60 gallon cube stocking plans.

[fermentedhiker]

So I'm mulling(well more than that as I'll probably order the tank tomorrow) over capping my kitchen peninsula with a 60 gallon cube.

The idea is minimalist live rock with multiple arches and overhangs.

It will have coral but just random softies and LPS(so not a focus)

I'm trying to whittle down the stock list. Care to help me out?

Fish that interest me;

Fu manchu lionfish
fuzzy lionfish
hawaiian lionfish
mombassa lionfish
leaf fish

I'm pretty sure that's more bioload than is practical. Since I'm planning on having a chiller(woodstove in the same room) that limits the size of my sump especially when I squeeze in an ATO.

I'm leaning toward a fu, a fuzzy and a leaf fish as my first choices. Room for another or is that already too much?

 

[Bobbitworm13]

I'd go fuzzy and Hawaiian but that's jmo

 

[JUNBUG361]

Lion fish not much of reef safe

 

[JUNBUG361]

IMO having 2 lions in a 60 is to much

 

[fermentedhiker]

Lion fish not much of reef safe

lionfish are perfectly reef safe. They are however stock limiters in that they limit what else you can keep.

 

[fermentedhiker]

I'd go fuzzy and Hawaiian but that's jmo

Are you saying that's all you would keep or just that those would be top on your list?

 

[fermentedhiker]

Was trying to think of some alternative tankmates for variety if I had to limit the number of scorps because of messiness. I thought about a tomini tang but looks like they could use a little more room. Atlantic longnose butterfly would be ok, but at 4" adult size might be on the menu for full grown dwarf(of some species).

Other suggestions are welcome.

 

[JUNBUG361]

Check what else the lion fish is compatible with as a tank mate

 

[Bobbitworm13]

Yes I would just do a Hawaiian and/or fuzzy dwarf. 60 gallons may seem like a lot but it is really only 4 square feet of space. I definitely wouldn't do more than 2. If you don't already have the tank, get a 40b. They would have more room to get away from each other

 

[fermentedhiker]

Yes I would just do a Hawaiian and/or fuzzy dwarf. 60 gallons may seem like a lot but it is really only 4 square feet of space. I definitely wouldn't do more than 2. If you don't already have the tank, get a 40b. They would have more room to get away from each other

Thanks for the reply. A 40B eh? That's a 15% increase in surface area for a 33% decrease in volume. I'm not sure that balances out. I was estimating three because lionfish lair indicated that a M-F-F Hawaiian trio would work in a 60. So bioload wise I should be OK with three. Aggression is another matter of course, but I always understood lions to be pretty chill about anything not the same species.

A 40B would certainly be cheaper. Although lighting costs would more than make up for that savings My limitation is with making it match into standard kitchen cabinet dimensions. If I could manage 36" depth as well as length I would go for a 93 gallon cube but that would stick out too far and not leave any room for any cabling that would have to run outside the tank.

I could probably pull off a 30x24x24 but that is extra cost for not a ton of extra volume and surface area.