Lion Fish Tank Mates

[MiruTheRumi]

I was told to make an account here and ping @lion king for help.

some preface - I used to keep an aquarium when I was a teen, a freshwater one (though I had to stop due to financial reasons) so I'm not entirely inexperienced but reef tanks are new territory for me. I've decided to get back into it and I wanna do a reef tank with a lion fish as my "center piece" so to speak.

I know that lion fish have to be worked around since they WILL eat smaller fish. Currently my plan is to get a dwarf lionfish

I've been looking at different fish and asking around, and currently I'm looking at lantern bass, leaf fish, red head solon fairy wrasse, maroon clown fish, and blood red hawk fish. I would like to get a mandarin fish but none seem to get bigger than 3 inches and I'm pretty sure anything 3 in and below would become lion fish food... though if there's an option to have one I would love a suggestion.

admittedly I am very motivated by aesthetics. Kind of why I want a lion fish as my center piece to begin with, so I tend to go after very specific looks or fish, so apologies in advance if I end up being very particular about my options.

 

[fishywishy]

the smallest dwarf lion is like 6-7 inches when fully grown so any fish smaller than 4-5 inches might become food. So some of the fish you choose might get eaten if they aren’t full size.

So as long as whatever fish you get is 5 inches and above any fish should be fine.

 

[MiruTheRumi]

the smallest dwarf lion is like 6 inches when fully grown so any fish smaller than 4-5 inches might become food. So most of the fish you choose might get eaten.

as long as whatever fish you get is above 5 inches any fish should be fine.

the fish I listed are all 4 inches or bigger. I know that the general rule of them is half the size or less is food for a lionfish

 

[fishywishy]

the fish I listed are all 4 inches or bigger. I know that the general rule of them is half the size or less is food for a lionfish

A dwarf lion fish can eat a fish almost the same size of their body so fish at least 5 inches would be better.

 

[MiruTheRumi]

A dwarf lion fish can eat a fish almost the same size of their body so fish at least 5 inches would be better.

ah... that's... concerning, thank you. I'll look around some more than. do you have any suggestions?

 

[fishywishy]

ah... that's... concerning, thank you. I'll look around some more than. do you have any suggestions?

What size is your tank?

 

[MiruTheRumi]

What size is your tank?

I don't have one yet, I plan on getting the general gist of what I want/need first before I get anything. My old tank was small but I don't have it anymore.

 

[fishywishy]

I don't have one yet, I plan on getting the general gist of what I want/need first before I get anything. My old tank was small but I don't have it anymore.

well if you want those fish you listed you have to get them all at full size before you get the lion fish so you would need at least a 75g.

So if you get a tank that size tangs like a tomini tang or possibly a yellow tang would be okay, dwarf angelfish on the bigger side (lemon peel, bi color, flame etc), marine betta, small angler fish and dwarf eel are some options. But the bigger the tank the bigger the options for fish get.

I forgot to edit my comment earlier but all those fish you listed should be fine if full grown except the lantern bass.

 

[MiruTheRumi]

well if you want those fish you listed you have to get them all at full size before you get the lion fish so you would need at least a 75g.

So if you get a tank that size tangs like a tomini tang or possibly a yellow tang would be okay, dwarf angelfish on the bigger side (lemon peel, bi color, flame etc), marine betta, small angler fish and dwarf eel are some options. But the bigger the tank the bigger the options for fish get.

I forgot to edit my comment earlier but all those fish you listed should be fine if full grown except the lantern bass.

got it thank you! I was looking at a 125gal tank. they're big and expensive but I can actually afford it now