Grouper for my tank?

Recty · 03/22/2009, 05:45 PM

What do you guys think about putting a miniatus grouper in my tank?

For those who dont know, I've got 4 triggers, an emperor angel and a dussumieri tang. Plus a 5" sunset wrasse.

The LFS got one in a couple days ago and it's a really great looking grouper... I took some pictures today. I WANT it but I'm not sure how it would do in my tank.

Opinions?

Here he is... about 7-8" long.

Grouperhead · 03/22/2009, 06:09 PM

It'd probably be fine; groupers usually mind their own business. The only times they really get aggressive in my experience is with conspecifics and other similarly colored/shaped fishes. You have plenty of rockwork as well so I really don't see why it wouldn't work. It'd be good to add a miniatus that size last too.

wanabebell · 03/22/2009, 06:49 PM

Recty I think a miniatus will do splended in your tank....They usually mind their own buisness but they wont take no !@#!@ from anybody

LisaD · 03/22/2009, 06:50 PM

I'd think it would be okay. Nice looking grouper.

aldiver311 · 03/22/2009, 07:23 PM

I have a 10 inch miniatus. I also had a 10 inch blue spot they did good for over a year and out of no where the blue spot made the Miniatus stay in one part of the tank they fought like cats and dogs for about 2 weeks till I couldn't take it any more. The Miniatus was getting the crap kicked out of him. He is so whipped that he quit eating. So I had to take the Blue spot out and gave it to a friend of mine till I can find him a good home. I liked the blue spot very nice colors but the Miniatus has a personality that I have never seen in any fish I've ever owned. He used to let me pet him like a dog. I would go for it you won't be disapointed.

Recty · 03/22/2009, 07:34 PM

I'm thinking about it still, but if it is still there in the next couple days I'll probably get it.

Only thing stopping me now is I dont want to have to quarantine another fish...

DamnPepShrimp · 03/22/2009, 08:45 PM

I love the mini groupers! I want to get one but don't know if I am going to have smaller fish or not yet in my FO. For what its worth, groupers tend to be very disease resistant, but of course the water they come in will probably have diseases. Goodluck, you should definitely get it, they are a sweet fish. They mind their own business until its feeding time, my old one was a very bold eater.

aldiver311 · 03/23/2009, 06:38 AM

Disease resistant for sure my mini has survived 2 tank crashed and has never shown any signs of sickness.Also you can tell when something in your tank isn't right. They will turn almost white when stressed and will find a place in the tank to get the best water flow through there gills when needed. I watch my mini and tusk for water problems like areation,temp, flow, even before I put all the live rock in my tank and had all artif. corals I could tell the water quality by just watching where the mini was spending most of his time. They are a very smart fish. Even my Blue Spot I had to catch with a small barbless hook to get him out of tank tried for 3 days with a net and never even got close.

DEERE G · 03/23/2009, 10:25 AM

Some years ago I had Miniatus grouper. I was one of the most colorful fish I have owned. I used to feed it calamari and shrimp.
I had it in a 150 with a Clown trigger, a Snowflake, and big Domino damsel. I would buy it. That is easy for ME to say though.

Recty · 03/23/2009, 12:30 PM

Anyone here have any experience with Polleni groupers?

Grouperhead · 03/23/2009, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Recty
Anyone here have any experience with Polleni groupers?

Don't have any experience with them personally, but they are one of my "holy grail" fishes so I have researched them a lot. They come from deeper waters, and some suffer from swim bladder decompression problems. I'm sure if you got one from a reputable source such as LA it would be fine, but just be aware of this. Like all groupers they're quite hardy but they can be extremely shy when first acclimated. You'd definitely want to get him feeding good before adding to your tank.

LukFox had one for a while so hopefully he'll chime in...

Recty · 03/23/2009, 01:35 PM

Do you like the polleni groupers better than the miniatus?

Personally, I'm leaning towards the polleni just because it seems like I see miniatus a lot but rarely see a polleni.

