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Minimum tank size for eels and lionfish


dasstheboss

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dasstheboss

as the topic says, i want to badly keep a lionfish and an eel ( likely snowflake). I wanted to know if 20G would be enough for an eel and if i can keep a lionfish (dwarf) in a 10G. They will all be small specimens for ease of feeding and to try to keep in a smaller than usual tank. Is this possible though? All the caves and sandbed i can mimic, just the tank sie that bothers me.

They would both be going in different tanks; the eel in 20 and lion in 10.

Suggestions welcome

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Fishfreak218
as the topic says, i want to badly keep a lionfish and an eel ( likely snowflake). I wanted to know if 20G would be enough for an eel and if i can keep a lionfish (dwarf) in a 10G. They will all be small specimens for ease of feeding and to try to keep in a smaller than usual tank. Is this possible though? All the caves and sandbed i can mimic, just the tank sie that bothers me.

They would both be going in different tanks; the eel in 20 and lion in 10.

Suggestions welcome

possible? yes

I can shove my clownfish in a fish bowl also... its very possible

but most likely with such high bioload animals your water would be horrible and it would be VERY cramped for the fish.

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dasstheboss

I just don't understand why a 1-2" Dwarf Lion can't fit in a 10G? And also why a 6" eel cant fit in a 36" tank. As per the bioload, i will have that covered with lots of filtration

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Fishfreak218
I just don't understand why a 1-2" Dwarf Lion can't fit in a 10G? And also why a 6" eel cant fit in a 36" tank. As per the bioload, i will have that covered with lots of filtration

oh they can fit but they will outgrow the tank and they are high bioload animals. What does lots of filtration mean? your planning on putting a sump on both these with a refugium and a nice protein skimmer? on each? OR are you saying 2 HOB filters with bio-wheels?

whats your idea of "lots of filtration" ?

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dasstheboss

So far im thinking of running it with my 75G FOWLR ( both tanks) and that tank will have a PS160 Skimmer so that will be enough on the skimmer part. I will also have a fuge so it will take care of the fuge part as well. Also, i will be using two AC20s on both tanks for circulation and added filtration. Also, there will be emperors running on the 75G as well. I just wanted a space where they can grow out so i can add them to my bigger tank later when i can afford to buy another one when i graduate, then they BOTH and go in a 90G with other fish... but thats that. I will probably have a bigger tank by the time they grow out the current tanks that i want ot keep them in.

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Fishfreak218
So far im thinking of running it with my 75G FOWLR ( both tanks) and that tank will have a PS160 Skimmer so that will be enough on the skimmer part. I will also have a fuge so it will take care of the fuge part as well. Also, i will be using two AC20s on both tanks for circulation and added filtration. Also, there will be emperors running on the 75G as well. I just wanted a space where they can grow out so i can add them to my bigger tank later when i can afford to buy another one when i graduate, then they BOTH and go in a 90G with other fish... but thats that. I will probably have a bigger tank by the time they grow out the current tanks that i want ot keep them in.

see, I know this. I have done this. You plan something and then because of something it doesnt work out or your intrests just change completly. If all your doing is trying to grow them out for your larger tank then why not just buy larger ones instead of small ones? I was under the impression you didnt already buy them. Also what brand is this "PS160" skimmer? When people say stuff like "I will probably have a bigger tank by then" most of the time it doesnt happen. "When you can afford it" what if you cant? etc. there is other stuff to think about.... like the future. What if [im assuming here] your parents dont want you to connect all these tanks for whatever reason?

just saying.. there is other things to think about

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chrisdamage
So far im thinking of running it with my 75G FOWLR ( both tanks) and that tank will have a PS160 Skimmer so that will be enough on the skimmer part. I will also have a fuge so it will take care of the fuge part as well. Also, i will be using two AC20s on both tanks for circulation and added filtration. Also, there will be emperors running on the 75G as well. I just wanted a space where they can grow out so i can add them to my bigger tank later when i can afford to buy another one when i graduate, then they BOTH and go in a 90G with other fish... but thats that. I will probably have a bigger tank by the time they grow out the current tanks that i want ot keep them in.

 

 

do your research... you will need atleast a 125g to comfortably hold a lionfish for its lifespan... be it dwarf or not

 

be prepared for a massive bioload on your system, I have kept both animals and they both are voracious and MESSY eaters...

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Please don't believe what an online site tells you...

