Lionfish in 56g?

[rpionka]

Hi.

I have 56g tank (30x18x24 Marineland® 56 Gallon Column Style Aquarium) and I'm thinking about lionfish.
Right now I have few small fishes (max size is about 3-4").
Can I add small lionfish now or better is wait until my fishes are grow to maximum sizes?

Regards,
Rafal

 

[namxas]

The big question is what species of lionfish are you considering?

What other fish do you currently have?

Dendrochirus sp. (dwarfs) would be the safest for your other fish, assuming they're smaller species. I highly recommend D. brachypterus (fuzzy dwarf).

You could also go with one of the medium-bodied Pterois species: P. mombassae, P. radiata, P. antennata. Of the three, P. antennata has the largest mouth. There have been some exceptional Mombasa lions on DD lately, and it's is one of my faves.

 

[aday2remmbr]

get a fuzzy dwarf or a fumanchu, but no matter what get some sort of dwarf species of dwarf, if you get a larger species it will limit the amount and selection of other livestock in the tank.

 

[namxas]

I don't know what Rafal's level of experience is, or whether he's new to lionfish, but unless he does have some experience, I don't recommend a biocellatus as a first lion as they can be more difficult to get eating and wean. JMHO...

 

[rpionka]

Right now I have:
3x Green Chromis
2x True Percula Clown
1x Yellowtail Damsel
1x Three Stripe Damsel
2x Two Spot Goby
1x ORA Blue Mandarin

1x pom pom crab
4x blue leg hermit crab
5x turbo snails
10x nassarius snails
1x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

Im thinkong about Fu Manchu Lionfish (Dendrochirus biocellatus), Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus) or Dwarf/Zebra Lionfish (Dendrochirus zebra).

 

[namxas]

Woof...with four "non-chromis" damsels in residence (clowns are damsels), you have a potentially nasty tank going there, which may or may not be too kind to newcomers.

If you add a lion, I'd go with a fuzzy, for sure. However, depending on the activity of the other fish in the tank, it may result in the lion spending more time perching than in the water column. Additionally, you'll want to QT the lion and get it conditioned and weaned before adding it to the DT. Besides the obvious disease issue, the lionfish will be MUCH easier to get eating and weaned without the distractions of tankmates.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Woof...with four "non-chromis" damsels in residence (clowns are damsels), you have a potentially nasty tank going there, which may or may not be too kind to newcomers.

If you add a lion, I'd go with a fuzzy, for sure. However, depending on the activity of the other fish in the tank, it may result in the lion spending more time perching than in the water column. Additionally, you'll want to QT the lion and get it conditioned and weaned before adding it to the DT. Besides the obvious disease issue, the lionfish will be MUCH easier to get eating and weaned without the distractions of tankmates.

Yeah, I can't imagine trying to stick-train a lion with all those damsels around. Re: your question on when to add. Most of the fish on your list won't exceed 3"; so (IMO) you could add a dwarf lion as soon as he is spent his time in QT and eating well from a feeding stick. If he isn't stick trained, I doubt he will do well; just too much competition for food. I wouldn't guarantee that a Fuzzy couldn't eat some of the fish you have when he is full grown.

 

[snorvich]

I think that the OP has a difficult tank to introduce ANY fish to. And I am guessing that all of these are new since a pair of two spots and a mandarin in that sized tank are unlikely to be viable long term.

 

[rpionka]

Thanks guys for answering. Now I have questions about feeding Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus). When is the best time to feed it (day or night) and what kind of food are you using (frozen or live small fishes).

 

[namxas]

Once they get conditioned and eating you can feed them anytime. We recommend 3x a week (we feed all our scorps M-W-F). The best foods to get them eating are gutloaded ghost shrimp or guppies. There's an article I can link you to that specifically covers techniques and equipment for weaning preds, but I need to get to a real puter to give you the link. You can also check out Frank Marini's excellent lionfish care article, which is stickied in this forum for lots of great info.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

 

[namxas]

As promised...

http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingtechniques/toolsofthetrade.shtml

Frank's Article

 

[rpionka]

Thanks namxas - those links are really good.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

I'd be more worried about that dwarf lion making a meal of just about every fish on your list. You think it can't happen, but they can eat something approaching their own size. Ask me how I know.