20 gallon Q...

jmg

Member
alright guys, im in college now with my roomie, and we are converting our spare 20 long into a small reef tank and moving the few fish i currently have over to that one which will leave me with an extra 20 high... is this too small for a fuzzy dwarf lion?
 

jr2857

Active Member
for the long run i believe it is. minumum would be a 30 maybe. all you need is 6 more inches and like another $100 and perfect for it.
 

jmg

Member
Alright well dont bucher me on this at all, cause I havent done any research... but I called up my LFS today and he said they havent had any luck with ANY dwarf lions yet. What do they eat? Also, we just ordered 45# of live rock today for both tanks and I already have about 10-15 in the one the lion will go in... Do I need to upgrade lighting or is basic fish tank lights alright, and do I really need a skimmer, or is a regular filter going to be ok for the little guy? They are beautiful fish and I would love to keep one healthy, colorful, and happy (until I upgrade my tank). Anyone?
 

jr2857

Active Member
i don't think they care about lighting but i haven't owned one. they eat live ghost shrimp but they can be tempted to eat frozen
 

lion_crazz

Active Member
I feed mine ghost shrimp that are fed and loaded with a lot of nutritious food. They are finicky eaters when you first get them. You want to make sure you can get them ghost shrimp. If you want some links to ghost shrimp, email me. Ry84@MSN.com is the email.
I would not recommend putting one into a heavily stocked 20, but one that does not have any fish would be fine in my opinion. You do not want the little guy crowded.
Lighting does not matter. Actually, since lions are nocturnal, they do not like very bright lights, so regular lights are fine.
Yes, you definitely need a skimmer. All saltwater tanks need one in order to remain healthy longterm. Plus, they add a ton of oxygen to your water.
If you do not view the lion eat anything in the store, DO NOT BUY HIM! Don't let the LFS feed them feeder fish for you, this is very bad for them. If they cannot feed em ghost shrimp of frozen, do not buy him. Many lions are thought to be caught with cyanide, and if the customer continues to buy this, this practice will continue to go on. Be smart, and make sure the lion definitely eats in the store before you buy him.
 

jmg

Member
Yea. I will email you... I'm gonna clear some things up. Chances are, this will be the only fish in the tank. there will probably be around 20+ lbs of liverock with it, normal lighting, I have a 1 biowheel filter, I can easily get a good skimmer (just got one today for the future reef tank and I can already tell its helping). So basically yes this would be the only fish in the tank.
My LFS refuses to by dwarfs. He said I could probably have another type of lion (didnt say), but he couldn't get dwarfs to feed. I might have to travel another town over or even buy online. What are your guys opinions on buying lionfish online? Only a few downsides I can definately see... I dont get to pick one that I really like and I dont know what it is feeding on.
Thanks for the info guys, also I have a 1" humu humu trigger that suprisingly enough has never been aggressive and rather hides all the time (had him for about a year now I guess), you think he would be safe to go with a lionfish? I have heard mixed controversy on this one.
 

lion_crazz

Active Member
That is good that he will be by himself and that you can get a skimmer. It is also very good that you have 20 lbs. of live rock to go in there.
I would not buy a lion online because you cannot see it eating. I would not trust it, although I am sure many people have had success.
I would not put the trigger with a lion, regardless of how timid it might be now. Once it sees the lion and the tempting fins, you never know what could happen.
 

jmg

Member
Thats fine, looks like the lion will be by itself for a while if I decide to go through with it. I'll have to look around some of the surrounding towns for another fish store to contact so I can check out the fish. It might be a little more expensive buying it at a LFS, but at least I can see it feed, see it..., and if anything goes wrong... show the LFS. and yea I already have 15# of live rock in my 20 high, and we ordered 45# today for both tanks (20 long and 20 high), so I'm sure we will have plenty of rock.
 

jmg

Member
Alright I will stick with looking for fuzzy dwarfs.
Do you guys suggest any sort of moonlights for them? I know they feed better at night and are more nocturnal I guess, so should I got for some extremely low light (more for my help seeing lol) or just enjoy/feed them more after the light shuts off?
Anyone got suggestions on skimmers for this 20 high? For the 20 long I just bought a Super Skimmer Needle Wheel system, but I was wondering about maybe cheaper ones?
Sorry for the 20 questions, but its always better to know everything than nothing... right?
 

lion_crazz

Active Member
I agree, ask as many questions that are neccessary.
I like the effect moonlights put on tanks, and since lions are nocturnal, this would be very good for them. You do not have to feed them at night though.They are very personal fish, and will react as soon as they see you, often coming to the top of the tank for food.
And as for skimmers, you can get an excellent Corallife skimmer, rated for tanks up to 65 gallons, for $70-$80. Can't beat that. That is the skimmer I would recommend.
 

jmg

Member
I will look into that one. I paid $100 for the one I just got and it too is rated up to 65 gallons, but the cheaper $ is better for me being a college student. Thanks for the help.
 

lion_crazz

Active Member
Corallife skimmers are one of my favorite hang on skimmers. Even though they are cheaper, I find they are just as good as Remoras and Excaliburs.
 

jmg

Member
Yea I just realized what I was saying... the one I bought is made by corallife... probably the same one you are talking about. originally $80 but then it was like $15 shipping. love it so far!
 

triggered

Member
JmG,
We live in Eureka Springs. Have you tried the lfs in Rogers? It is 100 X better than the one in F-ville. The one in rogers is CLEAN and they have much healthier and a larger variety. Let me know if you want any info on either........Peace
 
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