Lionfish Setup

Question
QUESTION: So right now i have a 120g freshwater tank set up for cichlids and am thinking of eventually turning it into saltwater but wanted to start with something smaller first so my question is if i want to have a tank with ONLY a lionfish in it (i know i would have to a damsel or something to get the water going at first and settled) but would want it to be just the lionfish about what size tank would i need for which kind of lionfish (smallest size fish and tank i could do would be best) and how much live rock would be needed and do they require any other kind of organism to be in the water?

ANSWER: Hello Sarah,

I do NOT agree with the 'sacraficial damsel theory'  to get a tank cycled.  sorry.
You can get a tank cycled without sacraficing or intenionally risking a 'throw away fish'...

As for the size of tank, I would have to think that if you have a 120 gallon tank then use it... You wont be able to get much money for it, you really dont need a lot of lights for lionfish.  It would be simply a matter of cleaniing the tank and maybe investing a different type of filtration system...

(cannister/hang on the back/or a sump)

The lionfish will appreciate the space to grow and hunt... They will be fed while just sitting there, but for the healthier fish, they will have to hunt and move to catch thier prey...

As for species reccomendation, I apologize, but i have no experience with lionfish, unfortunately.  (when i was starting out, i was thinking of aggressive tanks vs community, and obviously went left instead of right)

Hows about you getting some experience and then joining me here and becoming my aggressive fish partner???


Please let me know how things work out for you and what you end up doing...


Bill



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: haha yeah i may have to take you up on that aggressive fish thing once i get some more experience lol and Im definitely going to keep the 120 tank and use it eventually just wanted to get a little more experience with a smaller tank before i sold off all my cichlids and then had no idea what to do lol and im moving to an apartment right now so the 120 tank is being kept at my parents house right now so thats another reason wanted to get the smaller tank for now, also i didnt know there were other ways to cycle the tank thats what the person at my local fish store told me to do when i was asking about my larger tank also the larger tank i want to make into a reef tank so wouldnt be able to have the lionfish in there as far as i know was thinking like a 30g or something but ill look around and see thanks

Answer
Yea, if you want to start of with a smaller tank due to your new digs, then, yea, absolutely... Please keep in mind that smaller tanks are more susceptable to changes.  i.e. if you evaporate 1/2 gallon in small tank vs a large tank, the salinity will drop more in the smaller tank compared to the larger...

That is  true with all peramters and issues involved.