You could keep a couple of
P. volitans in that setup pretty easily. Just in case you don't know just how large an adult volitans gets, think of having two American footballs swimming around in the tank. Our volitans outgrew 3 setups, and is currently in a 100 gal "wide" (48" x 24" x 20").
Upkeep shouldn't be too bad, as lions should only be fed 3x a week (we feed all of our lions M-W-F). Make sure you have a good skimmer and good surface agitation on the setup. Many of the foods you'll feed your lions are on the oily side, and can produce a "slick" on the water's surface. You'll want to have a few caves and/or overhangs when you do your aquascaping, and be sure to give the fish plenty of "turnaround" space (think of each fish as a 12" cube, counting pectoral spread).
Another recommendation I can make is the use of live macro algae in the DT...it looks nice, and is a real aid in maintaining water quality.
Here is some info taken from our upcoming lionfish-keeping article:
Pterois volitans (Common Lionfish, Red Lionfish, Red Firefish, Turkeyfish, Butterfly Cod, Scorpion Cod, Featherfins, Peacock Lionfish, Zebrafish, Black Volitans)
Maximum Size: 15” TL
Natural Habitat: Inhabit lagoon and seaward reefs from turbid inshore areas to depths of about 50 meters. Pacific Ocean: Cocos-Keeling Islands and Western Australia, in the eastern Indian Ocean to the Marquesas and Oeno (Pitcairn group), north to southern Japan and southern Korea, south to Lord Howe Island, northern New Zealand, and the Austral Islands. Depth: 2 - 55 meters
Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons.
This species is what one would have to consider THE lionfish. Whenever a person mentions that they keep a lionfish, it is most likely P. volitans. At this writing, we have kept nine species of lionfish, and although each species has its own allure, there is nothing quite like an adult volitans in terms of sheer “presence” and graceful beauty. They make the ultimate centerpiece fish for the larger aquarium. Unfortunately, these fish are often offered as 2” juveniles, and many keepers are unaware as to how large and/or how fast these fish can grow, so many specimens end up being cramped and “tank-stunted” instead of being able to spread their fins and cruise about their tank.
Coloration can be variable, and is generally associated with the geographic location a given fish hails from. Generally speaking, there are basic two color morphs: white with black body bands or white with red/brown banding. There is also a dark, almost completely black color morph that is a bit more rare, but quite interesting to see. Unlike the Russel’s lionfish, the median and caudal fins of
P. volitans have several small dark spots on them. One of the most noticeable traits of “juvie” volitans lions are their very long, individually-sheathed pectoral fin rays. The short membrane at the base of each pectoral fin is clear, and the outer edge is adorned with several ocellae, or “eye spots” in juvenile specimens. These spots mimic the eyes of a small cluster of prey fish, and serve to confuse and calm the baby lion’s prey. However, these spots and the clear membrane disappear as the fish grow. As the fish mature, they also “grow into” their pectorals, thus, you may see some adult specimens with short pectorals and a squatty, bulldog-like body, while others retain a fair amount of their pectoral fin sweep. There is supposition that the difference between shorter and longer-finned specimens may be geographical locale. Juvenile specimens also exhibit two supraorbital tentacles (“antennae”) that typically disappear as the fish ages, although there are some adult fish that keep them for life.
P. volitans is typically very easy to feed and wean, and weaning is often accomplished by simply adding a chunk of food to the water column, as this species has a voracious appetite. Their “maximum prey size” is often underestimated by aquarists who watch in horror as their adult volitans slurps down a 6”+ long tankmate in the blink of an eye.
This species is probably the most forgiving of all lionfish species in terms of water quality and other forms of negligence visited on them by the aquarist. In fact, in the past, this fish was sometimes used to cycle new setups, as they could handle the various spikes in water chemistry. One of the most often made mistakes with this fish is to “under-tank” it. Even a smaller adult will end up being a 12” cube (including fins), so they require a minimum front-to-back depth of 18” just to be able to turn around comfortably.
You can also Google "Frank Marini Lionfish" and get to his excellent online article. Frank also has a great book entitled Lionfishes and Other Scorpionfishes that is available on Amazon for less than $10...definitely a great resource.
Finally, here's a good article on feeding and weaning your lionfish:
http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingtechniques/toolsofthetrade.shtml
Can't wait to see your "lion's lair"...