AquaKnight · 03/23/2009, 01:58 PM

Just a piggyback question, but are Polleni's fine at normal 78Â°-81Â° water? Or do they need cooler?

DamnPepShrimp · 03/23/2009, 02:00 PM

The thing with polleni's is that they are 3x more expensive!

LukFox · 03/23/2009, 02:38 PM

I chose a polleni over a mini because I've heard of a lot of aggressive minis, while I didn't hear that as much about pollenis. My polleni was a really nice fish. Not aggressive in that it kept to itself. If it got bullied it would flare up its gills and open its mouth, but it never started a fight. It obviously could defend itself though. It hid for the first few days, but got comfortable a lot sooner than I expected. It didn't swim back and forth, but it would hover over the rockwork, glaring at everyone that passed by. It always looked grumpy lol, but that's a grouper thing. He was normally always in view. I heard minis hide a lot, so that's another reason why I went with a polleni.

While I only had mine for a little under a year, it did fine in my 80-85 degree water. It only died because my eel got too hungry when I was out of town. The eel didn't swallow him because the grouper was too big, but he sufficiently injured him :/. I found him on his side still alive when I got home, but he died at 10pm in the hospital tank the same day.

It was a very pretty fish that ate whatever I put in the tank whether it was flake, pellets, squid, prawns, or anything else.

Recty · 03/23/2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DamnPepShrimp
The thing with polleni's is that they are 3x more expensive!

Well some of my fish have been quite a bit of $$$, I dont mind that as long as I view the fish as being worth it. Most of these fish are going to be with me for years and years, so if it costs $300 but lasts 5-10 years, that's like $1 a week

Recty · 03/23/2009, 04:04 PM

So would a miniatus and a polleni fight? I've just got a good line on a really cheap miniatus here in town, but I'm torn because I like the looks of the polleni better.

In a 210, would a 8" miniatus bully a 6" polleni?

danorth · 03/23/2009, 04:14 PM

Groupers grow pretty fast, so it wouldn't be 8 vs 6 for long....

saltyguy51 · 03/23/2009, 05:17 PM

300 for a polleni?

aldiver311 · 03/23/2009, 05:18 PM

I've had 2 pollenis I lost one in one of the tank crashes and the other my BDMoray tried to eat it and they both died. Eel choked on him. I love the polleni I want another one but its hard to find one 8 to 10 inches long. The Mini did bulley the Polleni around a little bit but not near as bad as my blue spot did.

Recty · 03/23/2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by saltyguy51
300 for a polleni?

Nope, just was giving an example.

Snapper66 · 03/23/2009, 05:50 PM

As one who is a Grouper Fan Miniatus Groupers are the Best for Personality.I had one that was about 7 inches Long that would let me stroke its Side.I have Many Groupers and the Best are Miniatus Groupers.A large one Might Bully a Smaller Grouper I have seen it in my Own Miniatus but never was there ever a Death.Go with a Miniatus that one that you have pictures of is Beautiful.

saltyguy51 · 03/23/2009, 05:55 PM

I had a Min. that was 6" and never had any problems either. I have a friend that owns a LFS not far from here and he sold 4" Polleni's for 129.95 and from what I see thats a good price. How big do they get?

Recty · 03/23/2009, 07:18 PM

About the same size as miniatus, everything says about 18" for both.

Grouperhead · 03/23/2009, 08:32 PM

I wouldn't advise mixing groupers.

If you really like the miniatus, I'd get it. They are a great looking fish that is bullet proof. Once they get comfortable (which may or may not take a while) they really have a great personality like someone above stated. I'd expect the miniatus to get larger and definitely be higher up in the tank's pecking order than the polleni.

Can't go wrong with either.

03/22/2009, 05:45 PM	#1
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	Grouper for my tank? What do you guys think about putting a miniatus grouper in my tank? For those who dont know, I've got 4 triggers, an emperor angel and a dussumieri tang. Plus a 5" sunset wrasse. The LFS got one in a couple days ago and it's a really great looking grouper... I took some pictures today. I WANT it but I'm not sure how it would do in my tank. Opinions? Here he is... about 7-8" long.

