Fu Manchu lionfish and anemone?

[fermentedhiker]

I wasn't sure if this should go in the nem section or here.......

I've been planning a 93 gallon mixed reef build for awhile and I've come to the conclusion that I'm trying to pack too many different things into one tank to have it look good even if I could make it work. So the answer of course is a second tank

I don't have a lot of room(the 93 is going in the kitchen as a island centerpiece kind of thing. The only place I have left for additional tanks is my office/fish room. I have a couple double metal stands designed to hold four 30" tanks(20l or 29). So I'm thinking of picking up a 29 at the next 1$/gallon sale and making a dedicated fu manchu reef tank. FWIW I never intending to have a lion in the 93 but have always wanted to keep on.

Having a second reef would allow me to keep some of the softies that I would be concerned would overtake stuff in the 93 mixed. What I'd like to keep for corals is a few zoas/palys, Florida Rics, Lavender Rhodactis etc...

Now to my real question(sorry if the lead in was a bit wordy) I was also thinking a couple rock flower nems, and 1 or 2 mini carpet nems. I've heard horror stories about some mini carpets being fish eaters in tanks, and other accounts of them being fine.

So does anyone have any experience with mini carpets and lions?

Thanks
Adam

 

[namxas]

I've got a lot of experience with lionfishes, and most nems are fine, but I wouldn't trust a carpet at all.

 

[fermentedhiker]

So you consider them as much a danger as true carpets and Haddon's? I thought that might be the case. Which is too bad because Stichodactyla tapetum are supposedly one of the easiest nems to keep. Oh well Rock Flowers it is.

 

[namxas]

I don't trust them, and a nice fu that's eating well and weaned is a "keeper" IMHO.

 

[fermentedhiker]

agreed namxas. The plan is to have a strictly snail based CUC since I don't think the fu would leave any shrimp or small crabs alone. Maybe a serpent star.

Not sure if having the fu in alone will lead to algae or pods overrunning the setup so I'll have to take it one step at a time I guess.

 

[namxas]

The fu will eat whatever pods it catches (generally Gammarids and Munnids), which are a great food for it.

Lionfishes leave snails and hermits (I recommend scarlet reef hermits (Pagueristes cadenati) alone, FWIW.