 

Either listen and heed advice given to you or stop posting... :/

 

Theres no sense arguing your point, if you have to ask...I doubt you are right

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I am just curious but why do you ask for peoples opinions and then shoot them down? What is the point if you have already made up your mind? The simple answer to both of these questions is NO. There is no way in hell that someone should but a lionfish in a 10 gallon tank!!! The only fish I would put in a tank that small would be a single perc or 2 clown gobies!

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dasstheboss

If i were to just add the two fish to my 75G FOWLR, what are the chances that they would eat any other fish i put in b4 them, since they would be new and won't be able to bully everything else.

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Fishfreak218

i doubt it... but then again the lionfish will eat anything that can fit in his mouth. Either ditch the lion or ditch the small fish

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true but not true....i kept a volitan in a 75 gallon with a pair of percs, a rock beauty angel and very small blue damsels for over 2 years with no harm done to any of the fish. He did eat my cleaner shrimp and snails, but at least in my case he didnt hurt any other fish.

 

that 125 gallon tank thing is not so much true...especially for a dwarf...but definately not a 10 gallon....even though i had good luck, i'd say ditch the lion...and the eel...and get your blue hippo and some nice colorful angels and butterflies(for the 75 gallon)

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dasstheboss

After all you guys have said, it would be especially curel if i put my two fish in the small tanks (so, no, i dont have the fish yet). The only reason that i wanted to keep them in th small tanks first is beacuse i have both of the tanks and i don't want to wait another six months b4 i get an eel (assuming the eel won't grow much in that time). Since i already have the two tanks, i decided why not fit a 1-2" Lion in there but that doesn't seem to be the case. Sorry, if i p*^$ed you all off, but i just wanted to keep the fish in what i had b4 moving them to my newer tank.

As per the parent's restrictions and all, i will ask them about it first of course. After all, the tanks will be in the basement where i spend most of my time.

 

Another random thing, what fish other than the eel and lion can go in a 75G? (assuming i won't put the lion and eel in the 75G)

So far, i have decided upon a tiny blue hippo tang. I didn't want butterflies cus i heard they were hard to feed.

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chrisdamage
dwarf can live for years in a 20long.... i know, i've seen them do it.

 

 

sorry, didn't read... didn't see "dwarf" haha... but yes, even with a dwarf, minimum of 75 gal is good.

 

that eel will eat anything it can get its jaws around... small fish beware

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Wow this thread is a great.

 

We have an OP trying to bend the rules rather than buy a tank to accommodate what he wants to keep...

 

AND

 

We have other newblets posting total BS.

 

Here is the deal straight forward in your face:

 

So you want a snowflake eel and dwarf lion. Common purchase size for the eel is 6-12 inches, but they will grow easily to be 18-24"+. So you can forget about the 10g for sure. Most experts recommend a minimum of a 29g tank, but really I think a 55g makes more sense. Now as for the dwarf lion, common purchase size will be 2-3", and max they get about 4-6". So you can forget about the 10g, NOT even an option. Again, the min tank size recommended by most experts is 29g, but ideally, I'd like to see them in a 55g.

 

Now can you push things? Well, you could probably get away with keeping both the eel and dwarf lion in the 20L for a while, but ideally, I think it would be better if they had a bigger tank. So the question is, do you want to push things, or be successful from the start? That is your decision.

 

 

Other stuff:

 

Marine center gives some of the worst fish advice on their website that I have ever seen. Talk about making stuff up. Stick with books by published authors and scientists. Not people looking to sell you stuff.

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"We have other newblets posting total BS"

 

hostile are we? either way, I said a dwarf lion would definately be good for long term in a 20L, really... it would be, again, i've seen them do it. and im no newblet, plus thats teh gehest way to spell noob. eel i have no idea about, and by teh soudns it was two different tanks, not one.. soemtimes it helps to read the whole post.

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"We have other newblets posting total BS"

 

hostile are we? either way, I said a dwarf lion would definately be good for long term in a 20L, really... it would be, again, i've seen them do it. and im no newblet, plus thats teh gehest way to spell noob. eel i have no idea about, and by teh soudns it was two different tanks, not one.. soemtimes it helps to read the whole post.

 

Probably a little. Has nothing to do with your posts though.

 

I know it was two different tanks. I read every word. As I stated, the 10g is not an option for the eel or lion. Generally dwarf lions and snowflake eels do fine with each other though. Makes more sense to me to house them in the 20L than put the eel in the 20L and lion in the 10g, like he originally said. That is going to be a pretty dang high bioload though. I really think he should just skip both though until he can put it in the 75 or get a larger tank that will be more suitable long term.

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