110 gallon set up

[Hunter2001]

I am thinking of purchasing a 110 gallon freshwater aquarium, and am rather new to the hobby. In considering filtration needs, would the aquaclear 150 be sufficient. Specifications state its compatible up to 110 gallons. Other than a strong enough heater, what other essential accessories are needed to ensure a healthy aquarium.

Thanks, any comments would be appreciated.

 

[cyberbeer65]

I would use 2 AC 500/110 filters and a canister filter on that tank.

Edit:I'm thinking of adding a canister filter to my 100 gal.

 

[phanmc]

When a filter is rated to a certain tank size, I always go for the next filter up. Overfiltration is always better than underfiltration. Its also a good idea to use 2 filters in case one of them breaks down.

If you're tank comes with a hood then you only need to worry about the light bulb, but there are alot of different light options out there that it can get confusing. I'll make it simple for you, choose one that says full spectrum daylight. It should have a kelvin rating of 6,500 or 6,700. If its a regular fluorescent tube that the hood uses, check them out at your local hardware store. They'll be cheaper than at the fish store.

A thermostat is good to have handy just to ensure the heater is working properly.

With a large tank, you'll want a python (a gravel vac that can be attached to a faucet) for quick and convenient water changes.

Gravel isn't necessary for a non-planted tank but I'm sure you'll want some kind of ground cover. Make it easy on yourself and only have an inch's worth in most areas so you don't have to really dig in with the gravel vac.

Decor, not only does it make your tank look interesting, it also provides shelter and boundaries for your fishes. Have cave-like structures for fishes that are shy.

A mag float algae scrubber, chances are you're going to run into some form of algae sticking to the glass.

Test kits, you'll want to test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates at the very least. There are master test kits that includes those as well as a few other tests.

Water conditioner/dechlorinator. Unless you know your water source contains no chlorine or chloramine, you'll need to treat your water before putting it in the tank.

 

[ghinksmon]

I would use 2 AC 500/110 filters and a canister filter on that tank.

I agree that one AC is probably insufficient but it will depend on your occupants as well. Large, heavey bodied fish such as those kept by cyberbeer put a lot of demand on a filtration system. It is very common for all but the most seasoned hobbyist to give in to temptation and get fish that interest them at the shop even if they only went in for some food, ultimately overstocking the tank and increasing the demand on the filter. (The seasoned hobbyists just give in and buy more tanks.) Good filtration will work in your favor but a lightly stocked tank is always easier to maintain. I like canister filters myself. Many hobbyists prefer redundancy for filters and heaters, working under the general thought that if one fails I still have something. With heaters this is valuable because often they fail by sticking in the on mode leading to "cooked" fish if the heater was large. With two smaller heaters, neither one has the capacity to overheat the tank. Give some thought to your preference of fish and search this site for similar set ups.

Assuming you haven't purchased it yet, I'll let you know I have a personal dislike for the common 110 tanks. With a "foot print" of 48" x 18" and a height of 30" it is an awkward tank. Reaching into a 30" deep tank is cumbersome for many people and depth doesn't add much to the stocking capacity of a tank. I would recommend either the 125 or the 90 gallon tanks over the 110 (unless your's is dimensionally different).

 

[liv2padl]

according to the Hagan site, the AC 150 is rated for 30 gallon tanks?

 

[Ghost_knife]

I have a Penn-Plax Cascade 1000 on my tank rated for 100 Gallons, It keeps my 55 extreemly clear, I would go for the canister filter, Easier to clean.

 

[Mudfrog]

I would go with two AquaClear 110's (the old 500's) and see how they work for you. If you do not think they do a sufficient job then add a canister filter. You can get the AquaClear 110's for about $40 each, you can't beat that filtration for the price.

As stated above it also comes down to what you plan on having in the tank, larger cichlids like Oscars are extremely messy and require some massive filtration.

 

[Raithan Ellis]

Recently I sold my 110XH (48x18x30) tank, for reasons I'll delve into later. Initally there were two AC 500's running on it when I was keeping African Cichlids, this was a viable setup as there were few plants and a large wall of slate stacked up for caves. Switching to Angelfish, I quickly realized it was way to much flow and turbulence for them... The angle and flow of the AC 500 output would crank out and downward against the front glass, following it down and then churning torward the back.

In the end, I ended up running an AC 500 on one end and a Fluval 404 on the other, with the output of the Fluval going lengthwise torward the AC 500 output. This created a nice separation of high flow and low flow areas for the fish to both play in and relax/sleep in. When I pulled the Fluval for use on another tank I replaced it with an AC 300 and it seemed to be a good balance still.

In regards to heating, I ran two 250w Ebo's placed at either end of the tank. No need to go to 300w heaters unless you are keeping it in a cold area or keeping the temps cranked way up. The second 250w would rarely switch on except during large water changes.

Overall, the 110XH does have a great appearance for viewing... the 48x30 ratio is almost Phi (1.6:1). I absolutely loved how dramatic this tank looked. However, the 30" depth is a nightmare to work on unless the tank is on a low stand... even then, it's a bit rough trying to reach the bottom even for a 6ft tall person like myself. This is why I sold it, as I really wanted a large planted tank that was easier to maintain instead.

If you have any intention of using it for a planted tank, I would consider a 120 (48x24x24) instead. The 120's footprint is a bit nicer to view from the end, also allowing better aquascaping for decor/rocks/plants and more room for your fish to turn around in.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!
Raithan O. Ellis