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Could I keep a pair of Lionfish in a 55 gallon FO tank. I have always loved Lionfish and would love to keep a pair.


Edit: Also, what would be a good filter for this? And what fish if any could I keep with a lionfish or 2? AND what is the best type of lionfish to keep in this sized aquarium. I like the volitans and similar looking ones. I was thinking the antenna lionfish looked nice.




Last edited by Ethan14 at 28-Jul-2005 02:15

ok i did some research and im not sure if a volitan will fit in a 55. Anyone know about that? and that i need heavy filtration.

The ones I like are:
the volitan http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=279
the dwarf/zebra(seems best) http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=230
antennata http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=225
radiata http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=241

Also, am i likely to run into tany of these or would i have to order them at an lfs or will i have to get them online?



Last edited by Ethan14 at 28-Jul-2005 02:46

i would get dwarf fuzzies:88)

A Volitan will not fit in a 55. They get to 14" as adults.

Dan


Dan

Volitans, though the most common lionfish seen in the trade IMO, do get very large as Dan said. They are quite impressive at this size! A 55 gallon tank is only a foot wide, and this will not give them enough room to turn around long term. If you wanted to upgrade your tank when they hit a decent size, then this is a possibility for now if you get them as juvies.

A dwarf lionfish migh be much better for you since you wont have to go through the trouble of upgrading. See what's available to you, or order online.

All lions are messy eaters and conribute much to the bioload. I'd recommend a good cannister filter, preferably Eheim, or Fluval if you're looking to spend less. Make sure you have a lot of circulation in this tank so detritus doesn't form on the substrate. If you use crushed coral, make sure to gravel vac weeky.

IME, lions love krill and silversides. They like guppies too, but they have no real nutritional value. It's just fun to watch them eat.

HTH

-Ferret



-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

I agree, a 55 is just too narrow for a Volitan. I know that's not what you wanted to hear and I don't blame you Volitans are awesome and very impressive fish. However, You could easily do a few Dwarfs in a 55 and get the same enjoyment out of them. I used to have a dwarf in my 75 and he was very cool. There are also many different types of Dwarfs, some are extremely unusual looking. Look into the FuManChu dwarf and tell me what you think.

Thanks for the help guys! Yeah I think I will get a couple dwarfs. Would Raidiata or antennata work instead? wanna keep my options open. Also, are there any other predator fish I could keep with them? Thanks again for the help.

probably not, go with the dwarfes

yeah ok. I'm almost positive I'll go with the dwarf lions. The tankmates I am considering are:

snowflake eel
Yellow Tang
Blue Dot Puffer

Which of these would work the best? They all seem to be compatible but I want the best mix possible.

The snowflake eel can reach a pretty good size and probably not the best bet for a 55 with dwarfs. They both inhabit the bottom of the tank and conflict could arise. Puffers are also quite agressive and wouldn't mind nipping the fins of the slow Lion. Your best bet is by far the Yellow Tang. They inhabit the middle of the tank and won't pick on the Lion at all. I have personnaly kept yellow Tangs with dwarfs in a 75 and it worked great!

Ok I'll get a tang. Also, ddoes anyone know if its ok to keep 2 dwarves together. And are there any other fish you have succesfully kept with a dwarf?

The Tang Police is gunna be knockin' on your door if you put one in a 55. Short term he may be okay, but most if not all tangs deserve a 75 gallon tank or larger, so when he grows up you might have to either upgrade or move him.

Send ACIDRAIN a PM with your thread, he's got several rare types of lionfish and I bet he could help you out more than anyone here.

With lions, as far as I'm concerned, any tankmate is a good one if it's large enough not to get eaten.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

What are some good tankmates and stocking for lionfish in a 55? My school is setting up a 55. How many fuzzies or antenna do you think we could have? Any tankmates? Also, will fuzzies eat damsel fish?

a 55g IMO is too small for more than one dwarf. a antannata wouldnt fit either as said before its only a foot wide and and they reach 9-10inches so its only got 2 inches swim room.
B careful if you decide to get juvi tangs some will nip at lions, lions arent aggresive at all, unless your small.

if you do decide 2 dwarf lions...You will have to sex them other wise you will get fighting dwarf lions live in small hunting parties of 3-10 lions and their is a few females to each male. even a male and female will fight if room isnt provided

Ah, Lionfishes. Fun.

The good news is that Lionfishes are among the most bomb-proof of marine aquarium fishes hardiness wise, and will be more forgiving of beginners' mistakes than many other large marine fishes. Having said that, this is NO excuse whatsoever for skimping on maintenance! A Lionfish will appreciate diligence and TLC just as much as the most delicate Butterfly Fish. In fact, possibly more so in one important respect, which I'm about to come to ...

Lionfishes are not only spectacular in appearance, with the additional 'edge factor' that comes from knowing that the dorsal spines are capable of injecting a painful venom into the unwary, but they are highly intelligent fishes. It's no understatement to say that they are the African Grey Parrots of the fish world - they possess a very keen intelligence, a stunning capacity for observing their environment in detail, an equally stunning level of curiosity and a capacity for long term planning on a scale that enables them to train their owners to fit in with their wishes if one isn't alert to the possibility!

