lionfish compatibility?

[whywe]

What fish and inverts ( if any ) would be compatible to these beautiful creatures?
Thanks.

 

[equalizer]

I belive anything that wont fit in their mouth. They sure are a good looking animal. What kind of lion do you have ?

 

[whywe]

I don't have one yet, just started cycling a 55 gallon and I would love to have one as soon as it is done. Could anyone give me some info on diff. kinds?
thanks.

 

[bdhough]

Unless you get a dwarf you won't be able to keep much with a volitan. They will get rather large and eat anything. I've seen a baby lion eat a royal gramma the same size as it. It had half the fish in his mouth but still..... If you get a dwarf you might be able keep a yellow tang or blue tang with it. Maybe a puffer, but puffers get to big for a 55. Some of the dwarf angels will be good. Niger Trigger.... Don't plan on having any corals or inverts with a lion. The fish that you can have with him will eat most of them.

 

[norm r]

I concur that a dwarf variety would be best suited for a 55. My volitan was about 2" when I got him and grew very rapidly to about 12" in a matter of a couple of years. It is now 14-15". My guy could be an exception but he has never considered eating another fish and I've always had several small fish in the tank with him. In fact, if a smaller fish is being bullied, he frequently harbors it in his fins.

 

[bdhough]

Really? Interesting. If a fish is fast and has hiding spots its usually not so much of a problem with lions. It also helps to make sure they are well fed and thus won't bother with others.

 

[justchillin]

you could do a dwarf lion and an eel...

 

[dubba-r]

Ive had my Vol. Lion and cleaner shrimp for over half a year. The shrimp is not scared of the lion anymore as its always out in the open, well only when the lights are on. But awhile back I had a clown tang and several cleaner wrasses that dissappeared suddenly

 

[guppie]

My vote would be a dwarf, for the size alone. I have had good luck with emerald crabs with aggressive fish, they do a great job in keeping the tank clean and the fish seem to leave them alone. The ones I have a pretty big though.

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by bdhough
.... Don't plan on having any corals or inverts with a lion. The fish that you can have with him will eat most of them.
I disagree. I think lionfish make an excellent addition to a well established reef tank, full of hermits, abalone, conches and the such. As long as you keep it well fed, on frozen silversides(or similar) and are willing to not have clowns, damsels etc... It would be cool. I kept mine in a 55 with a Boxfish, crabs, two cleaner shrimp, and corals. I had no problems what so ever. I moved him to his own tank before I deployed this past year(that way my wife would not have to worry about feeding as much) and he died. No ich, waters tested good(at least that is what my wife said) he just stopped eating. My wife thinks it was out of loneliness.

 

[adam13]

I have a dwarf lion and a snowflake eel together, they are great. The actually seem to have a relationship, its prety cool. I don't have live reef, just lr, so I dont know about that. Just dont put small fish. MY lion ate a shrimp that was so bit its antenna were out of his moUth for day,
AdaM