Dwarf lionfish

So i know alot of you are skeptical with lion fish.
But this is my idea. i was in the process of converting my 34g red sea tank to house just a single dwarf lion and some reef. But i disided as of right now, im going to get the redsea going to be my main reef tank, and i want to add the lion to my 55G with some reef, and a damsel.

Is that an apropriate sized tank?
I know they demand respect and care, but i think i can handle it. (im just going to have to learn to keep my hands out of the water)

How venomous are they?

And what kind of lion would you recomend?

 

Well just keep in mind that even a dwarf lion will eventually get big enough to eat your damsel, and it will eat it once given the chance. They'll eat anything that can fit in their mouths.

A 55gal would suffice for awhile, yes. But also keep in mind that it takes training to get them on frozen food, and at first, IME anyways, they will only eat live (I had a Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, so I'm speaking from experience). So for that reason, you will probably need another small tank somewhere to keep its food, like feeder minnows and such. Unless you want to be going to the store a few times a week and only buy a couple at a time. But that would get old FAST.

They're not venomous enough to kill you unless you are allergic. But a sting, so I have read (I never got stung myself), can be VERY painful, but is usually limited to just the area in which you got stung. You would want to rinse the area in the hottest water you can stand to help the venom to kind of break down.

Just some food for thought...

 

I would recommend an Katanga lion...

 

Isnt a katanga an actual lion?

 

Yes, it is an actual lion. I think the minimum tank size for a katanga lion is a bit bigger than 55 gallons.

 

A fuzzy dwarf will reach about 10-12" at full growth, so a 55G will be large enough if it is housed alone. Damsels to get quite large at full growth, large enough to prevent being eaten by a lion, but it takes a long time to get that size. The care is not that hard, don't use nets when you move him, use a specimen carrier, to prevent tearing the fins off the spines. They can be trained to eat frozen foods, mine took frozen foods a week after being in my aquarium. I soaked krill, squid and silversides in garlic and selcon and he loved it. Before that, I soaked live danios in selcon for 15mins before releasing them in the tank for him to eat. If you do happen to get stung, run or soak the wound under hot water for 15 mins or until the pain subsides. The venom isn't like other deadly venoms, like snake venom, that attacks protein chains in the body. Scorpionfish and stonefish stings can result in death pretty quickly though, from what I have read.

 

Very helpful!

 

Glad to help. It's good to ask before buying. +K to you for being responsible!

 

Why did I have to run a search on "Katanga Lion"?

Anyway, if you're up for it, the Fu Man Chu is worth the challege. They're sensitive to water parameters IME and are picky eaters. They also don't move much but when they do, it's always a sight seeing them "walk" about the sandbed.

Fu Man Chus are very shy and cautious. They need caves and hiding spots but since you're reefin' it i trust it's no problem.

And if you get stung: Stop, Drop, and Roll...