50 gallon w/ refugium ~phase 1~

Hey guys and girls. im new to this forum. i just wanna say thank u for checking out my setup. any input or advice would help.

this is my 50 gallon tank. ive had it going for maybe about a month. i have a crushed coral substrate with about 30 lbs of live rock so far.
i have 3 turbo snails, an ocellaris, a damsel, a boxfish, and a yellow angel....
i have a 'GLO' T5, fixture i have an open top and the aquarium is setup with a sump style refugium.
i have a custom pvc overflow pipe, and the refugium was also put together via an old 10 gallon i had laying around and some custom cut glass. ive never used a refugium before and it is still new to me.
inside the refugium i have about a 3 inch bed of live sand and maybe like 2 or 3 lbs of live rock rubble. i have a mini T5 lamp that i salvaged off my old picotope 5 gallon. theres a compartment that holds a diy protein skimmer made from pvc, and an air pump.
i have some nice feather dusters sprouting throughout the rock....lots of coraline.
so far ive had no problems.


my plans are....
get alot more rock for the main tank.
a few more fish eventually
more rubble for refugium
more cleaners...
a couple anemones?

let me know what you guys think.

cool tank!

make sure ur water is perfect and mature b4 u put a nem in ...you have a cyano bacteria/algae out break i would take care of that first

First of all,welcome to the site.

You might want to consider replacing your crushed coral substrate with sand. The crushed coral is bad about collecting crude and becoming a nitrate factory. If you do decide to replace it, exchange a small amount at a time so you don't stir up a big mess and cause another cycle.

Four fish is almost the max you should have in your tank. The rule of thumb is one fish for every 10 gallons of tank size. Also, slow down, adding to many fish to quickly can cause problems. Your tank needs time to adjust to the bioload created by the fish.

Also, since your tank is only about a month old, you should wait to get any anemones. They are finicky and do best in a mature tank. If an anemone dies in your tank it could cause your whole tank to crash. When an anemone dies it releases toxins into your tank.

Hope my comments help, your tank is looking great. Again, welcome aboard!

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you aboard.

Cheeser said:

this is my 50 gallon tank. ive had it going for maybe about a month. i have a crushed coral substrate with about 30 lbs of live rock so far.
i have 3 turbo snails, an ocellaris, a damsel, a boxfish, and a yellow angel....

my plans are....
get alot more rock for the main tank.
a few more fish eventually
a couple anemones?

Click to expand...

I'm diggin' the way the tank is looking so far! More LR will serve you well (since you already have LR, you could get 25-50 lbs of dry rock for a lot less money, and it will do you just as well). More CUC as well (check out reefcleaners). Also, go with sand, not crushed coral. The crushed coral holds a lot of particulate matter that will lead to elevated nitrate levels. That will decimate any chances a nem would do well in your tank, since they need super-duper clean water.

As to fish, you're stocking a little fast. The rule is 1 fish every 2-4 weeks as long as your biofilter is keeping up with the increased bioload (all levels at 0, or in the case of nitrates, almost 0). So 4 fish in a month is a little on the quick side. Also, you're going to be limited to 5 fish for the first year or so. The rule is 1 fish/10 gallons. You can stretch that rule a little after the tank is mature, but I wouldn't go beyond 7 fish total even after maturity. Especially if you want to keep a nem! Remember, the more fish, the higher the bioload, and the higher the bioload, the dirtier the water tends to be.

Good luck! New builds are always exciting!

Hello and Welcome

+1 Everyone

However a boxfish is a really poor choice for your tank, they require a minimum tank size of 100 gals and when stressed they release a toxin that can easily kill your other fish.

Hello and Welcome Aboard!! They have you covered.

+1 Hannah. The boxfish really should be in a tank at least twice that size... They are very difficult fish to keep alive. I wish you luck with yours...

hey thanks everyone. ive been reading around this forum alot and i was thinking about taking out my refugium and replace with a diy algae scrubber. what do u guys think about that?
also im gonna replace the crushed coral with sand.

I have an algae scrubber and really like it.

I would stick with the fuge. I think you'll find a 50/50 mix of opinions on that question. No right or wrong answer there.

i think maybe ill try to integrate the 2 somehow. i dont have too much room under my stand but im sure i can put something together.
also....i dont know if this is a dumb question but im gonna ask.
can i put a snail or a shrimp in my refugium?
i know im not supposed to mess with the sand bed.
also i dont know if they could end up in a compartment of the sump there not supposed to be in.

You can put inverts in your refugium, but they can make their way to other areas where they are not supposed to be, and sometimes even get sucked into or clog pumps. I wouldn't do it unless you have made sure there's no way for them to escape.

*Update!*
ok i replaced all my crushed coral with live sand.
got maybe like 8-10 lbs of live rock.
found new home for yellow peel and boxfish...
new powerhead
got rid of cyano bacteria
got a powder blue tang
got like a handful of different snails
in my sump i use reef carbon in a sleeve, polyfiber pads, and a nitrate reducing pad. is there anything else i should be using like "prefilter" pads? or anything?
also...what are other good cleaners i should get for my tank?
i wanna double the amount of live rock i got and eventually a nem for my clownfish and some corals...

You're going to get a lot of this. That powder blue tang needs to go back. PBTs need 125gal MIN tank. You should take him back, he will be very unhappy in your tank. You might be able to get away with a britletooth tang but even those need 70 gal tanks. You might want to go for smaller fish like damsels or clownfish.

+1 R3verb

I would suggest doing some research on the fish before you buy them. This is a pretty good site to look up fish on.

Saltwater Fish: Marine Aquarium Fish for Saltwater Aquariums

well...i guess pb tang has gotta go then.
my wife wanted it and i was reluctant but she helps me alot with things i need for the aquarium so i gotta make her happy u know.

yup trust me we have all been there. It's a really good idea to know what you want BEFORE you head to the fish store. It is ok to go to the LFS and shop around but it will be more beneficial to you to take some pictures, write down some names and go home and do the research. Planning in the hobby is key to keeping your fish healthy, happy, and alive!

Here are two fish that I would bet your wife will love. They will do fine in your size tank, but there is a chance that they may eat corals.

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Flame Angelfish

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Coral Beaty Agelfish Dwarf Angels