fuzzy dwarf lionfish and eel.

[tkarman]

Could i keep a fuzzy dwarf lionfish and so kind of eel like a snowflake in a 55 gallon tank?

 

[btldreef]

I'm not sure about the eel, but the lion can.

 

[tkarman]

ya i was thinking about starting a fowlr 55 gallon. i have read reports that lionfish and an eel can work together. however do you think a 55 is enough room for a eel and a dwark lion together?

 

[btldreef]

I don't really think a snowflake eel is best suited for life in a 55 as they can grow to 2 ft long. Many places say the minimum tank size is 50G. I have no personal experience with eels though.

 

[tkarman]

ya i will not do the eel because i agree on it getting to big. have you kept a fuzzy dwarf?

 

[btldreef]

I have not, but plan to in the very near future. I am looking to set up a 30 -55 gallon set up, depending on space with a dwarf as my "show fish."

 

[saxman]

A fuzzy dwarf would do super well in a 4' setup like a 55 gal. In fact, you could keep a M-F-F trio or mix a couple of other Dendrochirus sp. into the stocking list. Fuzzies and D. barberi are both sexually dimorphic/dichromic, so they can be sexed. However, D. zebra and D. biocellatus can't be sexed, so you're tossing the dice trying to pair them up. We currently have a male fuzzy and a female barberi in a std 60 gal along with a red-fin waspfish, a cockatoo waspfish, a trio of H. borbonius anthias, and two small scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes caribbaeus and S. littoralis).
As for an eel, I'd look into getting a dwarf golden moray, which only grows to about 12". They're a bit pricy, but the species would be a much better tankmate than a SFE. Once SFE's get some size on them, they have a tendency to get pretty aggressive (I kept one for 15 years, so I've seen it happen).
Another "eel" you might consider is the Green Wolf Eel (Congrogadus subducens), which is often referred to as a blenny, but is really a species of dottyback.
HTH

 

[tkarman]

thanks for the suggestions would it be better to buy a small or big fuzzy lionfish. and i was wondering if i could keep it with a kleins butterfly? i have a small in tank refugium that i can put it in when i first get it if that helps in a small space to get it starting eating. and i know that you have to feed it live food at first. what are good foods to feed it.

 

[btldreef]

There are a few members that compiled some research together about them in this thread, might be worth taking a look:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/383088/lionfish-id-and-info-about-dwarfs

 

[tkarman]

i have read that keeping Dwarf fuzzies together they can get agressive with eachother but i wanted to do a tank with just lionfish and the M-F-F Trio sounds really cool. can you give me some more info on ways to keep them together?

 

[saxman]

If you haven't done so, google Frank Marini Lionfish and read his excellent article on keeping lionfish.
Frank also has a great book out there entitled "Lionfishes and Other Scorpionfishes" which can be had for < $10 from Amazon. It's full of great photos and info.
http://www.lionfishlair.com/careguides/careguidescorpionfish.shtml is a good article on feeding and weaning your fish once you get to that.
Finally, altho our own lionfish article is still in the works, our scorpionfish care guide http://www.lionfishlair.com/careguides/careguidescorpionfish.shtml has a lot of info that also applies to lionfish, which of course, are scorps as well.

 

[tkarman]

thanks for the help. i am mainly just worried about my bioload but i think it will be ok if i only keep 2 lions and a kleins in there. i just have to do a lot of water changes.