Fu Man Chu Lionfish in mixed reef? Good idea or stupid?

[Blake423]

Hi,

I have a 255L (about 67 gallon) mixed reef, about 5 months now.
Stock list: a blue tang, a flame hawkfish, a pearl blenny, a coral beauty. Planning to have a pair of clownfish later. Maybe a mandarin too.
Coral: mostly LPS, some soft coral and 3 montiporas. All generic coral, nothing fancy.

I just saw a Fu Man Chu Lionfish in my lfs, and it seems she eats frozen mysis shrimp.
I can create a cave/hole for her to hide.
So the question is: is it a good idea to keep a Fu Man Chu Lionfish in a mixed reef like that? Anybody has any idea? Anything I should watch out for?
Currently has mild cyano (quite minimal), will feeding frozen mysis worsen the cyano?

Many Thanks

 

[KrisReef]

It's a great idea, with caution. They don't get really terribly big but they can swallow a small damsel, or engulf a bar goby and swim around with the caudal fin sticking out of its mouth while it digests the head! They love fresh shrimp too.

They eat a lot and so they will provide a lot of processed coral nutrition that can also fuel algae growth. You just have to keep up with water changes and have excellent nutrient export which is a win for the coral if you keep it up. Buying a damsel now and again will keep it happy and will help support your LFS! They can probably be taught to eat chopped clams and squid too. They are fun to watch and they will become like a pet once you get it trained to eat chunked food it will beg at the glass when you enter the room!

That cave will be great for the fish as it can lie in wait for the smaller prey fish to swim by and then charge and devour stuff that you drop in for it. If you are ready to feed and do frequent water changes then you shouldn't hesitate!

Good luck!

 

[lion king]

A fu is very difficult to keep, you have to target feed them, and they really never survive long term on a dead diet. You would literally have to feed them 2-3 entire whole cubes of mysis every 2-3 days, they never survive eating that kind of food. They usually only take dead food sporatically and need chunky bits including shell on shrimp, fatty fish, mussels, scallop, etc. Honestly if not feeding live food don't expect to keep one more than a few to several months, their nutritiinal needs are rarely , if ever, met with a dead only diet. A fu is best kept by someone that wants them to be their center piece, they are high maintenance, and you're tank already sounds busy.