50 Gallon New Tank.

[zaitmi]

Hello everybody,

I am not a newbie exactly as i have already had 2 tanks i.e. a 30 gallon(fowlr) and 20 gallons with some corals.

I have few queries and i am here for some help.

1) I am making a new 50 gallon reef tank:dance: with size 35L x 18W x 18H.

I like wider tanks not taller so should i go with size 35L x 16W x 18H.

2) The 20 Gallons is still running with 2 clown fishes only but i will be closing it soon shifting all my sands to the new tank.

3) My 20 Gallon tank has red slime algae which i think is for slow water movement. Now i want to wash my sand before shifting. Can i bleach my sand to make it look more whiter.

Shall i do it?

4) What kind of lighting should i use ? I will be using very few and hardy corals later. Right now it will be fowlr like garage1217 tank build.

Cannot use Metal Halide as i cannot afford a chiller.

LED solutions would be better and cheaper but not easily available.

Philips Aqua Coral(20 watt actinic) and 2 ft 20 watt fluorescent tubes are available easily.

5) Aquarium background color ? I use vinyl stickers and paste them in back glass from outside.

Deep blue or black or any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[oscarinw]

1) Size is only a matter of preference. Keep in mind larger will allow you more aquascaping options and bigger bio-load
3) You can go either way. Bleaching it for the looks or washing it to keep any beneficial life in it.
4) I'd go LEDs but that's also a preference thing..
5) I'd say deep blue. BTW, I am trying to get my hands on a vinyl sticker myself. Where did you get yours from?

Good luck with things!

[peter15]

Deep blue, agreed.

[Michigan Mike]

(LxWxH) why fid you shrink the width after saying you like wider tanks, from 18 to 16?
Why not 36x24x18? That's a great size? Lol

Not sure why you think a metal halide equates needing a chiller, if your house is hot or tank runs hot already I get it.

If 36x18x18 a 6x39w T5HO fixture would be great, never heard of 20w tubes unless you are referring to T8 fluorescence or something that you shouldn't bother with anyway. Alot of people use a 6x24w (24") fixture like ATI Supower on 40breeder tanks and are successful.

I prefer black background although I have white on mine, lol. But since I use a lot of blue t5ho bulbs it looks blue anyway.

[zaitmi]

1) Size is only a matter of preference. Keep in mind larger will allow you more aquascaping options and bigger bio-load
3) You can go either way. Bleaching it for the looks or washing it to keep any beneficial life in it.
4) I'd go LEDs but that's also a preference thing..
5) I'd say deep blue. BTW, I am trying to get my hands on a vinyl sticker myself. Where did you get yours from?

Good luck with things!

Thanks for the reply.

Ok. You can get vinyl in any store/workshop who does make signboards in your area. you can also google for vinyl dealers in your city.

I am bleaching my rock for 24 hours as they are looking very dirtier. i like neat white rocks. Then i will wash it for 3 to 4 days daily and soak them in fresh water for a couple of days and then let them dry in sun or i might use hair dryer coz its monsoon season now here.

[zaitmi]

(LxWxH) why fid you shrink the width after saying you like wider tanks, from 18 to 16?
Why not 36x24x18? That's a great size? Lol

Not sure why you think a metal halide equates needing a chiller, if your house is hot or tank runs hot already I get it.

If 36x18x18 a 6x39w T5HO fixture would be great, never heard of 20w tubes unless you are referring to T8 fluorescence or something that you shouldn't bother with anyway. Alot of people use a 6x24w (24") fixture like ATI Supower on 40breeder tanks and are successful.

I prefer black background although I have white on mine, lol. But since I use a lot of blue t5ho bulbs it looks blue anyway.

sorry i meant longer tanks...ok then i will go with 35x18x18. yes that will be nice. more water more fun....will look more like my personal ocean.

white background wow that will be different can u share some pics..yeah that would be nice.

[Michigan Mike]

36x18x17 are the dimensions of a standard 40 breeder. Popular tank.

Here's my 29g with a white cardboard background attached to the window to block out sunlight, so its not attached to the tank...sure it would be more intense if it was attached.
http://imageshack.us/a/img705/4221/img0845ftscrop.jpg
Different bulbs
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/3977/img10574bulbge2bluepupl.jpg

[zaitmi]

36x18x17 are the dimensions of a standard 40 breeder. Popular tank.

Here's my 29g with a white cardboard background attached to the window to block out sunlight, so its not attached to the tank...sure it would be more intense if it was attached.
http://imageshack.us/a/img705/4221/img0845ftscrop.jpg
Different bulbs
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/3977/img10574bulbge2bluepupl.jpg

Well what a nice beautiful tank u have.:) well what is standing so tall on the left side..is it anemone or some coral..??

Hey this my black wooden stand where my tank will be kept..well glass tank is awaited this sunday. Will load more pics then.

[Michigan Mike]

Its commonly called a toadstool leather or mushroom leather. My clownfish thinks its an anemone!

