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View Full Version : Tank size for volitan lionfish?


lougotzz
05/27/2009, 04:45 PM
What tank size should a volitan lion fish be kept in? Is 75 ok? I have a lot of spair equipment for a 75 including tank, stand, skimmer, lights, ect. that I am wanting to put to good use.
Thanks.

namxas
05/27/2009, 05:37 PM
a 75 would make a nice volitans tank.

don't forget to post pix of your setup. :)

unleashed13
05/27/2009, 05:55 PM
75 will do fine for a while but they can reach 12 inches the first yr...6 ft tank would be best suited

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 06:43 PM
Alright, what kind of CUC would be good to add to a tank with this fish?

Jerry W
05/27/2009, 06:49 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15087793#post15087793 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lougotzz
Alright, what kind of CUC would be good to add to a tank with this fish?

Larger hermits, snails, serpent stars are all fine.

snorvich
05/27/2009, 07:01 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15087505#post15087505 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by unleashed13
75 will do fine for a while but they can reach 12 inches the first yr...6 ft tank would be best suited

I agree. They are excellent reef inhabitants. (but not fish safe)

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 07:10 PM
^Wait, I can keep corals with a volitan?

unleashed13
05/27/2009, 07:20 PM
yes you can but its hard to keep smaller fish with them.. reef safe yes ..reef fish safe... debatable fish by size

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 07:26 PM
Oh, I had no idea you can keep corals with lionfish. I thought they were a FOWLR fish. That was one reason I was hesitant to get them. The lionfish is going to be the only fish in the aquarium. Thanks for informing me about that.

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 07:58 PM
What happends if you get stung by the lionfish? How venemous are they?

ironmics
05/27/2009, 08:19 PM
Check this out if you haven't yet, very cool read.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/fm/feature/index.php

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 08:45 PM
So according to that link, the sting (dont laugh if this is really extreme thought) isn't fatal is it?

ironmics
05/27/2009, 08:51 PM
Oops should've posted this too
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/jf/feature/index.php
I've never experienced it, but most reports sound like no worse than a bee sting. Stonefish are reported to be lethal, but I think there isn't too much documentation on that either.

lougotzz
05/27/2009, 09:11 PM
Ok, so chances are if I get stung Ill get some swelling and some pain in the stung area. I think Ill try and avoid that whole mess and just wear saftey gloves? Thanks.

FMarini
05/27/2009, 10:45 PM
safety gloves, you mean like chain mail?
the envenomation from a lion is considerably more painful than a bee sting (think wasp on steriods), however, its dose related, more injected venom= more pain

i've recently completed an update on scorpionfish envenomation in humans(for an upcoming publication), and even thou there have been 100s more reports (okay maybe close to 1000 since 2002), still no direct reports that link lionfish envenomation to death. So yes no direct causal link- stonefish absolutely, lionfish- no

lionfish by definition are reefsafe-ie they have no interest in sessile inverts like corals. However i call them reeflimiting, in that they limit your fish and invert choices. Smaller fish= food, moving inverts=food, w caveats. Such as hermit crabs, starfish, cukes, snails are all safe w/ lionfish. Cleaner shrimp are a 50/50 proposition

FMarini
05/27/2009, 10:52 PM
which reminds me....
the reason you asked.
is a 75gal tank adequate for a P volitan's lionfish.
Yes, for 1 yr, then i would tell you at least 100+ as these fish get big 15-17"(size of an american football)

snorvich
05/28/2009, 08:28 AM
Good advice from FMarini. However when stung, it is MUCH more painful than a bee or wasp sting. When diving in Papua New Guinea, I had an 18 inch across lionfish that would swim with me at night and I can assure you I was very careful (smart fish, my light would light up his dinner). However, they are not normally aggressive, so with adequate care, you should avoid the problem. Pretty in a reef tank, especially a large one. However, they don't do much.

