lionfish

jenniesweet

jenniesweet

New Member
can you put more than 1 lionfish in a tank if what kind are compatible tank size is 125gl 72" x 18" x 28" tank be up and running for 2 months now finished it first cycle have 2 damsils in right now but will be moved when i get some lionfish.
ph=8.2
ammonia= 0.0
nitrite =0
nitrate 5
only 5lb live rock will be adding more soon
50lb base rock
sand bottom
marine land pro with bio wheels filter. heater, 2 power heads/wave maker 900gph each and just 4bulb t8 standard florecent lights (in process on get new lights) will i need a protein skimmer???
 
S

saxman

Guest
Generally speaking, most lionfish species do OK together in terms of mixed species setups. Where it can get sticky is with certain species where males will fight, and with a couple of exceptions, most lionfish species aren't sexually dimorphic/dichromic.
Which lionfish species are you considering? If you're thinking large-bodied species such as Pterois volitans and/or P. russelii, you'll want to consider your aquascaping carefully, as an 18" tank is kind of a bare minimum for them tho be able to turn around comfortably. IME, if a lionfish has enuff room to swim, they "perch" less, and thus are more visible (of course, once they learn who the "food god" is, they will always be there to greet you).
Personally, in an 18" tank, I'd lean towards multiple medium-bodied lionfish (P. radiata, P. mombassae, P. antennata, P. sphex) and/or possibly a dwarf species (Dendrochirus brachypterus, D. zebra, D. biocellatus, D. barberi). M-F pairs or M-F-F trios of fuzzy dwarfs (D. brachypterus) are quite entertaining.
One of our setups is a 48" x 24" x 20" 100 gal, and it currently contains 5 lionfish (3 mediums and a M-F fuzzy pair), a waspfish, and a small species scorpionfish. It's a really nice display:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9qDwbH2uNk
Here's one before the fu manchu was moved into the tank:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=wd0WWAqHVG0
If you haven't found this article on the web http://www.lionfishlair.com/careguides/lionfish.shtml be sure to give it a read, as it contains a lot of accurate/up-to-date info on lionfish and their husbandry.
If you have any specific questions after reading the article, ask away...
 
jenniesweet

jenniesweet

New Member
i like them all but i think ill stick with the small to medium body like the antenneta, radiata or the fuzzy dwarf will have to look at the fu manchu have seen to many of them what othe fish would u recommend putting with them foxfish?? large angles??
 
S

saxman

Guest
No on the large angels...they'll harass the lionfish to death. Likewise with most triggerfish except planktonic-feeders such as the blue jaw. Puffers tend to nip at lionfishes' long fins, so I'd leave those out as well.
I've kept a foxface with P. volitans with no troubles, altho I'm not so sure I'd trust one with a fu manchu or any other sedentary substrate-dweller.
You can have a "normal" CUC consisting of snails and hermit crabs (I prefer the scarlet reef hermits as they're the most docile and least problematic).
Speaking of fu manchus, they're a really great fish, altho generally speaking, one of the tuffest to wean onto non-living foods (our specimen took 3 months).
Fu Manchu Lionfish (D. biocellatus):
 
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