03/22/2009, 06:49 PM	#3
wanabebell Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Central IL Posts: 403	Recty I think a miniatus will do splended in your tank....They usually mind their own buisness but they wont take no !@#!@ from anybody __________________ Pair of clownfish...check...Barry White...check...scented candles...check...Now really how long could this take??

03/22/2009, 06:50 PM	#4
LisaD That's not a salmon Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: central North Carolina Posts: 6,985	I'd think it would be okay. Nice looking grouper. __________________ Keeping saltwater tanks since the late '70s Current Tank Info: 90 gallon FOWLR and 12 gallon nano cube reef

03/23/2009, 10:25 AM	#9
DEERE G Here for the Party Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: ATL Posts: 1,517	Some years ago I had Miniatus grouper. I was one of the most colorful fish I have owned. I used to feed it calamari and shrimp. I had it in a 150 with a Clown trigger, a Snowflake, and big Domino damsel. I would buy it. That is easy for ME to say though. __________________ -Keith-

03/23/2009, 01:58 PM	#13
AquaKnight Take Luck! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Emerald Coast Posts: 2,029	Just a piggyback question, but are Polleni's fine at normal 78Â°-81Â° water? Or do they need cooler? __________________ What do you think I rap for, to push a ** RAV4?! Current Tank Info: 240, 125 Agg, 90 Reef, 55QT

03/22/2009, 06:09 PM	#2
Grouperhead Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Shakedown Street, Tuscaloosa, AL Posts: 1,476	It'd probably be fine; groupers usually mind their own business. The only times they really get aggressive in my experience is with conspecifics and other similarly colored/shaped fishes. You have plenty of rockwork as well so I really don't see why it wouldn't work. It'd be good to add a miniatus that size last too.

03/22/2009, 07:23 PM	#5
aldiver311 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 510	I have a 10 inch miniatus. I also had a 10 inch blue spot they did good for over a year and out of no where the blue spot made the Miniatus stay in one part of the tank they fought like cats and dogs for about 2 weeks till I couldn't take it any more. The Miniatus was getting the crap kicked out of him. He is so whipped that he quit eating. So I had to take the Blue spot out and gave it to a friend of mine till I can find him a good home. I liked the blue spot very nice colors but the Miniatus has a personality that I have never seen in any fish I've ever owned. He used to let me pet him like a dog. I would go for it you won't be disapointed.

03/22/2009, 07:34 PM	#6
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	I'm thinking about it still, but if it is still there in the next couple days I'll probably get it. Only thing stopping me now is I dont want to have to quarantine another fish...

03/22/2009, 08:45 PM	#7
DamnPepShrimp Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 5,154	I love the mini groupers! I want to get one but don't know if I am going to have smaller fish or not yet in my FO. For what its worth, groupers tend to be very disease resistant, but of course the water they come in will probably have diseases. Goodluck, you should definitely get it, they are a sweet fish. They mind their own business until its feeding time, my old one was a very bold eater.

03/23/2009, 06:38 AM	#8
aldiver311 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 510	Disease resistant for sure my mini has survived 2 tank crashed and has never shown any signs of sickness.Also you can tell when something in your tank isn't right. They will turn almost white when stressed and will find a place in the tank to get the best water flow through there gills when needed. I watch my mini and tusk for water problems like areation,temp, flow, even before I put all the live rock in my tank and had all artif. corals I could tell the water quality by just watching where the mini was spending most of his time. They are a very smart fish. Even my Blue Spot I had to catch with a small barbless hook to get him out of tank tried for 3 days with a net and never even got close.

03/23/2009, 12:30 PM	#10
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	Anyone here have any experience with Polleni groupers?