[zaitmi]

ok.

[zaitmi]

My glass tank arrived with black acrylic hood:)but....my wife is furious. She is not allowing me to do a new tank. She says its a waste of time and money.:(

[Michigan Mike]

My glass tank arrived with black acrylic hood:)but....my wife is furious. She is not allowing me to do a new tank. She says its a waste of time and money.:(

She's probably right, but that doesn't stop us does it....:lolspin:

[KeepNitReel]

My glass tank arrived with black acrylic hood:)but....my wife is furious. She is not allowing me to do a new tank. She says its a waste of time and money.:(

So you ordered a tank without talking it over with the wife beforehand?
I see you like to run with scissors,lol!!!

[zaitmi]

ha ha lol....

ok i have 50 gallons and i.e 180 ltrs.. so how much do i need it.

In india i get only actinic blue as philips aqua coral 15/20watt (2feet) and t5(2feet)
15 watt (6500 kelvin).

More light more algae

So i think i need

3 x 15 watts philips aqua coral
4 x 15 watts t5 white cool daylight.

45 watts + 60 watts = 105 watts

will it be ok??

[zaitmi]

ok i think above lights are fine and my hood is ready.

deep blue vinyl stickers to be put in the back side of the tank.my 1st vinyl got wasted as i used lots of shampoo and didnt remove it properly so it had white patches. so i removed it.

now ro water required to be filled up in the tank, then seachem reef salt to be mixed inside the new tank, then after a couple of days sands to be added.

how to keep live rocks bad algae free as bad algae makes ur tank look much darker ??

[zaitmi]

Here is a quick update of whats happening.

[zaitmi]

So you ordered a tank without talking it over with the wife beforehand?
I see you like to run with scissors,lol!!!


No i informed her but she was not willing. But i coudnt resist myself. :headwalls:Its a dangerous addiction..it gets on your nervous... and then you dont listen to any family members.:uzi:

[zaitmi]

Can i add a glass of my old saltwater tank water to my new new tank to get bacteria? My old tank is more than 1 year old.

[KeepNitReel]

Can i add a glass of my old saltwater tank water to my new new tank to get bacteria? My old tank is more than 1 year old.

That will add no benefit in getting beneficial bacteria.

[zaitmi]

ok. thanks for your advice.

i also have some live sand in my old tank can i use them to my new tank.

[zaitmi]

still waiting....

[KeepNitReel]

ok. thanks for your advice.

i also have some live sand in my old tank can i use them to my new tank.

Give it a good rinse before you move it to new tank to get that nasty stuff out.

[zaitmi]

Is my tank water level even from both sides...just asking coz once i had bad incident of tank cracking at 1am flooding my bedroom due to uneven water level.

[zaitmi]

Still waiting...

[zaitmi]

???

[zaitmi]

Ok. I am assuming my water level is ok.

Now to seed my new tank i have added some never used filter sponges to my old tank....they are floating in my old tank...soon they will filled with bacteria..then i will just drop them in my new tank to transfer the bacteria. I hope this would be fine to cycle my new tank faster.

I will be adding soon rowa phos and activated carbon in my new tank. Later i will be dosing my tank with kalkwasser...in our country we call it chuna.

[zaitmi]

any suggestions???

[zaitmi]

Here are the pic updates....

[zaitmi]

More updates.

[zaitmi]

How my tank is looking ??

[crsswift70]

I think you will need some more live rock! Or, if that is live rock, some base rock to give the aquarium more filtering capabilities.

[zaitmi]

thanks k.

[zaitmi]

Which is the hardiest coral for high temp.? I have heard mushroom corals are very hardy.

[zaitmi]

Returned my carpet anemone to the petshop from my old tank. i know they are killer machines for other fishes apart from clownfishes.

Added 1 halimeda to tank.. i know they consume a lot of calcium but i love the money plant. chk the pics.:)

[zaitmi]

Can i add a bit ammonia solution from my path. laboratory to speed up the cycle?

[zaitmi]

Can i add fish now as i have used my old sponge/saltwater tank to speed up the nitrogen cycle.

[Pearson]

Can i add fish now as i have used my old sponge/saltwater tank to speed up the nitrogen cycle.

If your cycle is done, sure.
If you aren't finished with your cycle, since I believe this is only a week old, you should wait until the cycle ends before you add anything.
If you're not sure, test your water.

[zaitmi]

Can i give live blood worms to feed fishes?

[crsswift70]

i don't see why not.

[zaitmi]

Thanks...

After testing yesterday my tank water :Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate. Noting got detected.

So i added a dead shrimp in my tank to rot for 3 to 4 days.

Is it ok?

[Mathew26]

Once you have the tank up and running it will cycle itself. There is no need to add anything to it to push it to cycle faster. This hobby requires a lot of patience as i speak from experience. Just give it time and everything will work itself out.

[crsswift70]

I'm getting confused. Are you adding things to your tank already, even though it hasn't cycled? There really shouldn't be anything in there but sand and rock.

