New to the site

[carpe_diem]

hey people, i recently ran across this forum acouple weeks ago and now im hooked, i spend quite a bit of my freetime now surfing the boards. i thought i should just stop by and introduce myself. ive been into fishes for quite some time and had freshwater tanks forever. i just recently bought a 32 gallon hex tank and decided to go saltwater after running across a harlequin tusk at my friends store. this whole fish thing is my new money pit, my old one was cars. just wanted to say hi to everyone and if anyone has any advice for this saltwater noob, id appreciate it - jo

 

[ithorian_r]

welcome aboard. this is a great place to start your saltwater education! i dont wanna be the bearer of bad news, but you dont plan to keep the harlequin in the 32g tank? if you do, im sorry to say he wont fit. but hey, you only learn by asking! its better to ask before rather than not asking and wasting $$$$.
oh and its definitely a money pit, that is for sure! but its worth it!

 

[carpe_diem]

Originally Posted by ithorian_r
welcome aboard. this is a great place to start your saltwater education! i dont wanna be the bearer of bad news, but you dont plan to keep the harlequin in the 32g tank? if you do, im sorry to say he wont fit. but hey, you only learn by asking! its better to ask before rather than not asking and wasting $$$$.
oh and its definitely a money pit, that is for sure! but its worth it!

the harlequin is about 4 inches in length right now, i dont want to get it when its too small because itll be frail and i dont want to get it too big because i want to grow it myself. the 32 gal is only for 2 months at the most, i found some 60+ gal tanks at affordiable prices (im only a 20 year old in college) and i need help in choosing either glass or acrylic. anyone care to explain pro's and con's on both? what other fish do you guys recommend? some friends insisted on some triggers and i read on the board that they get quite violent sometimes. i just want 2 other fish that are aggressive like the harlequin but wont tear each other up. any suggestions are welcomed. thanks in advance.

 

[carpe_diem]

another question is what kind of cleaners can i use with those kinds of fish? im planning on using ls and just found out lr is going to save me from a world of pain. i want something vibrant that wont become a snack.

 

[carpe_diem]

morning bump

 

[ithorian_r]

im a 21 year old college student as well. but to start off, with a 65g you could keep the harlequin no prob, but will be limited with triggers. most triggers get very large and need lots of free swimming space. the smaller the swimming space, more aggressive they tend to get. if you are looking at an aggressive tank, look at maybe a volitans lionfish, eels, porcupine puffer. most aggressive tanks need to be rather large, 90g and up.
as far as glass and acrylic...
glass is heavier, can break easier than acrylic but doesnt scratch as bad and view distortion is less. glass is cheaper than acrylic
acrylic is lighter and stronger but scratches are harder to repair. some people say that have view distortion at some angles. generally more expensive.

 

[carpe_diem]

Originally Posted by ithorian_r
im a 21 year old college student as well. but to start off, with a 65g you could keep the harlequin no prob, but will be limited with triggers. most triggers get very large and need lots of free swimming space. the smaller the swimming space, more aggressive they tend to get. if you are looking at an aggressive tank, look at maybe a volitans lionfish, eels, porcupine puffer. most aggressive tanks need to be rather large, 90g and up.
as far as glass and acrylic...
glass is heavier, can break easier than acrylic but doesnt scratch as bad and view distortion is less. glass is cheaper than acrylic
acrylic is lighter and stronger but scratches are harder to repair. some people say that have view distortion at some angles. generally more expensive.

thanks for the info. im also looking for a good filter and was looking into something like a bio-wheel and add a powerhead. id like some more insight into bio-wheels and other types of filters that you guy/gals are using.

 

[celacanthr]

welcome sieze the day!
um, do a lot of surfing and you can usually find your answer. You could probably go with 1 dwarf angelfish, such as a pygmy, a bicolor, or a coral beauty, and maybe a pair of clownfish.
you don't need a filter as long as you have sufficient live rock, now for the cleaners, i doubt there are any you can have with a tusk.
just do a lot of research!
how much is your lfs selling the tusk for?

 

[carpe_diem]

79 bucks, i think its a deal. i saw one at my friends store going for 300 retail, its about 5" long, he has another one for 200 thats about 4". those are retail prices, i get a good 1/2 off. but i still get a better price at the other store, its about 3-4" long. im going to find out if its from austrailia or the philipines from both stores, then ill make my choice.