New to the passion and have a livestock question?

P

PrestonTX

Hello everyone,

I have trolled these boards and read many books and talked to many LFS people. I have done freshwater for many years and always watched my father enjoy them. But I want to move on to FOWLR and then reef sometime down the road. I was thinking of starting with a 125G, 72" x 18" x 22 tank. My first question is if my only must have fish is a lion fish will that be big enough when fully grown. Also I have asked a few lfs for pieced together starter kits is that the way to go or should I buy based off of reserch and reviews? Thanks ahead of time and I will be joining the club very soon.

Preston
 
Depends on which Lion. Volitans can hit 18" long with fins that radiate out 18" or more whereas Fumanchus only hit 5"-6". All of the others fall in between these two.

Do the research and have them piece together a starter kit based on what you need/want.
 
Volitans was the plan. I had the 4 LFS all say thats was good. The last thing I want to do is buy and have to move so thanks for your honest opinion. I'll need to go bigger or give up the lion. Thanks once again.



Preston
 
Thanks for that advice about the forum to use. I have read that about the LFS. I do realize not all are like that though. But I have paid the memership fee just waiting for my upgrade heard it could take a few days. So I plan on staying around for a while. Thanks again to both of you.
 
Check out the Antennata Lionfish (8"-10") & the Radiata Lionfish (10"-12"). Similar looking to the Volitans but about 1/2 the size.
 
Volitan lions are not difficult to keep. As far as tank sizes go they are sedentary fish and spend most of the day hanging out upside down in the corner of the tank or in a cave. I personally have 2 of them and I keep a blacklight over my tank so that I can watch them move around at night. Mind you they dont move quick but they are so graceful while swimming. A 125 would be more than enough to house a lion or even a pair of them. Most sources say that they get something like 18-20in but the biggest ones ive ever seen were maybe 12-13in but they get bigger around at that age. Let me know if theres anything else I can help with and shoot me a PM when youre ready for a lion Ive got one thats eating like a horse, and will even eat out of your hand, and seems to be bulletproof. " He rode the overflow down to the sump ate all my feeder shrimp and somehow ended up sitting on top of the macro algae out of the water and is still kicking triggerfish butt."
 
Go check out the Volitans at the Dallas World Aquarium. We had a club meeting there a few years ago and it was then that I realized how big they really get and how much they will swim around when they have the room.
 
I understand that fish act differently in different enviroments and probably grow to full wild size in very large enclosures. I'll report how mine act and grow once switched to a 225 but my experience so far shows what I said in previous post. I think im gonna have to go check them out at DWA because I cant imagine why they would be swimming so much during the day? These fish are nocturnal like sharks but I assume theyve been trained like a lot of cat and nurse sharks have been where they are kept at a stable lighting 24/7. In that case im sure they swim almost constantly, but like I said in previous post I have a black light where I can watch mine in their natural circadian rythmn. 125 is a pretty big tank Im positive that you could keep an adult Volitan Lion in that for its entire life comfortably, IF you dont go overboard with the rock and make it into the equivalent of a 30gl. tank space wise.

And Im not saying I know everything about these fish Im just giving my opinion and sharing some of the information that I have found about these critters. Everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt as Im not an expert....yet. [smilie=lol.gif]
 
Thanks for the input Catfish, and once again Mike. I think after doing some more reading im leaning toward the Antennata Lionfish do to it being a little smaller. The last thing I want is to cramp the fish for my pleasure. So how do you guys feel about a Antennata Lionfish going in a 125G, 72" x 18" x 22 with lighter aquascaping?
 
@Catfisht wrote:
I think im gonna have to go check them out at DWA because I cant imagine why they would be swimming so much during the day? said:
It was a club meeting and we were actually there after hours. The lights were on but it was their "night time".

If you want to keep a Volitans, by all means do. Just understand how big they can really get.
IMO, there's just no reason to when there are other lions that look/behave similarly that don't get as big. A 10"-12" Radiata is every bit as impressive.

Dang! All this lion talk has got me wanting one again. [smilie=lol.gif]
Click to expand...
 
A 125 is good enough for a Volitans. Get a small one and it will be a long time before he out grows your tank. If you can afford it, get a bigger tank. I had a volitans lionfish, panther grouper, 2 triggers and an eel in my 80 tall and they were ok. Granted they were all fairly small especiemens, and I only kept them 2 yrs. Antennata, imo is a better looking lionfish. Best of luck.
 
Thanks for the input Reefnut. I honestly like all the lionfish. I don't want to be good enough, so I will either go bigger on the tank but I am leaning Antennata right now. I am getting my tank in the next week or so. So I still have some time for the planning of the fish. But once again thanks to everyone for helping me narrow that species down. Now just to figure out compatable tank mates. So much fun!!!
 
Live on the edge! Put a Rabbitfish in there too. Then it'll be an adventure every time you have to put your hands in the tank! [smilie=rofl.gif]
Seriously though, Rabbitfish should make a good tankmate. An eel can also make a good tank mate. The main thing to be careful of is some fish (tangs & angels) can (can not will) nip lion's fins. Also, if it can fit in the lions mouth he may try to eat it. I'm not talking about fit completely in either. My last Volitans ate a goby that was longer than him and just barely fit thru his mouth opening.
 
It is funny that you say that about the rabbitfish because I actually like them also. But was thinking I might need a titanium arm or something lol.
 
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