dwarf lionfish

[namxas]

i just started reading a great book today about lionfish and scorpionfish by frank C. marini. it is very good and he claims lions will not eat snails or hermits and starfish.

Frank really knows his stuff and is absolutely correct (he's "Dr. Scorp" IMHO).

His book is a great read. There are some great photos in it as well as great info (many of the photos are fish which belong to Renee and me, including the cover shot of our P. volitans).

[it is fish like puffers that will mabe get stung because of their curousity. ][/QUOTE]

It's not a matter of puffers, angels, and non-planktonic feeding triggers getting stung, but rather them harassing and killing the lionfish by picking at them and "de-spining" them (check the "sticky" in this forum regarding lions and triggers).

 

[NEK-ap24]

Eels will definitely escape an open tank. I saw a snowflake launch straight out the top at the lfs tank as soon as they opened the lid! Was startling how fast he went airborne. My thought was Snowflakes were mild morays and did not get too aggressive with tank mates that they couldn't easily swallow. Also I understood that they needed less space then other eels too, as they tend not to actively swim around.
But will continue to research.

 

[namxas]

Actually, lionfish (esp. fuzzies) can/will launch themselves out of a tank as well. Those pretty pectorals are just like wings. I've caught a few of them at it, and have lost a fish or two because of it.

Filefish wise, look into bristletail/matted filefish (Acreicthys tomentosus). They do well with smaller lions/scorps, and will eat Aiptasia as well (providing they're not too well fed).

I'd go with the 60 gal for the FOWLR, personally.

 

[NEK-ap24]

Thanks for the reply Greg,

Can you explain a bit more your choice, and for which aray of fish.

My LFS suggested the dwarf fuzzy for the 40. This is what got me started...

LFS suggested Tomato Clown, Fuzzy Dwarf, Marine Betta, and Snowflake Eel, would be fine for bio load and tank size.

 

[tymon]

ya i ended up setting my cover to my tank up just in case. i will be getting a fuzzy within a week. i have a fuzzy, kleins butterfly, 20 hermits, and the 20 snails. i was wondering if i could add anything else later down the road? and also i am adding 30 pounds of LR in 6 weeks it is in a QT right now. i will not add it all at once a little at a time. to have the bioload handle it. but since i have will have about 60 pound of LR.

 

[namxas]

Thanks for the reply Greg,

Can you explain a bit more your choice, and for which aray of fish.

My LFS suggested the dwarf fuzzy for the 40. This is what got me started...

LFS suggested Tomato Clown, Fuzzy Dwarf, Marine Betta, and Snowflake Eel, would be fine for bio load and tank size.

A. tomentosus stays on the smaller side and are very mild-mannered, so they fit in with a lion's disposition. I've kept them with lions and small waspfish and scorps, and they're always model citizens.

You've actually touched on a couple of fish that I have a negative opinion of (I've kept them myself, so it's been my experience).

I'm not really fond of clownfish...OK, that's putting it mildly. I refuse to keep any fish that gets so mean that you can't put your hand in the tank. They also get nasty with their tankmates once they get some size on them. Remember that clowns are just nasty little damsels in fancy pajamas.

If you want an eel, I'd look into a golden dwarf moray They max out at about a foot and have a better disposition than the SFE, which also get aggressive once they hit about 20" or so. The specimen I had for 15 years managed to bite me twice and kill more than a few tankmates.

Another "eel" option is the green wolf "eel"/"blenny", which is actually a member of the dottyback family. They also reach about a foot or so.

When you keep venomous fish, it's a good idea not to have to worry about other tankmates causing a commotion (with you or the other fish). That way, you can concentrate on where your lion is while working on the tank.

As for the 'nem, you'll need to light your tank accordingly, but a BTA (E. quadricolor) is the best candidate for success.