is a lionfish reef safe?

[reg828]

is lionfish reef safe? and can i keep it with dispar anthias and flame angelfish?

 

[Blown 346]

No a lion fish is not reef safe, it will eat whatever it can find into its mouth, including snails, shrimp small fish. They are a perching fish and could possible damage corals.

 

[Teremei]

Yes they are reef safe. Reefs are SAFE for THEM!!!

Ok now to contribute. Some people say the smallest species, dwarf lion fish. Are safe and will even leave most of your shrimp and fish alone. As long as they were not TOO small. .

 

[Dan Thrash]

they are reef safe meaning they will not harm corals...but they will eat any other inhabitant that it can if in its mouth including fish, shrimp, crabs, etc.

 

[ledford1]

As long as you don't keep shrimp or small fish in your reef, you would be fine. Your lion wouldn't be interested in the corals.

I've kept a Volitan with a Coral Beauty, so a Flame would be okay depending on the sizes of each fish. It would get riskier as the Lion nears adult size, but perhaps growing up with the Flame might be less inclined to see it as food if also well fed.

I think the Lion would stalk the Anthias and wait for just the right time to snatch him up for a meal - and it probably wouldn't take long.

 

[davocean]

That lion will eat any fish it can get in it's mouth, and it's mouth is bigger than you think!
I learned the hard way a long time ago. My lion ate a fish so close to it's size I thought the lion would die too.
It sat on a rock for days with that giant belly looking so stressed.
They grow very fast and have a heavy bioload

 

[El Langostino]

A fuzzy dwarf is perfectly reef safe. At my LFS they have one in a 24 gallon nano cube with about a 2 inch amphiprion ocellaris. they've been in there for a very long time. Lion has never bothered the small clown.