Need Info on Red Emperor Snapper

[euphoria]

Yesterday was my bday and my fiance got me two Red Emperor Snappers from the LFS. She's not much familiar w/ fish, so she saw them in a tank always swimming next to each other and thought "awwww how cuteeeee" and decided to buy it for me.
So anyways, this site didn't have much info on them, so I'm turning to you guys.
Are these guys reef safe, will they leave my corals alone? What do they eat? Any special characteristics or things to note about them? I only know they may hurt shrimp. I do have two shrimp in the tank, but they are bigger than the snappers. The snappers are both about an inch long.
Other fish in the tank are -> powder blue tang, coral beauty angel, pink anthias, clown, blue fiji damsel.
Thanks

 

[ophiura]

TAKE THEM BACK NOW!!!!
They get HUGE (over a foot at least in captivity...larger in the wild) and are a threat to many critters..small fish and invertebrates. They also grow quite rapidly. A nasty thing to do - sell emperor snappers, just like panther groupers. They sell them small and tiny and cute, but they grow very large, quite rapidly, and often they will not take them back. The are not suitable, IMO, in any but the largest tanks long term.

 

[jon321]

[Link Violation - out of respect for the owner and operator of the board, please do not post links to competitors, or boards sponsored by competitors, thanks- the author of this article is Bob Fenner]
"The Emperor Snapper, Lutjanus sebae (Cuvier 1816), is a real beauty as a juvenile, but beware; it gets to be a real honker... more than three feet long in the wild! Another good reason to under- and infrequently feed an emperor is that their gorgeous color fades with growing size. Here is a juvenile in captivity, and an adult in Australian waters."
"Snappers are undemanding for the most part except for two requirements; adequate living and hiding space. The first is plain to understand; but you'd think that such "reef-bullies" wouldn't be given to sulking and hiding in the dark; but they are. To keep yours happy, construct a good sized cave of rock, coral, shell, what have you; and leave it alone."
"Though some snappers are social animals, feeding and traveling in schools, most are best maintained one to a tank in captivity. They get along fine with other species that are too large to be ingested. Snappers are definitely not reef tank additions, getting too big and eating smaller fishes and critters."
"A snapper that does not accept food is rare; a periodic food strike shouldn't worry you however, and all will accept meaty items after acclimation. In the wild snappers feed on small fishes and non-vertebrates; in aquariums they readily adapt to frozen squid, crustaceans, Lancetfish, shellfish..."
"What more could you ask for in the way of a show specimen for your marine set-up? The only real negative aspect of keeping snappers is their growth and size; both of which you can control by feeding sized portions one to three times a week. You might not see them often at your dealers, due to lack of folks asking for them, but the snappers (except for Macolor) make great fish-only system specimens; if you have the space."
Ok, so the moral of the story is they get huge, eat anything, are medium aggressive, and are for fish-only tanks.
Jon

 

[euphoria]

Oh mannn. If they start getting too big I may have to take them back. I feel bad for my fiance though, cuz she kept looking at them so happily and saying "hey they look like you and me, always next to each other"

 

[ophiura]

When they start getting large and eating anything they can get in their mouths, will she still be saying that? LOL?

Just be forewarned, many LFS will not take them back once they start putting on size. They become less cute and more difficult to sell to unsuspecting hobbyists.

 

[euphoria]

darn, it's no wonder this site sells them for $50 each, and she got to buy them for $25 each.
Can I eat them if they get too big? LOL

 

[ophiura]

Yes, they are a commercially important fish! It is important to have this positive outlook on the situation

It is unlikely they will pick up ciguatera and poison you if raised in captivity as well. Another benefit