I finally got a saltwater tank

[hbalagh]

i just purchased this used last night and im so excited, yes i know I need to buy more live rock

So here is my 80 gallon

these pictures were taken about an hour after i filled it up since then i have rearranged the rocks to pile them up more to make more of a cave

[karazy]

nice size! i like it. what do u all ahve on it?(lighting,heating, filtration,ect.)

[hbalagh]

to tell u the truth i have no idea the only thing i know is the filter is called a emporer 400 and the light said Zoo Med Reef Sun 50/50 (this is all very new to me) i should email the person who sold it and ask her for specifics of it she probably would know off hand.

[karazy]

ok. ya, learning brands can take a while. so how long have u been researching saltwater and whatdo u want to put in your tank?

[hbalagh]

been researching on and off for a while, it's been something i've always wanted. I'm going to make it an aggressive tank. A lion fish will be a must as that has been the one fish i said i would always get

[TheOldSalt]

Well, as it happens, Lionfish are pretty easy to keep as saltwater fish go, and good for beginners in that regard. They're terrible for beginners in pretty much every other way, though.
Don't feed it goldfish. Goldfish have an enzyme in them which blocks vitamin B, and this is very bad for a fish that eats them too much. Feed it something better like, say, frozen silversides, which you can buy as fishfood.

Lionfish live a long time and get very large. You think your tank is big now, but with an adult Lion in it you'll know how small it really is, oh yeah.

Tanks like the one you're planning require a lot of upkeep. A bunch of big fish make a big mess, you see. This is fine as long as you're prepared to make the water changes you'll need to in order to keep your tank able to support fish life.

[hbalagh]

thanks for the advice

[TheOldSalt]

Oh, and get a big skimmer while you're at it. It will make your life a lot easier.

[karazy]

ya. id say get a a euro reef skimmer. they have some pretty good sizes for large tanks.

[kgh]

Originally Posted by TheOldSalt

Well, as it happens, Lionfish are pretty easy to keep as saltwater fish go, and good for beginners in that regard. They're terrible for beginners in pretty much every other way, though.
Don't feed it goldfish. Goldfish have an enzyme in them which blocks vitamin B, and this is very bad for a fish that eats them too much. Feed it something better like, say, frozen silversides, which you can buy as fishfood.

Lionfish live a long time and get very large. You think your tank is big now, but with an adult Lion in it you'll know how small it really is, oh yeah.

Tanks like the one you're planning require a lot of upkeep. A bunch of big fish make a big mess, you see. This is fine as long as you're prepared to make the water changes you'll need to in order to keep your tank able to support fish life.

Not all lionfish get big. Take a dwarf lionfish perhaps, although they get up to 6inches it's nothing close to a volitan... Which get up to 15inches.

I'd go dwarf, you could house one well in an 80g.
By the way your tank looks great, what else are you planning on inhabiting in it? Snow Flake eels are cool.

KGH

[Fishfirst]

all lionfish get "big" as old salt stated... even dwarfs... a 6 inch lionfish is a whole lot more bioload than say a 6 inch tang, messy messy eaters they are.