Need help ID'ing a Grouper (pics)

ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
Hello everyone!
I purchased a new grouper from my LFS and I am not sure exactly which kind it is and how big it will get. I have him in the tank with my Dragon Moray. I am just a little worried about how big the grouper will get because I don't want him to get too big for the eel and try to eat him (even though they seem to get along well now). Does anyone know exactly what he is and if I need to be worried about him going after the eel years from now if he gets bigger? I have attached pictures below.
The store was calling it a cod grouper (or something like that) but they tend to get their names wrong. I know that the miniatus grouper is sometimes called a rock cod grouper, and this guy's body also looks like the body of a miniatus.
It was tough to get pics of him... he is usually almost all black in real life... his colors are a little light in the pics because it was dark out when I went in to snap them. It was tough to get a picture that looks like how he looks in real life... he is a lot darker in real life under regular circumstances (but he does get pale and "blotchy" at times).
Any info would be greatly appreciated!



 
reefer545

reefer545

Member
It looks like a Black Grouper you can catch in the Gulf of Mexico. These babies get 50 inches plus. However, in many years since the early 80s to the mid 80s someone is lucky if they catch one more than 36 in.
Hopefully it is not what I think it is, and if it is, you have a couple years to find a REAL HOME>
 
hammerhed7

hammerhed7

Active Member
is there any yellow in the tail? hard to tell from the pics, but my guess would be blue spot, or sometimes called a powder blue. how big is it?
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
I wouldn't say there is yellow in the tail, if anything there is a very small hint of orange in the tail, but more in the fins.
I really hope he isn't going to get as huge as you think, reefer!
Any other opinions?
 
vezina345

vezina345

Member
Definately not a black grouper like in the gulf of mexico. By the shape of it I'd say a speckled grouper just a darked variation. I have one that's almost identical but more of a bluish hue to it.
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
vezina, I also thought he looked like a speckled grouper... he definitely has the shape--just too dark.
My biggest concern is him getting too big and eating the hawaiian dragon. Could something like this ever happen? They get along really well now... they're sitting in the same little cave together right now.
I took more pictures with the lights on to try to get a better shot of what his colors look like in real life. Any more info would be greatly appreciated!






And here's a better shot of the "lil guy" I'm worried about. The eel is pretty large and I know he's still going to grow. I also heard that eels and groupers have pretty good feeding relations in the oceans so I don't know if my eventual concern is real or not. What do you think?
 
hammerhed7

hammerhed7

Active Member
By the new pics I would say it is definately a blue spotted, also called a speckled, or powder blue grouper depending on where you go. I had one of these, and it was a great fish, ton of personality.
I don't think you will have much of an issue with the eel, as they usually only try to eat what they can fit into their mouth. I have heard of size ranges from 14" to 30", however I have never seen one bigger than about 16", and that fish was about 5-7 years old.
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
Thank you to everyone who has helped me with this, especially hammerhead! I appreciate the info!
Can anyone else confirm this info for me? Am I looking at him most-likely being a speckled grouper with a color variation?
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
You will eventually have to worry about the Grouper trying to eat the Dragon.
Your first concern, right now, is to add more rock for the Dragon...that's not nearly enough for it to conceal it's whole body. What's the current size of the Dragon, btw?
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
I am not sure how big the dragon is right now... id say around 18". I am not worried about more rock because he actually spends most of his time sitting right out in the open in the front of the tank. I actually used to have him in a smaller tank with more rock and he would hide in the rocks for the first few years and then he started to come right out in the front of the tank. I also don't want to stack the rock too high because I don't want him to be able to sneak his way out of the top.
hammerhead says I shouldn't have to worry about the grouper and the eel, but aw says i will eventually have to worry. What does everyone else think? If this is going to be a problem, I want to be able to bring him back to my LFS now instead of having to worry about it later when he is too big for anyone with a "smaller" tank...
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by ozzfan84
I am not sure how big the dragon is right now... id say around 18". I am not worried about more rock because he actually spends most of his time sitting right out in the open in the front of the tank. I actually used to have him in a smaller tank with more rock and he would hide in the rocks for the first few years and then he started to come right out in the front of the tank. I also don't want to stack the rock too high because I don't want him to be able to sneak his way out of the top.
That's not normal. I'm a long time Dragon owner and primarily only keep Moray Eels. They're not an open fairing species. They spend 99% of their lives inside rock caves, with only a small portion of their body exposed. The coloration of your Dragon is also not normal...probably due to the fact of not having enough cover and being stressed.
Whether or not you stack the rock or not, if he wants out, it's gonna get out...unless you have a properly secured top. It has nothing to do with how high your rock is.
hammerhead says I shouldn't have to worry about the grouper and the eel, but aw says i will eventually have to worry. What does everyone else think? If this is going to be a problem, I want to be able to bring him back to my LFS now instead of having to worry about it later when he is too big for anyone with a "smaller" tank...
From the way hammerhead worded his post, he was meaning that you don't have to worry about the Dragon eating the Grouper, which is correct.
That Grouper is gonna grow 100 times faster than the Dragon and eventually, when big enough, it will attempt to eat the Dragon. Whether it successfully eats it or not, you're still going to have a dead Dragon.
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
Thank you for the information. I will be returning the fish to the LFS to be safe. I don't want to deal with moving the fish later.
As for the color of the eel, I would hate to disagree with your experience, but I have never seen any signs of stress and he seems very happy with his surroundings to me. I have had this eel for over 7 years and he has always been this color. Here are other eels that are also the same color:



Of course there are also the ones with the redish bodies and the darker coloring around their mouths, but I'm guessing they're just color variations due to their place of origin.
 
aw2x3

aw2x3

Active Member
Originally Posted by ozzfan84
I have had this eel for over 7 years and he has always been this color. Here are other eels that are also the same color:
If this is true and you've had this one for over 7 years...yet it's still only aprox 18", then there's DEFINATELY something wrong.
Regardless...that's the the point in question.
I think you're doing the wise thing, by returning the Grouper.
 
ozzfan84

ozzfan84

Member
Thanks for the feedback. I did take your ideas to heart and will pick up some more LR when I return the grouper, but I am still not sure about your analysis on the well-being of my eel. I know they are hardy, but I think I would have serious problems with him if something was wrong. He is perfectly healthy and a good eater of a variety of meaty foods. He is active in the evenings and docile during the day. I don't know what else to say. I will build him some bigger LR caves though... Thanks!
 
hammerhed7

hammerhed7

Active Member
I would agree with AW on the return being wise, better safe than sorry. In my personal experience, the groupers tend to get more aggressive as they gain size, however much like triggers it can be a case by case basis. Although I am not an eel expert, I think the Dragon is certainly an excellent species only aquarium, there's not much cooler than a full grown adult dragon.
 
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