50 Gal Tank Accessories, Help!

[callaghan]

So i am still pretty new to this hobby so I am looking for some advice.

Wondering if the Emperor 280 is a good enough filter for a 50 gal
If I should have any powerheads
What is the best wattage for a heater in a 50g
And what are the differences of having gravel opposed to having sand??

Also what are my options for fish with this tank, and how many?
I am interested in sharks/angels but willing to suffice

Any suggestions???

 

[Paavn]

the Emperor 280 may work well, but if you are going to have messy fish (im pretty sure sharks are one of them) you definitely want to go for the Emperor 400 or equivalent filter. i think most would agree that when it comes to filtration the bigger the better.

as for the sand opposed to the gravel, if you plan on having bottom feeders then they prefer sand. other than that i think its a matter of personal choice.

i would attempt to help you with the stalking but i cant seem to grasp that yet. its pretty hard lol
i do however know that you need a tall tank for angels

and for the heater i think its the 250 watt that would suit your needs.
im sure someone with more knowledge and experience will be replying shortly. this is a truly awesome forum

 

[Miss Wiggle]

hi there, if you read the link in my sig 'step by step guide to setting up an aquarium' it explains to you how to work out what size filter, heater etc that you need and it also has a good shopping list of all the little bits and bobs that you'll need.

gravel vs sand is mostly an asthetic choice but some fish do prefer one or the other so it's best if you work out at least a rough idea of the fish you want before you choose your substrate as it's a bit of a pain to change once your in.

just to let you know another important thing, make sure you read the links in my sig 'whats cycling' and fishless cycling' thats how you prepare a tank to make it safe before you add fish, a lot of people don't ask about it cos they think you just add water and pop some fish in but it's not quite that simple. So just make sure you understand the cycling process before you add fish.

You've got loads of options for stocking in a 50gal, give us an idea of the sorts of things you want, a lively community, just a few larger fish with more personality, something a bit different??

for angels the tank would need to be at least 18" tall, what sorts of sharks do you like, the silver/bala sharks would get too big but you could have something like a RTBS however they are quite agressive so you'd have to stock around them very carefully.

 

[callaghan]

Well I am aware of the while cycling deal. I do already have a ten gallo but just wondering about other things such as heater size/filter that would be good for the tank. Also wondering, I have the emperor 280 but would it help if I had a powerhead on the other side to act as an artificial current and help push the water over to the filter. And fish I am interested in are mainly an ID shark and angelfish. I like fish that look cool and grow a nice size. so any suggestions I wouldn't mind looking up in google. I am also not too sure about getting live plants or stick with artificial, or if I should go with the wood and stone ornaments which I think look cool! I'm just confused mainly because the store will tell me one thing, then the forum will tell me something different.

Thanks again for the help guys!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Can't have an ID shark, this topic shows how big they get

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=11418

shouldn't be in the trade at all!

angels are fine, can do a nice community built around them.