. 2" Atlantic angel and 4" maroon clown. I could probably add another fish or 2 but I believe in stocking lightly.

Thanks carmie glad to learn something new today.
Raymond

[boyesreef]

for the reef later, all i can say is yes. i have a biocube 14 that is my reef. for the sand bed question, im not the biggest fan of the dsb simply cause it is a long tank, so i dont have the hight to spare, and when i build it, the sump will be a deep sand bed packed with live rock and chaeto. (which i have now, YAY). so i believe if i keep the display clean looking, i can hide all of the fun stuff underneith.

[CarmieJo]

A DSB in the sump or a RDSB in a bucket will work!

[boyesreef]

i was going to exploit the sumpand make it do all the dirty work except filter.

[boyesreef]

TIME FOR AN UPDATE! put in the heaters, and got the filters caught up. the water is clear so i took out the backup filter so it is just the magnum. brought the temps up to 80 degrees. just waiting on the diatom bloom to start, but nothing yet. any way to trigger it without raw shrimp? like kill the filter and put in some frozen fish food? or some marine flake? when i bought the bio-cube, the dealer i went through gave me a bottle of some home mixed "stuff" that triggered it asap. so i didnt have to find anything to start the bloom. maybe a litle piece of live rock from that tank? anything helps, thanks guys!

[CarmieJo]

Either kind of fish food will work just fine to start the cycle. I know I could go back and read but I'll be lazy and ask what kind of rock is in the tank now?

[boyesreef]

its just sand with some rubble, nothin much. i do have some frozen squid my fish wont eat, ill try that. as for rocks, i dont have any as of yet, but when i get it, ill cure it in a rubbermaid tub a have set up for curing rock. so im not worried about rock yet. i wont have fish for many months, so i have time to experiment with alge.

[CarmieJo]

Dropping a chunk of LR from your nano in will help populate the sand with beneficial critters. I love this concept The Building of a Reef (tank).

[boyesreef]

ill do a chunk of lr, and a piece of calamari and ill let it stew. filter or just remove the cartrage and let it go?

[CarmieJo]

I'd just run the filter without the cartridge and use it for flow.

[boyesreef]

i am in love with this filter! its a marineland hang on tank magnum 250 gallon per hour flow filter/polisher.