Fishgirl11 , very good score ! Especially since it was used previously by family.
Personally, I would keep water in the tank at a level right under the top lip of rim for at least a day or 2, just to make sure there is positively zero leaks.
As for the AC50, yes it needs a basket. Later today I can check the usual fish hobby supply websites and post later if I can find a reasonably priced basket.
For the motor assembly, my advise is to pull out the impeller and clean it with some warm water, a q-tip and/or old tooth brush.
The impeller shaft will stay in the motor, though it can re removed. I would only recommend removing it if it was going to be replaced.
The hole where the impeller drops into the motor can be cleaned by holding it under flowing hot water and using a q-tip to thoroughly clean the inside wall, bottom and the shaft. A paper towel w/ the corner twisted up to a point works also.
You want to ensure all the grime and deposits are off the shaft and impeller.
After cleaning the impeller, it would be good to give the blades a good visual inspection in daylight or a well lit room in the home. Just check for obvious cracks or bent blades. If all the blades look the same with no obvious deformities, then it should be good. I advise to check this because it takes only one blade that has a problem to make it all spin off-balance.
You mentioned the filter made grinding noise when you plugged it in.
Did you first fill up the filter with water ? Aquaclears must have water in them first, before plugging in.
Also, it would be a good time to carefully remove the rubber oring around the top of the motor, give the area a good wipe down with q-tip or paper towel where the oring sets in place. Also wipe down the underside of the filter body where the motor twists and locks into place.
Removing grime from these areas will ensure a watertight seal while running it.
With oring removed, five it a quick visual inspection for cracks or abrasions then run your finger over it in a circle making sure it feels smooth.
If it looks good, give it a coat with either Vaseline or the food grade
Silicone Lube. This will also ensure a watertight seal.
Regarding the plates and uplift tube, yes it's an Under Gravel Filter (aka UGF). Very cool to find a vintage one, but I would personally not integrate it into the new tank set up. There are many alternatives for air pump driven filters, such as
sponge filters and filter boxes. I'll post some reference links later today for you. A sponge filter running with your Aquaclear 50 would be perfect for your tank. I run a sponge filter driven by an air pump in each of our tanks.
Personally I would not use the
water conditioner. I'm not a 100% firm believer on expiration dates for most things (besides food), but something like that I would be hesitant to use due to age.
With the
heater, I would first inspect the glass tube for cracks then drop it in the tank and plug in while the tank is sitting during it's leak test. If it works, then consider keeping it for a back up or to use in a temporary
quarantine/hospital tank. A 5-gallon bucket is perfect to use when quarantining a new fish, or when a fish needs to be removed for treatment. A 5-gallon bucket isn't ideal, but I've used it for those reasons when I didnt have a small spare tank available for QT.
Again, due to it's age and it's unknown if the heater has ever been dropped while moved around while in storage, I would be hesitant to use it for the main tank.
You can find good heaters on sale for under $20 and in my opinion , that is good insurance against heater malfunctions or possible breach of seal and electricity mixing with water !
On a side note, that is a cool looking tank with the wood grain finish on the frame. Are there any identifying stickers or markings anywhere that can clue us in on the brand? That would be interesting to know.