[zaitmi]

Ok. Mathews.

No i added just a dead shrimp thats all.

Should i take it out?crsswift70

[zaitmi]

I have used my old tank sand which has cyano bacteria? Now i can see some red spots in the new tank sandbed. I think it has got transferred? What should i do now?

[zaitmi]

I am getting nitrates in my tank..can i add fish now??

[Reeftown]

I am getting nitrates in my tank..can i add fish now??

If it is not 0 then no, you have to wait for the cycle to complete. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ3TA_7fjec)

[zaitmi]

But as far as i know as soon as nitrates start coming it means your cycle has finished.

can you give some advise on these links.

here what they say about it :

http://www.wikihow.com/Add-Fish-to-New-Tank


Test the water a day after you add the few small, hardy fish to make sure the water has no ammonia or nitrite that could kill or sicken the fish. Purchase kits to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Follow the directions on the test kits, which are available at pet supply stores and fish stores and online.

When you first test aquarium water the results should show just ammonia, which gets into the water from fish waste.
Subsequent testing, every 4 to 5 days for the first month, should show more nitrite and less ammonia. This indicates that the bacteria from the fish (or the bottle) are beginning to break down the ammonia.
After a couple of days when you test the water you will notice that the amount of nitrites are decreasing, and you will see some nitrates. The bacteria are increasing and are converting the more harmful nitrites into nitrates. Nitrites and nitrites are naturally occurring chemical compounds that combine oxygen and nitrogen.
The tank is done cycling when only nitrates show up in tests -- no ammonia or nitrite. Add as many fish as your tank can handle.

https://www.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/cycling.html

Your tank is fully cycled once nitrates are being produced (and ammonia and nitrite levels are zero). To determine when the cycle has completed, buy appropriate test kits (see XXX) and measure the levels yourself, or bring water samples to your fish store and let them perform the test for you (perhaps for a small fee). This process normally takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks. At temperatures below 70F, it takes even longer to cycle a tank. In comparison to other types of bacteria, Nitrifying bacteria grow slowly. Under optimal conditions, it takes fully 15 hours for a colony to double in size!

Thanks in Advance.

[zaitmi]

Current tank pic.

[thegrun]

I am getting nitrates in my tank..can i add fish now??

Nitrates have little to do as far as indicating when your cycle is complete. You need to see your ammonia and nitrite levels first rise then fall to zero to indicate that the initial cycle is done.

[BAETech2004]

Generally a cycle takes 3-4 weeks, sometimes longer from my past experience, 4 weeks tends to be pretty standard. If you washed your sand well and are starting over, your cycle might be just as long. I have tried to,"transfer" bacteria before, but without transfering liverock,water and sand your chances of getting much bacteria is slim IMHO. I just transfered from a 29 gallon cube to a 40 breeder with a 38 gallon sump. I transfered the sand, but added a ton more, as well as transfering my water and liverock. I literally took everything from my last tank and added it to the new system and STILL saw some small spikes when testing. Be patient, I don't see much wrong with adding a source of ammonia to cycle, but as the souce will likely exceed the current bateria's ability to consume it you will likely have a longer cycle as the colony of bacteria grows. On a positive if you grow a bacteria population with adding ammonia sources it will be a good and hearty colony... I would honestly wait a while, rushing only causes problems. I kept my corals in another system even with the transfer of my entire colony into a new tank... Just let your tank do its thing... And without a sump, I would seriously consider more LR. I don't have much in my display, but my sump has a tooooon, LR is the best filter you have.

[zaitmi]

Thanks for your advice. My ammonia and nitrite are nil.

[zaitmi]

My tank stocking will be :

1 percula
3 chromis
1 yellow watchman goby
1 lemon peel angel
1 strawberry dottyback

[zaitmi]

I can see a 1inch crack on the middle of my back brace of glass tank. What should i do? I have lowered 2 gallon water in my tank.

[xrayjeeper83]

can you post a picture of the crack?

[zaitmi]

here it is.

[zaitmi]

can you post a picture of the crack?

see above.

[zaitmi]

ok it has been fixed by my lfs.

[zaitmi]

my tank leaked..:(

thank god i had my old tank running for safety. i transferred 1 clownfish and rocks over there and managed collect 50% of the water from tank to some containers. But sand is still lying there in the tank and started stinking in the morning but tonight i will take them out to a container and will keep them wet. Till the new tank arrives. But my family will never allow it. i will never take a chance to repair its just too risky.

It was 6mm with brace but now should i go for 8mm with/without brace.
Also how much weight of glass will increase? Is their any calculator for glass weight?

[zaitmi]

anyone please??

[zaitmi]

still no one ok.

anyways

thinking of ordering a new 8 mm glass tank.

but i doubt my stand can take it or not?

[zaitmi]

Getting back to my old 1 yr. 20 gallon Cube Tank since my wife is not allowing me for new tank.

New thread will be started soon.

Catch it.