New to Hobby!!!!

[ness]

Ok, heres the scoop.
I have kept freshwater for some time now and I want to start a 180 gallon saltwater tank to expand my knowledge and step up to the next level.
Now, I need help from you guys also. I have been reading and will continue reading till this summer when I get my 180 gallon tank. I plan to learn as much as I can then try it out in this brand new tank.
What I need to know are, in your opinions, what are good beginner fish.
Also, I noticed that all the cool lookin fish, like triggers, get very large in size. Is that in captivity or not?
I was readin other posts, and I saw a topic. Inside it said that you have to give an eel AOE. Whats AOE?
One more thing, How would an eel, a lion fish, and a clown trigger do in a tank. Good or bad?
Please offer any awesome site that you like to visit often, please.

 

[k.lee]

Those would be fine in your proposed 180. YTou could add 2 more 5-7 inch fish too, ie. two more lions or two tangs. Tangs are scrappers tho, and should be added, if you do, at the same time.
Welcome to a rewarding hobby.
Lee

 

[fshhub]

yep,a nd welcome aboard, it is a great hobby and great place ot get info and chat
aoe, may be zoe, jsut mistyped, zoe is a vitamin suppliment used by many in this hobby
HTH an dgood luck

 

[broomer5]

So cool ness !!!
Beginning your saltwater experience/hobby with a 180 gallon tank has got to be the one of the greatest things I've read on here.
Planning and reading months in advance in my opinion will only add to your success, and I give you two thumbs up for going at it this way.
Sounds like you're leaning towards an aggessive tank - which is great.
I have no advise for you now except keep researching, reading, planning and asking questions. There are some really experienced, smart folks here, and they are always willing to help out beginners in this hobby.
Especially one's like yourself !!
Welcome to the board !

 

[fish for life.]

Read "The Conciencious Marine Aquariest" by Flenner.

 

[thewolfman777]

yes i have to agree with fish for life, this book is an excellent book for the saltwater beginner. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner: 2 thumbs up

 

[ness]

I will be sure to take a lot of pics and let you all see them.
I guess I do want to do an aggresive setup.
Aren't there pellets of flake foods like in freshwater feeding?
If there are feeders, what are they?

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Woah - 180 Gal (sweet) You could create an excellent ecosystem that both you and your fishes will enjoy.
Take your time and thin about every portion of the hobby with respect to fish/your staisfaction.
I can recommend that you develop yrou tank with a 3" to 3.5" bottom cover and fill the tank with 4" of Live sand for a deep sand bed (this gives you the biofilter you need without giving your tank the ant farm look.
Place base rock on the middle of the tank and build your Livr rock on-top around it. Don't over load the live rock 9you want to watch the fish and the 4" DSB will be your biofilter. This will also allow you to see your fish frmo all angles and allow them needed hiding places without building a rock tank.
Think about adding some bright colored mushroom polyps, star fish, hermit crabs, shrimp, emerald crabs, and a diverse group of snails.

 

[ness]

Ocellaris Keeper:
I like the suggestion, but I want lionfish and eels or other stuff along those lines of aggressive fish.
As for the inverts, I want to get some general star fish, or whatever those white starfish are with the red all over. <img src="graemlins//freak.gif" border="0" alt="[freak]" />
I know this doesn't go here, but I am not getting much response in the aggressive forum:
Anyone know all the fish that I can put in along with the lionfish and eel?

 

[adivedog]

I'm just getting started with this hobby too, but can say the one thing that is probably as important as anything I've learned yet is
p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e. That has been extremely hard for me to do, so just take your time starting up, and check this forum. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people here that can help a lot.
Good Luck

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

Ness,
I wanted to help you set up the appropriate ecosystem for those fish.
I never tell anyone not to put fished together unless they will get eaten
An agressive tank is a great thing to watch, my suggestions will make make tyhe eviron and the maintenance real easy.