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View Full Version : My First 110g Saltwater tank: Give me all your worldly advice!


squee!
03/19/2007, 11:33 AM
So I have spent many years maintaining large tanks in the freshwater realm and went abroad for about a year and a half and returned to the states about a year and a half ago. So It's been about 3 years since I have done anything aquaria related. I had thought about it often, and considered setting up a tank while I was abroad (in the caribbean actually) but found that SCUBA served my needs. Now that I am back in the midwest I am taking the plunge. I would appreciate any and all advice in my set up. Here is what I have:

a 110g all glass drilled tank, a 175W metal halide pendant and bulb, a ouple actinincs, a trickle/filter/sump, a skimmer, some powerheads and pumps. I'll post the specs on the pumps and skimmer later when I look at them again.

My initial questions are the following:

I intend on keeping a porcupine puffer. I have kept many different species of freshwater puffers in the past (Brown, suvati, fahaka, golden, etc.) and they are my favorite fish. I don't really care about keeping many fish, just want the puffer really. Are there any types of corals or other fish I should watch out for with this fish? With the freshwater puffers, they were practically solitary animals and couldn't be trusted with any other fish that you wanted to live. However, from what I have read, porcupines seem to be a bit friendlier/tolerant. What should I absolutely not keep with him?

Also, I had read about metal Halides and don't think I am that keen on growing highly light-intensive corals, so I may just go with regular high output flourescent tubes instead. What types of corals can I keep with normal aquarium lighting? And are there certain saltwater plants (like a kelp or something like that) that I could keep? Or maybe some mushrooms?

Lastly, I had also inherited a ton of rock that used to be in the tank (I purchased the tank used). How much live rock should I buy and how long should I wait if my intent is to colonize the dead rock? Should I then get live sand? Thanks for your help!

barbra
03/19/2007, 12:30 PM
Your questions are many and very general in nature. Most of the questions you pose have been answered in depth in threads devoted specifically to the topic, try searching here:

http://reefcentral.com/search.php?menu=11

Snowboarda42
03/19/2007, 01:44 PM
Good Luck!

Eashton123
03/19/2007, 02:14 PM
Make sure to have a quarantine tank. You probably already know this :)

Eashton123
03/19/2007, 02:20 PM
Make sure to have a quarantine tank. You probably already know this :)

loosecannon
03/19/2007, 02:29 PM
hi and wellcome to the wonderful wold of salt .live sand is ok sowould be plain.just a few lbs. of live rock can seed the rest in time as for corals any thing mit git eatin. putting a puffer in with coarls is like asking ronald mc. to take care of your cow! as for fish a trigger or tang should be ok. it would have to be something just as big or meen or faster than the puffer. the light t5s last lounger and cost les than hi outputs. good luck.

OldSchoolNewbie
03/19/2007, 02:46 PM
The KEY to Salt Water is "PATIENCE" remember this and the rest will be easy.