Lessoni Sweetlips?

[Fishfreak2009]

Anyone ever kept one of these? I'm seriously considering getting one for the 180 gallon I'm working on (which will be upgraded as well, since my fish will need more room). How do they handle captivity? Supposedly they are one of the smallest sweetlips, topping out at a mere 16 inches in length. It seems like the perdwcr fish for what I'm looking for, sifting sand, peaceful with anything it cannot swallow, and looks like a classic reef fish you see while snorkeling.

I've kept the harlequin sweetlips in the past, and it ate frozen foods well and grew quickly, until I sold it when I tore the tank down (380 gallon). Are these guys pretty similar care wise? There will be no motile inverts in the tank, and only whatever hardy cheap corals the fish don't eat (most likely palythoa, GSP, gorgonians, and maybe some mushrooms).

Pics from the LFS to show them currently, around 3" long, and a pic off google of an adult.

 

[i cant think]

Anyone ever kept one of these? I'm seriously considering getting one for the 180 gallon I'm working on (which will be upgraded as well, since my fish will need more room). How do they handle captivity? Supposedly they are one of the smallest sweetlips, topping out at a mere 16 inches in length. It seems like the perdwcr fish for what I'm looking for, sifting sand, peaceful with anything it cannot swallow, and looks like a classic reef fish you see while snorkeling.

I've kept the harlequin sweetlips in the past, and it ate frozen foods well and grew quickly, until I sold it when I tore the tank down (380 gallon). Are these guys pretty similar care wise? There will be no motile inverts in the tank, and only whatever hardy cheap corals the fish don't eat (most likely palythoa, GSP, gorgonians, and maybe some mushrooms).

Pics from the LFS to show them currently, around 3" long, and a pic off google of an adult.

I would avoid it, assuming you mean this is for the 180 predator tank?
These are still relatively active fish and 16 inches isn’t small (Especially in a 180g tank).

As for their care, it’s generally the same across the board with sweetlips. They’re not the best predators you can own unfortunately.

 

[lion king]

I don't have direct experience but just some general tips and observations on sweetlips as a species. Like all, feeding is the biggest challenge. Don't let the 16" max size fool you, the common size for this species is closer to 10", and in captivity will take time, a smaller individual will do better long term if you keep them fed well. They are an active species and do grow fast; so beyond the initial feeding challenges, they need to be fed well, or over time they will wither away. Even if initially eating at a lfs, there can be a reset in feeding response when moved. With fish like this I always plan an observation tank, as internal parasites is also a scourge among this species. It can take weeks for internal parasites to take their toll, so good observation for at least a month, or even prophylactic treatment using general cure is not a bad idea. If having trouble feeding initially, live food may be required to get a feeding response, as well as internal parasites will contribute to this. Ghost shrimp and/or appropriate sized guppies or mollies are the best choices in live food. 100% conversion to dead food is not always guaranteed but most do eventually become agreeable. Check out some of my threads for nutritional info on keeping predatory fish, a high thiaminese diet may also lead to the early demise of this species.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I don't have direct experience but just some general tips and observations on sweetlips as a species. Like all, feeding is the biggest challenge. Don't let the 16" max size fool you, the common size for this species is closer to 10", and in captivity will take time, a smaller individual will do better long term if you keep them fed well. They are an active species and do grow fast; so beyond the initial feeding challenges, they need to be fed well, or over time they will wither away. Even if initially eating at a lfs, there can be a reset in feeding response when moved. With fish like this I always plan an observation tank, as internal parasites is also a scourge among this species. It can take weeks for internal parasites to take their toll, so good observation for at least a month, or even prophylactic treatment using general cure is not a bad idea. If having trouble feeding initially, live food may be required to get a feeding response, as well as internal parasites will contribute to this. Ghost shrimp and/or appropriate sized guppies or mollies are the best choices in live food. 100% conversion to dead food is not always guaranteed but most do eventually become agreeable. Check out some of my threads for nutritional info on keeping predatory fish, a high thiaminese diet may also lead to the early demise of this species.

Thank you for your response!

I am planning on feeding a variety of frozen foods, and have access to live ghost shrimp, guppies, and mollies as well. My tanks are all fed at least 4x daily, usually more, with frozen and pellet foods. I also supplement live brine, live ghost shrimp, and other foods throughout the week.

All my fish get 30 days of cupramine and 3 treatments of prazi, this fish would be no exception. I also treat some with levamisole, and have had pretty good success in the past with that as well when prazi pro didn't do the job, on goatfish, a few different wrasses, and a hi-hat drum.

 

[lion king]

Thank you for your response!

I am planning on feeding a variety of frozen foods, and have access to live ghost shrimp, guppies, and mollies as well. My tanks are all fed at least 4x daily, usually more, with frozen and pellet foods. I also supplement live brine, live ghost shrimp, and other foods throughout the week.

All my fish get 30 days of cupramine and 3 treatments of prazi, this fish would be no exception. I also treat some with levamisole, and have had pretty good success in the past with that as well when prazi pro didn't do the job, on goatfish, a few different wrasses, and a hi-hat drum.

Sounds good, general cure is a good swap for prazi pro; it contains both praziquantel, the active ingredient in prazi pro, as well as metronidazole, which together will cover a broader range of parasites and worms. I believe the levamisole is related to metronidazole and likely covers the same range. If you xan't find general cure, Fritz Paracleanse is the same thing. When prazi failed to work 100% of the time I switched to general cure and it has a been a very safe and effective product.