Reef Safe Lionfish

[cabinreefer]

So my 180 gallon is almost done cycling and I'm getting ready to begin stocking it! I've been making my lists and doing last minute research on everything. So I'm curious, are there any lion fish that are actually reef safe? I would love to be able to have one in my tank if so! Thanks in advance!

 

[AcroNem]

They're coral safe, we have a system at work with corals and 5 different lionfish. It's smaller fish and inverts you need to worry about.

 

[cabinreefer]

I'm specifically looking at a dwarf lion fish or a fuzzy dwarf

 

[cabinreefer]

They're coral safe, we have a system at work with corals and 5 different lionfish. It's smaller fish and inverts you need to worry about.

I don't think I would have any fish that would be smaller than 3"
I also wanted a pair of harlequin shrimp but I don't know if he would eat them or not

 

[AcroNem]

Always assume they'll eat shrimp. Bigger or faster fish should be fine

 

[cabinreefer]

I see, I'll have to think about that then cause I really want a bonded pair of Harleyquins

 

[Scott.h]

Lions will eat what they can fit in their mouth.

You might reconsider the harlequins. I gave one away last weekend to the lfs. It ate every Asterina star I could scrape up out of my 2 other mature 100 gallon systems in a few months. I then started cleaning out the lfs tanks too. I ended up with a breeder box for the stars. It hid most of the time. I noticed my green clove polyps looking like crap. The last straw was one morning before the lights came on it was chowing down on it, which makes sense. Gave it away that day. Cool creature but Pita to deal with.

 

[cabinreefer]

Lions will eat what they can fit in their mouth.

You might reconsider the harlequins. I gave one away last weekend to the lfs. It ate every Asterina star I could scrape up out of my 2 other mature 100 gallon systems in a few months. I then started cleaning out the lfs tanks too. I ended up with a breeder box for the stars. It hid most of the time. I noticed my green clove polyps looking like crap. The last straw was one morning befor the lights came on it was chowing down on it, which makes sense. Gave it away that day. Cool creature but Pita to deal with.

That's what I had read about them. I decided if I did get some then I would keep chocolate chip stars in my refugium to feed them

 

[Scott.h]

That's what I had read about them. I decided if I did get some then I would keep chocolate chip stars in my refugium to feed them

Yeah, problem is you have to kill a 20 dollar star, which pollutes the tank. You have to remove the star and waste most of it, only to start over. Not fun.

 

[cabinreefer]

Yeah, problem is you have to kill a 20 dollar star, which pollutes the tank. You have to remove the star and waste most of it, only to start over. Not fun.

That does sound like a lot of work on top of having to manage a 180g tank and a 55g, plus a lion fish would be a lot easier to care for.. if anything I might just end up getting a 20g just for the harlequins if I end up wanting them bad enough