angler or scorp?

[palmer373]

ive been discussing this on Reef Fishes cause my tank is a reef tank but i think ill have more help here. my tank is a 33g 48"x12"x12" mixed reef im setting up. i thought of nano fish but ive decided on an aggressive reef. i want a fu manchu for sure but undecided on the other 2, im going to have 3 fish max most likely. bioload doesnt matter cuase i have a skimmer rated for 75g. i was thinking 2 Paracentropogon rubripinnis "Redfin Waspfish" but then snorvich said that a pair of anglers would be a showstopper. i agree, concidering i know of no one in alaska with anglers (although there are probably a few), but i have no idea what anglers would be the best or something. i like the A. Pictus but im not sure. should i go?:

1- fu manchu
2- P. rubripinnis

or

1- fu manchu
2- A. Pictus

 

[jarrod13]

My knowledge of anglers is that they're best left in a species only setup, and best left at only one per tank also. I've never kept one though this is just what I've read

 

[namxas]

I'd say a pictus will eat a fu manchu at some point.

 

[palmer373]

jarrod13- ive read that too but there always has to be someone who breaks the rule

namxas- but wouldnt the poisonous tips ward off the snacking feeling? i know anglers can swallow fish up to their own size (and they would probably die from it too) but i thought the fu would be safe cuase its poisonous.

 

[palmer373]

what about an A. Maculatus? they stay about 4" while the pictus are about 6". im just worried about the price lol.

 

[jarrod13]

I'm definitely a rule breaker, but when it comes to anglers, I wouldn't even try. I've just heard to many stories of them eating things you wouldn't even think possible. I've always wanted to try an angler but I don't want to have JUST an angler.

As far as lionfish go, they do get eaten by bigger predatory fish on occasion. I've seen videos of anglers, stonefish, and even larger lionfish eating them whole. And I'm sure you already know what a trigger or puffer would do to a lionfish, so the answer to your question is no, the poisionous spines will not deter the "dumb hungry" fish.

 

[palmer373]

no idea what a trigger or puffer would do to a lionfish lol. what do they do to it? anyways its worth a shot but im still deciding on like a fu and 2 redfinned waspfish or a fu and like 2 maculatus (they are smaller than pictus). which one do you suggest? i think i already know lol.

 

[palmer373]

could i put 2 fus in the tank? if so what else could i add?

 

[Jackhole]

I had an angler once. I added a fish that I figured was big enough that he wouldn't eat it and sure enough after a week my fish disappeared. I still don't know how he maneged to eat this thing as it was afairly large fish. Mind you so was the angler. They are kind of boring fish as they don't really move around much. Although they are fun to watch during feeding time.

You should get a cuttlefish they are cool.

 

[Stumped]

My knowledge of anglers is that they're best left in a species only setup, and best left at only one per tank also. I've never kept one though this is just what I've read

This is pretty much true. Your proposed setup with 1 Fu and 2 Pictus could very well end up with just 1 Pictus. Frogfish can really eat surprisingly large prey. You can obviously try two frogfish in a tank, but just be aware that you might end up with only one.

I love mine, but from this thread and your other thread I'm not sure a frogfish would be the right choice for your tank. You seem to want multiple fish and/or a bit of movement (eels, lion, etc.). If you go with a frogfish it's very likely you'll end up with a species only tank, and they don't provide any movement really except during feeding times. Don't get me wrong, I think frogfish are amazing. They just aren't for everyone and might not provide the entertainment you're looking for in an aggressive setup.

 

[palmer373]

jackhole- ill look up cuddlefish but i havent read any tanks about them. also what fish did the frogfish eat?

stumped- ah i see you also found this thread, alright so then you recommend from what youve read of my posting, to get like a fu and 2 redfinned waspfish? im curious what else i could keep if i had 2 fus in the tank.

 

[Jackhole]

I couldn't remember the name of teh fish at the time of posting but if I remember correctly it was a four inch hogfish.

 

[namxas]

LisaD kept a M-F pair of anglers, but I don't recall which species. She just lucked out as the male was smaller than the female. Maybe she'll chime in.

However, unless you're willing to risk it, I'd keep anglers as a species/specimen setup unless the tankmates are stocky and about twice its size.

 

[palmer373]

hmmph well the tankmates will be the same size to half the size of the anglers. oh well so how many fu manchu and redfinned waspfish could i put in the tank max? if possible id like to keep things in "pairs".

 

[namxas]

Maybe Frank can chime in about the redfins in harems, but we've kept a pair plus a fu in a 25 gal with no trouble. We've moved the male out to the 60 gal, but the female needs some more size on her before we put her with the adult fuzzy (I think they're simply smaller than the males tho). So the fu and the female redfin are bunking with our Caracanthus madagascarensis, which is fairly small, but seems fine with the fu, since it rarely leaves its lair (except to snatch food off the feeding stick!).

 

[palmer373]

oh ok so youve kept a waspfish pair and fu in a 25 w/o problems? would 2 waspfish and 2 fus be ok? (ive asked that like 12 times but it seems to be skipped) the coral crunchers are awesome lol.

 

[1crazymofo]

wouldnt do it

 

[palmer373]

1crazymofo- you wouldnt do 2 redfinned waspfish and 2 fu manchus? why?

 

[namxas]

I think most folks are in agreement about the two fu's...it's a no-go. I know sometimes DD sells them as "pairs", but I've asked them, and it pretty much means the fish are likely collected together or nearby, and just haven't fought...yet (in some cases).

If you try multiple fu's, make sure there's a Plan B so they can be separated.

 

[herrGreen]

I've seen anglers eat lionfish, volitans. Like it was real food and they knew exactly how to snapp it to get the spines the right way.