Keeping a lionfish

[Melonbob]

My 50G tank is all cycled and ready to start stocking. I have a few leathers going in, some GSP, and a hammer. I am going to try to get the LFS to get either a radiata or antennata lionfish. I've only ever seen volitans up here. Now I know I asked this before at some point, but I can't find the post. What else can I keep with this guy? I really wanted a huma huma trigger, but tank is too small at 50g I was told. What else can I do? What about an eel? I know I can't keep a whole lot in a 50, but I do want more than one fish. Thanks guys(you too biff)

[yote]

How about a snowflake eel?Or a greenwolf eel.
Anything thats the same size as the lion or a bit bigger should be safe.

[Oscarsdad608]

I had a green wolf conger eel and he was awesome. The lion and an eel are both pretty messy. I think you might beable to pull it off for awhile with a good skimmer.

[cumminz]

In my tank I have a dwarf lion and a snowflake eel and a cowfish. all get along fine. also have a diamond goby

[Bifferwine]

One of the smaller eels like the ones mentioned above would be fine, so long as you're careful about sealing the top of the tank (they like to jump).

What about one of the non-reef safe wrasses? They are under-appreciated.

[Melonbob]

I'm not really a wrasse fan, although I do like my Christmas Wrasse

[daugherty]

blue ribbon morey but i tank may be to small i am not shure

[budbreak96]

NO TRIGGERS, They will eat your corals. Like stated above, eels have to have a closed, sealed lid or they will get out. Get a grouper! Im gettting a grouper, lion and i dont know what else. any opinions?

[Doc]

most aggressive fish get pretty big. Trying to find one that will be sustained by a 50 may be tough. I have had both of the lionfish you mentioned and I currently am loving the radiata. They can be a trick to get eating tho.

As for eels, I am a fan of the white-eyed moray. they are good eaters, but don't get much bigger than 18 inches and will be fine in a 50. I had a glass top over the tanks with eels.

Triggers will get too big for the 50 in time. The majority will decimate your corals, even mushrooms and leathers. The picasso (humu humu) is beautiful but will eat all your coral. The pink-tail and niger triggers don't eat coral. I have had both and they behaved well around coral and even cleaner shrimp. If they are small-ish you could push either of them for two years or so.

As for groupers, again, all get massive. the miniata grouper (the red one with green spots) is incredible, panther is cool as well as the blue lined grouper. The blue lined only gets about 10 inches or so and is really slow growing. I had one at the early days of my tank. It was cool and never ate a fellow tank mate. Good luck, I am excited to see pics of the livestock

-Doc

[dustin_P74]

you can get an angler, they are semi-aggressive and dont get to big