The beauty of it is, Lionfishes possess the intelligence that freshwater aquarists will associate with big Cichlids, but in contrast to the big Cichlids, will live in a group without internecine warfare breaking out if they are given enough space. That italic part was deliberate - they need space, and in the case of Pterois volitans, a fair amount of it because they hit 14 inches in length. However, to give you an idea of what is possible if you put your mind (and a fair amount of capital!) into the project, Liverpool Museum's display of half a dozen Pterois radiata Lionfishes given 1,000 gallons of aquarium all to themselves was stunning to behold! While you may not be able to give them that much largesse, it is an indication of the kind of project you should be looking at long term (say in the next 5 to 10 years) as your saltwater skills mature. Not least because a big display with just Lionfishes in it will be an instant jaw-dropper for visitors to your home ...

However, I said they were intelligent and curious. Not for nothing is the Lionfish (whatever species it may belong to) known as Mr Personality. Big ones can become real pets, surprisingly tame, and can even be trained to perform the odd trick or two - in fact lionfishes are probably smarter than quite a few of my neighbours

However, this will cause you some headaches. Not least because their curiosity will extend to nosing around you while you're performing routine maintenance. Which of course can be more than a little nerve-racking with a venomous fish. The trouble is, the differences between Mr Lionfish being curious and just nosing around you, and Mr Lionfish feeling threatened and preparing to bring those dorsal spines into play, is not immediately obvious. Both occasions involve the same slightly head down posture and purposeful cruising around your arms. The principal indicator is colouration - if your Lionfish darkens suddenly, he's gearing up to defend himself against something he feels is a threat, which may or may not be your hands wiggling about the aquarium. Make your excuses and exit politely. Be careful of sudden, jerky movements, however, as these will proabbly trigger the defensive reposnse, with VERY painful results.

Do not be fooled for one moment by all that slow movement. Your Lionfish may waft about in a stately manner, for all the world like an underwater Rolls Royce limousine, exuding serenity and tranquillity while doing so, but it's a deception. When your Lionfish wants to move quickly - usually when downing a morsel of food - he can produce an astonishing turn of speed. Okay, with that outlandish finnage, and the correspondingly enormous drag coefficient thereof, he's not going to be a sustained high-speed sprinter, but then he doesn't have to be. He evolved to be smart rather than lithely athletic. And that turn of speed will also be evident if he decides to stick his venom spines in you. Don't even think you'll be able to pull away in time if he does decide to strike. The movement is over in a tiny fraction of a second - you'd probably need a high speed camera shooting 500 frames per second to slow the action down to the point where you wouldn't miss it if you blinked. So, if you think this is going to be a problem, set your aquarium up so that you can put a divider in to keep him and you apart during maintenance. It'll save a LOT of frayed nerves, both on your part and his.

However, Mr Lionfish will, in the course of time, realise that you are the guy who keeps his home clean, and provides all the nice food. In fact, chances are he'll wise up to this pretty fast. Which means that, with time, he'll be more confortable with your hands in there, and spend less time nosing around unless you do something that arouses his curiosity. Remember, think of him as having the playfulness and limitless curiosity of an African Grey Parrot, allied to a razor sharp thinking brain that, if it were human, would make it a consummate detective in the Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple mode, and you won't go far wrong. Be alert to the possibility that in some areas of forward planning, he could be smarter than you. An afwul lot of mistakes have been made by Lionfish keepers who underestimated the intelligence of these fishes - none, as far as I am aware, have been made by overestimating their intelligence. Which says a LOT about how smart these fishes can be. Particularly if they find themselves in the presence of a tasty companion that you've unwisely put in there with him, and set about plotting how to add said tasty companion to the menu while you're distracted. Because they'll know you didn't put that other fish in there as food (trust me on this one - your Lionfish knows more than you think it does), but sees no reason why that should be, in the fullness of time, an impediment to enjoying an expensive lunch paid for by you. Let's put it this way - if someone else is stupid enough to send their lobster thermidor to your table at the restaurant, are you going to turn down a free meal? Precisely. But your Lionfish will be patient ... and wait ... and plan ... oh yes, there will be a LOT of plotting going on inside that head. If Lionfishes ever discover politics, we humans will be stuffed. And that's only partly a joke.

So, choose your Lionfish carefully. Make sure he has a decent amount of space, and whatever you do, do NOT put temptation (in the form of expensive smaller companions he'll enjoy eating) in his path. Because he WILL take advantage, and moreover do so when you're least expecting him to. He can be sneaky like that. And he'll know you're watching for this. In a head-on clash of brains, be prepared for the fish to make you look like an idiot. However, once you've discovered the joys of having Mr Personality in your aquarium, chances are you'll always want one around.


Last edited by Calilasseia at 12-Dec-2005 12:21

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

IMO ill sum it up in one word ( remember this is my opinion) NO!