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View Full Version : Lionfish... in a Reef?

Bongo Shrimp
09/20/2009, 08:19 PM
Ok, I know this is probably a dumb question (please refrain from attacking me for asking this).


Is there a lionfish that is small enough to keep in a small reef? (ex. fu manchu, dwarf lionfish, any others you know of...)

Is there anyone out there who has one in a reef or has had one before?


The reason I ask is because there currently is an amazing looking- probably about 2" to 3" fu manchu for sale at my LFS and it's all I can do NOT to buy it and put it in my reef. I'm sure it would eat all my shrimp- sexy shrimp, cleaners and others but I'm asking anyways.
walkthedog
09/20/2009, 08:27 PM
yes. It will eat anthing it can get in its mouth -- the shrimp, and clean up crew is as good as gone. Also, fish that it can get in its mouth. If it was the only fish and no clean up crew then you can keep it with corals. It won't eat them. I wouldn't advise getting one but you could keep it as the only fish or if you had it with really large fish that it can't eat.
Bongo Shrimp
09/20/2009, 08:36 PM
Thats what I figured. Thanks
dcroucher
09/21/2009, 08:49 AM
Yeah, no very friendly with other fish and inverts.
Wolverine
09/21/2009, 10:41 AM
That said, there are a lot of people who keep lionfish in their reef tanks. As long as you're not keeping fish small enough for them to swallow, it's generally not a problem. Even then, small, fast fish that are already established will usually be able to avoid the lionfish.
The biggest problem with keeping lionfish in reef tanks is the amount of waste they produce. You have to make sure to deal with nutrient export, or your water quality will suffer.
anbosu
09/21/2009, 01:12 PM
I have a fuzzy dwarf in my 90 reef with no problems. That is probably the largest lion I would recommend, if you put a volitan in a reef you wouldn't be able to have hardly any other fish. Lionfish love to eat shrimp, so any in the tank would probaby be history.
Wolverine
09/21/2009, 04:30 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15737285#post15737285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by anbosu
I have a fuzzy dwarf in my 90 reef with no problems. That is probably the largest lion I would recommend, if you put a volitan in a reef you wouldn't be able to have hardly any other fish. Lionfish love to eat shrimp, so any in the tank would probaby be history.

I know people who have kept volitan and radiata lionfish in reefs. Yeah, it does limit your fish choices, but it can be spectacular.