dwarf fuzzy stocking

[nihoa]

i have read that lions can be quite tolerant of the same species and wonder if i could add two dwarf fuzzies to a 54g tank? the tank has two main islands of liverock each with multiple caves and overhangs so there shouldnt be a problem with limited hiding spots. i have some smaller fish that i will be removing but hope to be able to hang on to my fully grown mystery wrasse and starry blenny. that is providing the fuzzies come quite small, id likely not chance it if they are full grown. thoughts?
im also having a hard time figuring out ghost shrimp. there are freshwater gs avail in town and am i correct that these cannot be acclimated to salt but do live long enough when you drop them in to make a meal? my plan is to obviously get the lions on frozen but need to get started. any and all help is appreciated.

 

[saxman]

You should be OK with the fish you have if you get young fuzzies.
Stocking multiple fuzzies will typically mean getting a M-F pair or harem, and you're lucky, because D. brachypterus is indeed s.exually dimorphic. Females will have 4-6 dark bands on their pectorals, while males will have 6 or more (yes, 6 is a gray area). Mature males also have longer pectorals, which reach back to the caudal peduncle and have larger, broader heads. Sometimes juvies will fool you in terms of s.ex, but if you add them together, it may not matter anyhow if they grow up together.
FW ghosties are fine for conditioning the fish prior to weaning, and do indeed live a fairly long time in SW (I've never seen one die "on its own").
Frank Marini (FMarini) has written an excellent article on Lionfish Care (google "Frank Marini Lionfish" and you should find it). He also has a brand new book out entitled Lionfishes and Other Scorpionfishes that is a must have IMHO. Lots of great info in the article as well as the book.
HERE is an article written that covers weaning and feeding techniques that will be helpful (as a matter of fact, the author is from Newfoundland).

 

[nihoa]

thanks very much, that was quite helpful. if i were to get a couple i would be ordering them in through our lfs and he cant guarantee his supplier will send a requested --- (unless it is in the suppliers best interest as is the case with dimorphic fish where one --- fetches a higher $). i will ask for a m/f pair but from the sounds of what you were saying, juvs added together will grow up alright. just what i wanted to hear!
thanks also for the other refs. ive been reading quite a bit but you can never be prepared enough. cranberry is the newf isnt she?

 

[saxman]

cranberry is the newf isnt she?
Yeppers, that's Cranberry (who also happens to be my wife, but don't hold that against her).

 

[nihoa]

ive seen photos of her and your tanks, i like your choices in fish and hope to keep similar critters down the road.
would a pair of zebras work mostly that same as the fuzzies in this system if the fuzzies are unavailable? they seem to max out around the same length from what i read.
and to be clear, are you doing any sort of acclimation for your ghost shrimp or just throw them in? it would be an awful pain if you were having to acclimate once a day to feed!

 

[saxman]

No acclimation...just toss them in. If you keep them in a holding tank, do feed them some good quality marine flake food to boost their nutritional profile.
As for multiple zebras, getting a M-F pair is a crapshoot. However, if you grow a pair of juvies up together, you may be able to keep them together, but even so, they MIGHT fight when they become sexually mature (about 8 mos or so).