adambirk
05/28/2009, 10:02 AM
a 75 gallon will be fine for that fish i dont really seeing the need for a 6 foot tank for the simple fact that they are not super active swimmers like a tang that you need the extra length for. they kind of just mozie around looking for food. just make sure you leave room in the 75 because the get just as wide as they do long
and also if you are going to keep in a reef tank just remember that these fish poop alot they are fairly dirty. so make sure you have a skimmer that is rated for more than your water volume. good luck they are an awsome fish to keep. and if you dont want to keep a lion that big you can always get a dwarf there are a few different species that dont get much bigger than 5 to 6 inches. i have had both dwarfs and volitians and liked them both. the volitans were more active during the daytime though.

sacremon
05/28/2009, 10:36 AM
The one caveat on lions and reefs is, depending on the personality of the fish involved, they might decide to perch on things rather than swim around a lot. Mine likes to perch, which is fine when it is on live rock, not so much when he decides that the clove polyps are nice to rest his stomach on. It won't really harm to corals unless it becomes a real favorite spot and they spend a lot of time there.

namxas
05/28/2009, 11:29 AM
+1 to sacremon's post.

i've had lions do wonderfully in reef setups, but our current full-grown volitans is a "percher" and it really affects whatever coral is the "flavor of the month", but since the tank belongs to the lion, and always has, whatever happens, happens. all it can p*ss off now are polyps (GSP, daisy, etc.).

welsher7
05/28/2009, 11:56 AM
if you really want the look of the volitan and only have a 75g why not get a russells lionfish. they look alike but the russells only gets 10-12". It would be much better suited for a 75g than a volitan.

lougotzz
05/28/2009, 05:11 PM
Alright, I will look into the russels. I really like the lionfish though! I am going to paint my tanks backround deep blue, and use a deep blue light in mt fixture. I am looking for a crisp, deep blue. Not murkey, just its clear, but its deep blue. Can anyone tell me what kind of bulb I should look into for that? As far as the perching, I dont really mind at all. I think it is awsome when they just pick a spot to sit. I would like him to swim too, but I am not against perching. I also think its kind of cool to have a fish that is venemous. I am not into feeding feeders or anything, but just to tell people sounds fun lol. They really are beautiful fish. I will keep a lot of open space in mind when aquascaping so he can have some room. Ill get a big sump going, ill add a god amount of rock in there and subtract some from the display.

namxas
05/28/2009, 05:24 PM
don't worry...the fish will greet you with pectorals extended when it sees you...always looking for a snack!

what effect are you going for with the blue light? personally, i like 03 actinics, but i use them in conjunction with 10k's.

i wonder if you'd like some of the 7100k (470 nm) blues out there, they don't make things fluorecse the same as 03's (430 nm).

lougotzz
05/28/2009, 05:38 PM
My lighting fixture includes 2 bulbs, then a bunch of one 1 watt LED lights. 9 lunar blue, 9 lunar white. I was thinking of going 20k bulbs? I really want deep blue to simulate it like the bottom of the ocean. My other tanks lighting fixture makes the water look really white. Which I like. I am just looking for a little change.
Thanks.

Damascus
05/28/2009, 06:07 PM
a 75 turned on its side would be perfect.

lougotzz
05/28/2009, 06:47 PM
Would a snowflake eel be ok in the tank too? I have seen some youtube videos of the lion and the eel together. Are snowflake eels reef safe or no?

LisaD
05/28/2009, 06:56 PM
a snowflake eel and a volitans lion would be fine together. however, a 75 gallon tank will not be big enough for one or both for life. go to a public aquarium and find full grown V lions and snowflakes. tank needs to be both wider and longer than a 75 IMO. if you MUST have a 4 foot tank, then 120 minimum, IMO. V lions are also more active than many lionfish species.

lion
05/29/2009, 12:28 AM
I,m With lisaD.

I have my V Lion and snowflake in a 6ft, but at feeding time the snowflake has a go at the lionfish. My lionfish swims around all the time when I'm home. I would look at getting a bigger tank if I were you :)

anbosu
05/29/2009, 02:08 PM
Both would be ok in a 75 for about a year given normal growth rates, then you would need about a 120-125 gallon tank to accomodate both fish.