First Saltwater Aquarium Ideas

[Amelia]

I want to get a saltwater aquarium and I was wondering if any one had any input on my ideas. These are the critters I'm interested in:
- lionfish
- snowflake moray eel
- urchins
- brittle sea star
- scarlet reef hermit crabs
- dwarf zebra hermit crabs
- nassarius snails
- nerite snails
What size tank would you recommend for this setup? Also, what other critters would you recommend because this could completely change.
Thanks for any input!

 

[anbosu]

I'd go minimum 120 gallons because of the lionfish.

The eel would likely eat your crabs over time, although sometimes people get lucky.

 

[Amelia]

Thanks!

 

[fishhuman]

Snow flake eels eat inverts

 

[namxas]

It really depends on WHICH lionfish when it comes to tank size. Most dwarf species can be kept in smaller setups, as can the medium-bodied Pterois species.

For large-bodied species, you might get away with a 75 gal for P. russelii, but a 48" 100 gal (48" x 24" x 20") is a super footprint. I would definitely look into a 24" wide (front-to-back) setup for large bodied lionfishes as they should be looked at as a 12"+ cube of fish (counting finnage). Think of putting a football into your tank...

Here's an article that breaks down general care, anatomy, and specific info (such as minimum tank size) regarding the species you're likely to encounter in the trade...it should help you a lot.

Lions, and Turkeys, and Devils, Oh My! Lionfish in the Home Aquarium

HTH