how reef safe are lion fish

So im torn between setting up a reef/frag tank and a dwarf lionfish tank for my 40g breeder I read that lionfish can be kept in a reef tank with caution but what does that really mean

Any tips or should I just go one way or the other?

 

Ok so I have read the lion fish myth thread and now know they are reef safe just need to watch out for them perchin.and is 40g breeder big enoghe for a dwarf? And whats the rule for keeping other fish with them make sure its bigger than the lion fishes mouth? And for cuc just a normal one wil do as long ias its like snail and hermits right?

 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a venomous predator for any tank where one needs to place their hands very frequently, such as a reef/frag tank. Lions can be sneaky, quick, and aggressive- that's their nature; you're just begging to get stung, IMHO.

FWIW, a lion can swallow a fish 3/4 it's own body length, so tankmates are out of the question in a 40g. And yes, hermits and snails are the only CuC that would be safe from predation.

 

I tend to disagree with the generalization

Lionfish are NOT aggressive, for one thing. Sneaky? They're ambush preds...sneaky is what they do, and they can strike quickly or they lose their dinner.

True, some peeps might be more cautious than others, and caution is a good thing. However, lionfish become tame pretty quickly, and will actually get used to your comings and goings and fiddlings. Plus, a lionfish won't just decide to sting you out of the blue cuz it's "aggressive"...lions are one of the LEAST aggressive fish I know of.

That being said, you do always want to know where the fish is so you don't put your hand down on it, or spook the fish. They will generally just move out of your way as long as you move at a reasonable pace, altho some of our fish need a gentle tap on the tail to get them out of the way...then they move to the side of the tank I'm not occupying. That being said, a lion will warn you off if you get too close and it's not tame...it will assume a head-down posture and will point its dorsal spines at the threat.

I have my hand in tanks from 10 gals up to 100 gals, and every one of them contains one or more venomous fish (mostly lions). Our 48" 100 gal is home to five lionfish, a waspfish, and a scorpionfish in it, and I work in it quite often. There's an initial rush to see if the food god will smile on them, but once they realize he isn't going to, they go about their regular business. Sometimes the waspfish even perches in my hand.

The 3/4 size rule generally works, but one must also factor in shape and girth/height of the tankmate in question. For instance, torpedo-shaped fish or long thin fish (eels) can be swallowed much easier than a big fat fish.

I do recommend a fuzzy dwarf if you haven't decided on a species yet. They're the best dwarf lion in terms of hardiness and ease of weaning, plus they come in several colors (brown, red, yellow, and any combination thereof).

HTH

 

For what it's worth, I have kept a volitan and dwarf. The volitan got to be too big so I had to rehome it. I didn't find it to be aggressive either but I'm not sure a volitan is reef safe. I would caution about a dwarf lionfish and not due to aggression. When I kept mine, it usually hid under rock and I rarely saw it swimming around so I eventually rehomed it as well. They are very cool looking and not aggressive at all but if you have a lot of live rock, you may not get to see it much.

 

alot of good info on lions here, is all the work worth keeping them greg?

 

Thank you for the clarification, Greg. I respect your experience and knowledge.

As a long-time snake handler, I learned early just how easy it is to lose focus on your pet's whereabouts and activities while working in their cage, unwittingly provoking a strike. As one who prefers to err on the side of caution, I tend to apply the same principle with any animal I consider potentially harmful or dangerous...

Excellent point.

 

I have considered getting a fuzzy dwarf lion for my 55g reef. I also have two reef chromis, an oscellaris clown, a flame angel and a flasher wrasse.

If I got one would I consider all my other fish and inverts dead? (I have some cleaner shrimp and porcelain crabs)

 

I wouldn't recommend one, due to their finicky feeding, but I've been housing a fu manchu in a reef tank for awhile now. I was worried at first, but it's turned out to be a perfect reef safe fish. It hasn't bothered any tank mates including cardinals, fire shrimp and peppermint shrimp. I've even seen my mandarin push it out of the way to get where it's going.

 

Wow you pretty much took the words outta my mouth LOL, I was thinking the same thing as you and with a puzzled look on my face as well when the previous poster called lionfish "aggressive and sneaky" because in the 15 years I have been doing this I would hardly call lion fish "aggressive" by ANY stretch of the imagination...Yeah they can suck down smaller fish but they are not going to attack other fish in the tank, they arent like a grouper or trigger that will constantly harass there tank mates

Ive seen plenty of lionfish with chewed up tail fins because something like a sailfin tang or clownfish was actually beating up on the lion fish

And yes I would say for a 40B maybe go with something like a fuzzy dwarf OR a Fu Man Chu "my personal favorite for a smaller lion"