Stocking a 55 gallon tank

[jeffro420]

I currently have a 125 gallon reef tank that is mostly coral with a few tangs and a few other small miscellaneous fish. I recently moved my refugium to the basement and added an inline 55 gallon drum for more water volume. I have it all set up so I can run my 55 gallon tank downstairs. I wanted to do aggressive and or non reef safe fish. Any opinions on what fish would live comfortably together and what ones won't. What fish need larger than a 55 gallon tank? Basically what are my best options. Any opinions will be greatly appreciated.

[Gregs138]

Do you have a drum and a 55 gallon tank downstairs? I'm confused on the way you worded that.

Either way, get one big lionfish name him Frankenstein or Kha and feed him kittens. :P

[jeffro420]

Yea my display 125 gallon overflows through the floor down to the basement where the 55 gallon drum is piped to my 55 gallon refugium which is set up for me add another tank and I have a 55 gallon laying around. Having just built my pump/filter room I have a nice newly added wall with a perfect spot for an inset tank. That's why I was wondering. I kind of would want a few fish preferably. I've got 35 pounds of live rock to add to the tank so they would have plenty of hiding spots.

[namxas]

A 55 is too small for "one big lionfish", assuming Gregs138 was referring to a large-bodied species. However, you could go with dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus sp.), small scorps, waspfish, maybe a GDM.

M-F pairs or M-F-F trios of fuzzt dwarfs are pretty cool to keep, or you can mix dwarf species.

[namxas]

A 55 is too small for "one big lionfish", assuming Gregs138 was referring to a large-bodied species. However, you could go with dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus sp.), small scorps, waspfish, maybe a GDM.

M-F pairs or M-F-F trios of fuzzy dwarfs are pretty cool to keep, or you can mix dwarf species.

[nanoreefer1000]

Greg, can larger Dwarf angelfish (5-7in) species live with dwarf lionfish and small scorpionfish?

[jeffro420]

I have had a lion in the past he was a 8" large bodied lion fish (not sure exact species) and I did like him. What about triggers? Is there any triggers out there that would be happy in a 55 gallon tank? Or is that too small for all triggers?

[ramdude]

get a dragon wrasse. They are aggressive.

[Gregs138]

Greg, can larger Dwarf angelfish (5-7in) species live with dwarf lionfish and small scorpionfish?


A 5-7 inch angel I doubt a dwarf would bother with. My lion leaves anything bigger than his head alone. So basically any fish over about 5 inches witha wide body-like a tang etc.


I would agree with the others though that 55 gal would not do a full volatin justice. The dwarfs/fu-man chus would be fine. You might also look at the Radiata Lionfish-absolutely beautiful fish. Doesnt get as big as a Volatin. The rule of thumb is that if the Lion can fit it in their mouth they will eat it. A lionfish's mouth may not appear big when it's closed, but they are like snake mouths, they sort of stretch when they feed. Have you seen the movie Aliens? It's sort of like that, it basically sort of "comes unhinged".

Another good option I would suggest is a pair of Yellow striped maroon clowns for your 55 gallon. I would love one, but people have warned me that Mr. Lionfish will eat them.

[JohnniG]

Fuzzy dwarf lion fish is a good choose. Couple of tangs maybe. The triggerfish is a bit too big for this.

[namxas]

Greg, can larger Dwarf angelfish (5-7in) species live with dwarf lionfish and small scorpionfish?

The thing you'd want to be aware of is that in this case, the aggressor just might be the angelfish. Dwarfs seem to generally be OK with lionfish, but large species angels will typically harass lions to death (this is also true of puffers and non-planktonic-feeding triggerfish).

ramdude
get a dragon wrasse. They are aggressive.

What most peeps don't get is this: LIONFISH ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE, and generally don't do well with aggressive tankmates. Besides the fact that dragon wrasses are too large for a 55 gal, I've seen larger wrasses (Thalassoma sp. harass lionfish to the point of starvation).

What about triggers? Is there any triggers out there that would be happy in a 55 gallon tank? Or is that too small for all triggers?

There are really no triggers for a 55 gal setup. Additionally, "reef" triggers (genera Rhinecanthus, Balistes, Balistapus, Balistoides, Sufflamen sp.) are bad juju with lionfish, as they will literally nip the spines off them. Odonus triggers are kind of a toss-up with lions, so a Plan B is needed just in case. The pelagic/planktonic-feeding triggers (Melicthys, Xanthicthys) will typically work fine.

I'd recommend some of the smaller/medium filefish such as Acreicthys tomentosus for smaller setups like a 55 with lionfish. this species also eats appies.

As for maroon clownfish, a full-grown volitans, or even a Russel's is perfectly capable of eating a full-grown clownfish, I personally know of three 6 1/2" female maroons that now reside in the bellies of adult lionfish.

HTH

[Gregs138]

Definitely agree with lionfish not being aggressive at all. They are not shy either. 90% of the time the are sleeping vertical under the heater or a rock. They never bother anything. Mine comes out during feeding time, sometimes swims upside down and lets me pet him (watch the spines). He does barrel rolls and swims upside down to get my attn. I hand feed mine most of the time. They are sort of like small underwater dogs with spikes.

I might be partial but pretty sure I have the coolest fish in the world. ;)

But as other Greg has stated, they grow-fast, and they are patient patient patient hunters. They will stalk a fish they know they can eat. They will sit outside its cave for days on end. Mine is only half grown and when he "yawns" I can tell that a 3-4 inch fish would easily fit in his mouth so I can only imagine once he gets to be 12+ inches.

As for maroon clowns, I was only recommending those if you DON'T do a lionfish, sorry if I wrote that confusingly. Maroons are in fact very aggressive and will dominate a tank, so you might as well get a pair because once they are established, they aren't going to be very friendly to anything else-including you. But they are awesome looking fish imo and would fit nicely in a 55.