03/23/2009, 01:35 PM	#12
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	Do you like the polleni groupers better than the miniatus? Personally, I'm leaning towards the polleni just because it seems like I see miniatus a lot but rarely see a polleni.

03/23/2009, 02:00 PM	#14
DamnPepShrimp Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 5,154	The thing with polleni's is that they are 3x more expensive!

03/23/2009, 02:38 PM	#15
LukFox Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Los Gatos, CA Posts: 3,376	I chose a polleni over a mini because I've heard of a lot of aggressive minis, while I didn't hear that as much about pollenis. My polleni was a really nice fish. Not aggressive in that it kept to itself. If it got bullied it would flare up its gills and open its mouth, but it never started a fight. It obviously could defend itself though. It hid for the first few days, but got comfortable a lot sooner than I expected. It didn't swim back and forth, but it would hover over the rockwork, glaring at everyone that passed by. It always looked grumpy lol, but that's a grouper thing. He was normally always in view. I heard minis hide a lot, so that's another reason why I went with a polleni. While I only had mine for a little under a year, it did fine in my 80-85 degree water. It only died because my eel got too hungry when I was out of town. The eel didn't swallow him because the grouper was too big, but he sufficiently injured him :/. I found him on his side still alive when I got home, but he died at 10pm in the hospital tank the same day. It was a very pretty fish that ate whatever I put in the tank whether it was flake, pellets, squid, prawns, or anything else.

03/23/2009, 04:04 PM	#17
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	So would a miniatus and a polleni fight? I've just got a good line on a really cheap miniatus here in town, but I'm torn because I like the looks of the polleni better. In a 210, would a 8" miniatus bully a 6" polleni?

03/23/2009, 04:14 PM	#18
danorth Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: roseville, CA Posts: 3,708	Groupers grow pretty fast, so it wouldn't be 8 vs 6 for long....

03/23/2009, 05:17 PM	#19
saltyguy51 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Morris, IL. Posts: 2,178	300 for a polleni?

03/23/2009, 05:18 PM	#20
aldiver311 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 510	I've had 2 pollenis I lost one in one of the tank crashes and the other my BDMoray tried to eat it and they both died. Eel choked on him. I love the polleni I want another one but its hard to find one 8 to 10 inches long. The Mini did bulley the Polleni around a little bit but not near as bad as my blue spot did.

03/23/2009, 05:50 PM	#22
Snapper66 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Some where over the Reef Tank Posts: 249	As one who is a Grouper Fan Miniatus Groupers are the Best for Personality.I had one that was about 7 inches Long that would let me stroke its Side.I have Many Groupers and the Best are Miniatus Groupers.A large one Might Bully a Smaller Grouper I have seen it in my Own Miniatus but never was there ever a Death.Go with a Miniatus that one that you have pictures of is Beautiful. __________________ Groupers and Snappers and Triggers oh My. Current Tank Info: 135 Gallon Predator Tank with Trigger and Moray Eels and Groupers 90 Gallon Predator Tank Lyretail Grouper and Green Moray Eel and 2 Community Reef Tanks one 55 Gallon and one 56 High Top Tank and one 55 Gallon fresh Water cichlid Tank

03/23/2009, 05:55 PM	#23
saltyguy51 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Morris, IL. Posts: 2,178	I had a Min. that was 6" and never had any problems either. I have a friend that owns a LFS not far from here and he sold 4" Polleni's for 129.95 and from what I see thats a good price. How big do they get?

03/23/2009, 07:18 PM	#24
Recty Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 6,558	About the same size as miniatus, everything says about 18" for both.

03/23/2009, 08:32 PM	#25
Grouperhead Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Shakedown Street, Tuscaloosa, AL Posts: 1,476	I wouldn't advise mixing groupers. If you really like the miniatus, I'd get it. They are a great looking fish that is bullet proof. Once they get comfortable (which may or may not take a while) they really have a great personality like someone above stated. I'd expect the miniatus to get larger and definitely be higher up in the tank's pecking order than the polleni. Can't go wrong with either.