my new FO setup

[eleyan]

Check it out, I converted my 46G bowfront cichlid tank to saltwater. The water just cleared up after I added the sand and rocks. Here is what I have in there so far:

50lb crushed corall + 60lb southdown (2 layers)
45lb lace rocks
2 x 330 pingui bio wheel filters
2 x 200gph power heads
45w florecent (50/50 + actenic)

I know the lighting is on the low side, but I'm starting with FO. I might upgrade the lights to PC and add some softies in there too.

My thoughts for lifestock are:
- dwarf lion (zebra or radiata or antenna)
- hovercraft box fish
- small angle or butterfly

[Sherri]

Love the rocks! :D

[eleyan]

Yeah, they were a good deal ($0.65/lb from a landscaping place)

[eleyan]

I just got the first inhabitant in the tank today: a 4.5" antenna lionfish. He is really cool looking and its interesting watching him eat the ghost shrimps. He stalks them for a little, then he pounces on them. anyone knows how often and how many ghost shrimps I should feed him?

[RobertG]

Nice tank, Why could'nt my tank just stay that small? The lion will eat as much as you feed him. I gave mine, much bigger BTW lots of ghost shrimp. About 10- 15 every 3-4 days.

[BA]

remember he will get around 7/8 inches. but a nice fish to have. remember when adding tankmates a lot of fish pick at his fins, or he will eat them, just be careful on what your put in the tank. good looking specimine, good general color and only a couple broken spines. Good Buy

[Instar]

Feed him till his belly bulges a little and you can tell he has something in there. When is gets thinner again, in a day or two, feed him again. Lions digestive system is a little like a snake and a grouper. If he is 4.5 inches, ghost shrimp are quite small for him. Try some feeder fish, he'll love that and the show will be worth it. If the food is small and on the light side, he'll eat every day.

[eleyan]

I got him from saltwaterfish.com, they had a sale on them. The first time I order somthing this big through mail. Eventually, I wanted to wean him off live food and feed him frozen krill. How long should i wait before trying to give him some frozen food?
For tank mates, I was thinking just one or two more fish. I would like to get one of the following fish: a harlikuin tusk, a Heniochus or an Auriga Butterflyfish. I'm not sure if they will be too big for a 46G. I remember MikeP had one I think in a 40G, but I don;t know how big he was. Mike? Live aquaria shows a minimum tank of 50G for all of these three fish, but I'm not sure if they are more optimistic than other sites say. Any ideas?

[dan]

nice rock work. is that live rock?

[eleyan]

No its lace rock. much cheaper, the whole setup cost me $30. It feels much lighter and more porous than lime stone, so I'm hopeing once enough bacteria grows on it, it will do a good job in flitration.

[Xtreme]

Awesome rock scape! are you doing a fish or reef or both ?you made the wright choice switching from fresh to SALT!

[eleyan]

This is going to be Fish Only. I have a 72G bowfront setup as a reef tank (check out the www link bellow). I wanted to keep some of the cool agressive fish that I can't keep in my reef tank in this one.

[samiam_orami]

Why limit yourself to fish only ? ...
with all the nutritious waist from your lion, I would think shrooms would do pretty good ...

Just think how beautiful your lion will look with a backdrop of shrooms and green star polpys ...

[BA]

true, that's what i'm going to do with ym 375, predator tank. I have VHOs

[eleyan]

right now I have 30W 50/50 florecent and 15W actenic florecent. Is that enough for mushrooms? I wanted to move my PCs from my reef to this tank and get MH for the reef tank. At that point, I would move some softies to this tank if I don't end up getting a butterfly fish.

[samiam_orami]

I've read that shrooms do OK with just flourescents ...

... but, it's been my experience that the more light thet get, the happier they are ...

[REEFAHOLIC]

I would be really cautious about adding a butterfly with a tusk and the lion.
They are difficult fish and your tank may be just a little too small for all 3 of them.

IMHO
Tina

[BA]

remember, also lions have sensitive eyes, and they actually prefer the dimmer lights, or just give him a good cave to hide in the day

[eleyan]

I probably will add one or the other, the tusk or the butterfly.

[BA]

i would say the butterfly, the tusk gets 10 inches!!!!!!! :o

[Sherri]

Hey BA...Just got back from Tx Tropical - They have a stringray....FYI..... :D

[BA]

thanx sheeri, i have had my eye on him for a while, he has been there for a couple of weeks, and it eating very well they said. He is a gorgeous yellow stingray, and i hope he is still there when my tank is ready for another predator in a week or two. I am going to add my epaulette shark,31inches, 10inch lionfish, and 8inch parrot to it. And then i will start getting new tankmates.i hope he doesn't sell.... :scold: