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Cultivated Reef

Lionfish


SpeedStream

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This probably has been posted before, but ive searched hours and have not found anything specific on this question. What size should a dwarf or volintan lionfish be kept in to live a happy life for 2-3 years? Should they be kept with corals? I heard the reason u shouldn't keep them in reefs because they'll eat fish the size smaller than their mouths, is this true? Thanks in advance for any help.:)

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Well, after posting that, I did a little more research. There are several Lionfish that stay around 7".. But there is one really neat one called a Fu Manchu Lionfish that stay's aroudn 4". Has anyone ever had one of these? If so, how do they work out (are they like thier large lazy cousins?)?

 

~V

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in what size tank do you plan on keeping this lion fish. even a dwarf lion fish needs a huge tank to swim back and forth in. These fish are "hardy" only to a certain extent. They need a place to hide and lots and lots of swim space.

 

I plan on getting one, but for my 100gal tank, putting on in a Nano would be pretty irresponsible.

 

These are not for any tank that starts off with "nano"

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You could Keep a Dwarf Lion (max out at 7") in a 29 Gallon somewhat easily. They will eat other fish they can catch, and though they will not eat corals they will eat your whole clean up crew. Not generally "reef Safe" so to say. And definitely Bare minmum Tank of a 20G.

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yah a 40 would be ok for one...the thing is that lion fish are decieving. When you see them at the LFS and they seem to just be floating there and not moving around you figure that thats what they do, just sit there.

 

This is entirely untrue though. I frequent a LFS that houses a 4000 gal show tank and they have about 4 full size lions and those things swim around in there like any other fish, its because they have so much room.

 

Realistically speaking no one here is going to get a 4000 gal tank, but at least dont put it in a Nano, the fish just wont display for you at all, it will be a waste of your money, not to mention cramp quarters for a fish that loves to swim.

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Personally I was thinking about a 30 Long, or 30 Breeder. But, if they do require a larger swimming area (none of the articles I found mentioned it), I will just skip it. Reefs are pretty without the fish. :)

 

~V

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I have a fuzzy dwarf lion who lives in my 29 He does quite well and is very happy he is very curios about me and my girl friend and comes to the surface whenever the lid is open... very cool friendly fish.. that said they are venomous and so you must be carful the do need space and lots of rock work. mine is happy in the 29 but he is the only fish, also they produce a massive amount of protien waste so good filtration is a must, I have an emporor 400 on mine

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i had a fu manchu lion until today.... i went to school and came home and found it being eaten by a snail, i only had it for 3days...i think it may have had something wrong with it, my acclimation was about 1.5 hrs....o btw he looked cool as hell, and he was in a 55gal.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As long as you stay away from the Volitan and Russells you should be fine, the others dont grow nearly as fast nor get as big. Ive kept them for years and have never had probs with them eating anything other than shrimp and small fish. Snails and Hermit crabs should be fine. If you can, try and get them off feeders soon as possible, that will help with the eating tank mates problem, cause they will no longer associate them with food.

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