Lionfish in a reef?

[Grebex11]

I was thinking about most likely one of the dwarf lions. What is the smallest fish that could be kept with a volitan? I know they get huge mouths when bigger, what is the mimimum size of a fish that could be kept with a volitan? Otherwise I was thinking a fuzzy dwarf, or dwarf zerbra. Do you guys think a bigger ocellaris clown could be kept with a dwarf lion?

 

[Moort82]

It could be kept but for how long, Lions can eat fish nearly as big as themselves and the clown would be on borrowed time.

 

[snorvich]

It could be kept but for how long, Lions can eat fish nearly as big as themselves and the clown would be on borrowed time.

Absolutely. Lions are "reef safe" but not fish and shrimp safe. Lions will ATTEMPT eating anything that moves and sometimes will consume a fish that is too large for them with sometimes fatal consequences. But if it is the ONLY fish, it is a very pretty reef inhabitant.

 

[Guygettnby]

when i first started this hobby i had a LFS sell me a dwarf lion along with 2 clowns. they told me that the clowns would be fine because they were too big for the lion to eat.... :lol: so untrue... the next day i woke up and there was a clown missing. when i got home from work the second clown was missing and the lion fish looked pregnant... so much so that you could see the outline of the clown in the lions belly.

so i will strongly have too agree with the above posts.

 

[gsxr750]

Yup I second that. I had one in my reef and while I was getting ready for work one day I came back out the restroom and my lion fish had my diamond head goby in its mouth. The goby was as long as the lion fish. The goby's tail was sticking out still.

 

[HorsePower]

They are reefsafe, as in they will not bother any of your corals.... But there is a possibility they will eat your smaller fish and inverts....

 

[jim.l]

Also you don't really want to be working in a tank with a lion in it. Hands are always in a reef for one thing or another. They won't attack but they won't try to get out of the way either.

 

[snorvich]

Also you don't really want to be working in a tank with a lion in it. Hands are always in a reef for one thing or another. They won't attack but they won't try to get out of the way either.

Well . . . one of my all time favorite dive sites is Dinah's Beach in Milne Bay Papua New Guinea. Whenever I would do a night dive, I had two enormous lionfish on each shoulder that would wait for me to light up dinner and then consume it. These fish were about 18 inches across and they were right near my shoulders. They never touched but the psychological implications were severe. They were there year after year, just waiting for meal time assistance.

 

[sanchoy]

i wonder if people ever did a multi lionfish coral tank.

 

[HorsePower]

Well . . . one of my all time favorite dive sites is Dinah's Beach in Milne Bay Papua New Guinea. Whenever I would do a night dive, I had two enormous lionfish on each shoulder that would wait for me to light up dinner and then consume it. These fish were about 18 inches across and they were right near my shoulders. They never touched but the psychological implications were severe. They were there year after year, just waiting for meal time assistance.

Really?!?! Thats awesome, you should get some footage of that!

 

[namxas]

Also you don't really want to be working in a tank with a lion in it. Hands are always in a reef for one thing or another. They won't attack but they won't try to get out of the way either.

It depends on the fish...most of our venomous fish will either move away or simply sit there (I've actually gently lifted some of them out of my way). Our adult volitans will usually move away, but sometimes I tap her tail and she'll slowly go to a "neutral corner".

We do, however, have a pesky cockatoo waspfish that is always looking for a handout and is incredibly tame. I have to be careful not to suck it up with the siphon wand as it will follow it around as I work.

IME, if your fish are used to you, there's little to worry about other than placing your hand directly on them. They deserve your respect, pure and simple, and it's your business to know where they are at any given time.

 

[palmer373]

i wonder if people ever did a multi lionfish coral tank.

do you mean multiple lions in a reef tank? im working on a reef tank with a fu manchu (was hoping to have 2 but dont think itll work out) and maybe a D. Barberi ill have 8 damsels and a snowflake in there. from what ive read/seen itll work out cuase the snowflake will be hiding most of the day and if the damsels are eaten oh well it means the lion was hungry.

 

[sasharotty]

Absolutely. Lions are "reef safe" but not fish and shrimp safe. Lions will ATTEMPT eating anything that moves and sometimes will consume a fish that is too large for them with sometimes fatal consequences. But if it is the ONLY fish, it is a very pretty reef inhabitant.

Made the unfortunate decision to put a lion in with a damsel and the lion died due to suffocation??.Feels bad man.:mad2:

 

[Grebex11]

hmm i do want a lion... But i also want a pair of clowns and an anemone. Maybe if I added a dwarf lion last? And went with like tomato or maroon clowns that could work? Then just had a couple tangs?

 

[palmer373]

i also want this sick maroon pair and a RBTA they have but i dont want to just ocme home with a $80 treat so im iff on that also grebex11. the real reason i set my tank up was for the corals (better home) and the lion(s)/waspfish. i have to think this through just like you :?

 

[Grebex11]

yeah... too many choices haha. I have always wanted a lionfish... I have also always wanted an anemone... I have had a pair of clowns before, but it was a FOWLR tank. The whole reason I want an anemone though is for a clown or 2 to host in it... Well I have a while to decide. I'm thinking If I got a couple tomato clowns as my first fish and let them grow to a maybe 3.5 inches I don't really see a fuzzy dwarf eating them? Hopefully

 

[snorvich]

yeah... too many choices haha. I have always wanted a lionfish... I have also always wanted an anemone... I have had a pair of clowns before, but it was a FOWLR tank. The whole reason I want an anemone though is for a clown or 2 to host in it... Well I have a while to decide. I'm thinking If I got a couple tomato clowns as my first fish and let them grow to a maybe 3.5 inches I don't really see a fuzzy dwarf eating them? Hopefully

I would not assume that this is true.

 

[scchase]

I have seen some giant clarkiis and maroons that a dwarf lion could never eat before and a 6" maroon is a sight to behold course she might kill the lion too.

 

[namxas]

hmm i do want a lion... But i also want a pair of clowns and an anemone. Maybe if I added a dwarf lion last? And went with like tomato or maroon clowns that could work? Then just had a couple tangs?

I'd actually consider adding the clowns last or concurrently...a mated pair protecting their digs could prove to be an issue.

 

[palmer373]

so then if i added a pair of maroons (and maybe a RBTA) before/together/after adding a fu would it work? im thinking its a maybe but im not sure. the clowns are 3-4" i would say.