Top 10 predator fish from an LFS employee

dimitrinivo

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Hey guys, I work at my LFS and this is my list of my top 10 predator fish!

10.) Wartskin Angler - a simultaneously beautiful and ugly predator fish that's small enough to fit in a Nano, but big enough to stand out.

9.) Panther Grouper - a stunning showpiece fish that should only be housed in extremely large systems with extremely large tankmates

8.) Hawaiian Golden Dwarf Moray Eel - these will be hard to find now due to the Hawaiian export ban but this eel still makes the list as its very petite. Due to its small size, it can be kept in smaller tanks and is compatible with everything but the smallest of fish and inverts.

7.) Saddle Valentini Puffer - a small puffer that's reef safe with caution, has lots of color and personality

6.) Blue throat triggerfish - a stunning specimen for a large tank, can be kept singly or in a male and female pair

5.) Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish - one of my favorite fish, easier to wean onto frozen food than other dwarf lions

4.) Dwarf Zebra Lionfish - a dwarf lionfish with a classic lionfish look, perfect for a medium sized predator tank

3.) Volitan Lionfish - a large, elegant, beast of a fish, a showpiece predator for any large system

2.) Niger Trigger - an absolute stunning triggerfish with its dark blue color and wavy fins

1.) Snowflake Eel - my favorite predator due to its medium size, versatility, can be kept in reefs with medium sized fish or in large predator tanks, easy to feed frozen and pretty bold for an eel.
 

Dark_Knightt

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Awesome list, I personally love eels and groupers. Never seen a grouper at my LFS though.
Arent royal grammas and chalk bass related to groupers?
Also I would LOVE a predator tank; eels, shark, grouper, large angelfish maybe, lionfish
 
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dimitrinivo

dimitrinivo

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Awesome list, I personally love eels and groupers. Never seen a grouper at my LFS though.
Arent royal grammas and chalk bass related to groupers?
Also I would LOVE a predator tank; eels, shark, grouper, large angelfish maybe, lionfish
I think royal grammas are basslets, which are related to bass, not sure if groupers are related to them. I'm thinking of getting a chalk bass or royal gramma myself haha. We once got this tiny panther grouper at my LFS, was like 2", he's gonna grow up to be an absolute unit haha.
 

nereefpat

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Arent royal grammas and chalk bass related to groupers?

Chalk bass are in the sea bass family, serranidae. Royal gramma are not, although maybe they used to be considered more closely related. Lots of fishes, fresh and salt, are called bass, which is confusing.

On another note, It wouldn't hurt my feelings if I never saw a panther grouper for sale again.
 

Cheeze

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Really nice list! I had a predator tank back in the day, and my 3 favorite fish I had were:

3) SPINY PUFFER - was like an active puppy always following me around the tank, gorgeous blue eyes and always a smile on it's face
2) CLOWN GROUPER - hard to find and expensive when you do, but such a beautiful grouper
1) SNOWFLAKE EEL - my favorite as well. Raised it from a 3 inch worm into a foot + long, had it eating out of my hand (literally)
 
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dimitrinivo

dimitrinivo

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Chalk bass are in the sea bass family, serranidae. Royal gramma are not, although maybe they used to be considered more closely related. Lots of fishes, fresh and salt, are called bass, which is confusing.

On another note, It wouldn't hurt my feelings if I never saw a panther grouper for sale again.
I agree, imo most people don't have a proper setup for large panther groupers, therefore I'd prefer not to see them in the hoby
 

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No love for waspfish? They don't get big enough for a nice oomph of impressiveness, but you can keep 'em in a nano, and they won't eat everything else in your tank.
 

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NxquH.gif

No love for Harlequin Tusk?!
 
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dimitrinivo

dimitrinivo

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No love for waspfish? They don't get big enough for a nice oomph of impressiveness, but you can keep 'em in a nano, and they won't eat everything else in your tank.
honestly i was unaware of this fish's existence until you told me. Looks like an awesome predator for a nano for sure
 

Terry Le

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Back in the 80 a friend show up with an Volitan Lionfish for my birthday. This thing got way big I have to return to LFS. The thing was a beauty
 

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