reef safe voilitan lion?

[biglurr545]

i love these fish with a passion but i want to have one in my reef tank that im setting up its goign to be a 46 gallon bow with 50 lbs of live rock and a bunch of corals. right now i have a true perc a six lined wrasse and a jaw fish in smaller tank. i plan on moving them to the 46 reef along with a tang or somehting large. but what i really want is a small volitain lion fish. not a dawrf just a young volitain. if i could find one about the same size as the clown would he eat him. im guessing that i cant have inverts in the tank cause he will deff gobble them up. also if i have a anenome will he bother the clown when hes hiding in that. any input is greatly appriciated. and are there any other options on how i could have a volitain lion in a reef tank? tanks for the help

 

[jdragunas]

a volitan gets to be about 15", so that is definately not suitable for your 46 gallon tank! A tang is a bad idea too, as they need at least 7' of swimming room, and your 46 gallon cannot offer that. It may eat smaller fish, shrimp, and other crustaceans in the tank.
If you want a lionfish in that size tank, you'll have to go with a dwarf. If you get the right coloring, the dwarf zebra lionfish looks a lot like the volitan, but they only get up to 7", and will work properly in your 46 bow. They are agressive, however, and therefore caution should be taken with smaller fish. They will most likely eat any inverts as well. I believe they don't really bother corals... but i'm not an expert on lions... Hope this helps!

 

[oozy]

I agree, i have about the same size tank...it sucks, I know
heres why...
Voltans get huge, and grow rapidly, it will out grow your tank in about 6-7 months.
They also create alot of waist. This will be really bad for inverts and corals!
Tangs are a bad choice, they need ~6' unobstricted swimming space or will get stressed and eventually die.
sorry!
I wanted a voltan also but have to wait till i get a large 100+tank

 

[biglurr545]

well i plan on only having the 46 for 2 years im in college and they only allow tanks under 40 gallons on campus soo i only have 2 more years to go then im gonna get a 72 or larger tank so as long as the volitain can live in it for 2 years. i had one in my 55 before i went to college but it was a fowlr but if i got one and it was the same size as the clown when it grows up will it eventually eat the clown or since it has been with the clown since it was little it wont bother it? and for the filtration im doign a wet dry with a 20 gallon fuge with a uv light so it will stay clean no matter the bio load

 

[jer4916]

if you want to waste money buy the fish, otherwise wait and deal with it. how would you like 8 roomates in your dorm room?...you'd freak out....just think of you could never leave!.... yeah..thats how your fish will feel.
seriously DONT buy them.
~Chris

 

[biglurr545]

dude im in a forced tripple its sopposed to be a double but they over booked so its a forced tripple i know about cowded i was lucky to get a spot for my fish tank

 

[oozy]

something else to think about...
what are you going to do with your tank during winter break, summer vacation, and when your drunk roommate spills a long island iced tea into your tank...
I sold my reef when i went to live in the dorms.
Now im living in an apartment off campus where i have control over my living sitituation...just something to think about.
also, you should think again about the lion, they are Venomous.
Its just an all around bad idea for you right now, wait till you have a larger tank to keep the lion, remember patience is part of this hobby.
but you will do as you will...this is my advise
goodluck

 

[biglurr545]

thanks for the advice oozy i prolly wont get a lionfish but so far i havent had any problems with my tank at school breaking it down is not a problem and my roommates know how i am with the tank. when ever we throw parties we do it so its just in the living room and no one can get into our room to mess with the tank. i havent even had a close call yet
looking at the fish tank drunk is one of the funnest things to do hahaha

 

[jdragunas]

lol. it's probably best not to go with the lionfish.
and i think it's very rude to come on this thread and go all "if you want to waste your money, buy the fish". He didn't say "i'm buying it anyway, even if you say i shouldn't". This guy is just coming on here to see if it's possible, he found out it wasn't, and decided with that information not to get one. There is no reason to flame him... he's just doing his research, so if you can't keep your comments nice and courteous, keep them to yourself.