Lionfish FOWLR

I'd like to set up a Lion's Den! I have a few questions, though!

I've never actually ran a tank without coral before..

Here's what I'd like to know;

Tank Size

SSB or BB?

Special Lighting?

Recommended species?

Powerhead friendly?

Can I put other fish in there with it?

I love the look of the Fu Man Chu, but it's my understanding that that particular species is a tad difficult to care for, and come by. I have a permanent place, but am limited to size, so the smaller the better!

Here's what I already know about Lionfish:

Don't feed goldfish, they lack the necessary nutrition and cause health issues.

Don't pet them.

Don't put anything they can fit their mouth around in the tank if you'll miss it.

A balanced diet is absolutely mandatory.


I have LOTS of researching to do, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be at LionfishLair.com - Welcome to the Jungle...

Oh! And I'd like to keep this low budget, I'll probably make everything myself except the sand and tank. (Rocks included)

 

Zebra or Fuzzy Dwarf? Thoughts?

 

Lionfish lair is actually a sponsor here but you must summon them.

 

LOL! MAX is now over, so life is getting back to normal and I'll catch the threads faster. Last night I spent the evening getting over the finale of Spartacus......

How big of a tank?

I'd go with....

- SSB - they sometimes sit on the bottom, especially the Fu.

- No special lighting. I even have decorative rope lights in the hood of one of my JBJ nanocubes. It's lit to be pleasing to the eye, maybe a little macroalgae, and no more. They don't need bright lights, some don't like bright lights and you won't have algae problems. I clean my glass once in maybe 6 months. You can still grow coralline in the low light as many... actually the majority, of coralline like dimer lights.

- Awesome beginner lion is the fuzzy dwarf. The are SO friendly, freaks for food, you can have more than one if you get them sexed properly and come in many different and great colors. Like a snowflake, no two are alike. I don't consider the zebra a hardy one. They can do quite well for you after they are established, but they can drop dead within a month of two for some people.... like 2 of ours. The Fu is a nice hardy fish, but it can be a little stubborn when converting them from live to frozen. But once converted, they are solid. Depending on th esize of your tank, you can get more than one lion.

- Powerhead friendly..... Hmmmm.... not sure what that means. I don't have powerheads in any of my tanks, but maybe you mean can they get sucked in or damaged by one? I wouldn't worry about it unless it was a super strong reef like one that could suck someone into the next universe. They can get caught in the flow and get knocked around sometimes, as they fins can be a like a sails on a ship in a stiff breeze. Is it super strong? What brand so I can go look up the specs.

- Absolutely you can put other fish in there. They actually don't have to be in a FOWLR as our 210g will have corals once our new lights come. They can't be "picking" fish for the lions fins are simply irresistible, not too aggressive as lions usually are not.
"Don't put anything they can fit their mouth around in the tank if you'll miss it.", with this statement, I know you TOTALLY grasp it. And with this statement.... "A balanced diet is absolutely mandatory", I know you'll be an awesome lionkeeper. You've done your homework, it shows.

-This can def be a low budget tank, especially if you are into DIY projects. Try to keep up on water changes though, even though you'll hear most people say you don't have to change the water as often for tanks without corals. Fish get their primary source of calcium, for instance, through the water. They process it through their blood saturated gill filaments. If you don't change the water, they can become calcium deficient. Other minerals and vitamins are also taken in this way. I don't think a lot of people know that, so I'm just throwing it out there.

 

Awesome! I don't have a tank yet but I'm thinking 40 breeder.

The powerhead is a hydor Coralia 750 or something of that extent. I'll be buying another one of these as well.

I think a Fuzzy Dwarf sounds good to me!

I'm building the stand, and drilling my first sump for this tank, too!

Thanks a lot!