Best predator fish for 65 gallon

[GrizzReacts]

Hello new to the salt water reef hobby and really want a 65 gallon predator tank was wondering what else I can put in there besides a dwarf lion fish?

 

[MrGisonni]

Miniatus Grouper, harlequin tusk, panther grouper

 

[GrizzReacts]

Definitely want a panther just scared of how big it’ll get I keep seeing people say theirs grew in 6 months

 

[MrGisonni]

They get big.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

IIRC, most frogfish and scorpionfish would work in a tank that size. @lion king @Slocke any thoughts?

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

NOT a panther grouper. This is what they turn into...

(not my picture)

And that isn't even a very big one. They can get about 6" longer than that. One might do well in a 650 gallon, but certainly not a 65. Stick to other small species of lions and scorpions. A marine betta is also a good choice.

 

[Slocke]

Not a traditional predator but
I have recently discovered that dragon wrasse are probably the most entertaining fish and I assume that their smaller cousin the seagrass wrasse is similar. They are terrors and active so I wouldn’t keep it with other active fish in a tank that size but might work well with a dwarf lion.

Warning that all large rocks should be secured on the bottom but give it some small bits of rubble and some prey to chase and you’ll have a lot of entertainment.

You could also do a small eel, engineer goby, or waspfish. Those are all fun in their own way.

 

[GrizzReacts]

Not a traditional predator but
I have recently discovered that dragon wrasse are probably the most entertaining fish and I assume that their smaller cousin the seagrass wrasse is similar. They are terrors and active so I wouldn’t keep it with other active fish in a tank that size but might work well with a dwarf lion.

Warning that all large rocks should be secured on the bottom but give it some small bits of rubble and some prey to chase and you’ll have a lot of entertainment.

You could also do a small eel, engineer goby, or waspfish. Those are all fun in their own way.

I was thinking about a ribbon eel

 

[Slocke]

I was thinking about a ribbon eel

They usually need live mollies if you want to keep them successfully

 

[GrizzReacts]

They usually need live mollies if you want to keep them successfully

What eel would you suggest for the 65?

 

[Slocke]

What eel would you suggest for the 65?

Any echidna or pebble toothed. The most common and beautiful being a snowflake though skeletors are also pretty if you can find one. Then there are the fangtoothed which will eat other fish if they are small enough for it to eat. Fimbriated, golden banana, and white eyed morays would all fit in your tank as would any <3ft.

 

[lion king]

Are we talking a 3' tank, personally I would not recommend any eels, even the smallest pebbletooths which will reach 24-30". A ribbon eel will reach the length of the tank.

If you wanted to keep it a pure predator tank you could comfortably do a combo of about 4 maybe 5 lions and scorps depending on the species. A couple of dwarf or medium bodied lions and couple of ground dwelling scorp like a barbfish, leaf fish, or cockatoo wasp. A rock dwelling scorp like a yellow spotted. You want to go big time, get a rhino. Check out some of my threads because they all require specialized care, click my name and "find all threads.

@Slocke how about engineer gobies

 

[GrizzReacts]

Are we talking a 3' tank, personally I would not recommend any eels, even the smallest pebbletooths which will reach 24-30". A ribbon eel will reach the length of the tank.

If you wanted to keep it a pure predator tank you could comfortably do a combo of about 4 maybe 5 lions and scorps depending on the species. A couple of dwarf or medium bodied lions and couple of ground dwelling scorp like a barbfish, leaf fish, or cockatoo wasp. A rock dwelling scorp like a yellow spotted. You want to go big time, get a rhino. Check out some of my threads because they all require specialized care, click my name and "find all threads.

@Slocke how about engineer gobies

Besides a predator tank what else can I pair with a dwarf in a 65?

 

[lion king]

Okay I will do that with the guppies! When you set the breeder tank up, do you breed them in saltwater or keep them freshwater?

Are you talking reef or fowlr, in a fowlr dwarf angels and some species of filefish. Questionable a bristletooth tang, checknout the tank size recommendation on those. As long as sized appropriately a larger blenny species like a midas, and others. Benny's are also reef safe I think.

 

[AydenLincoln]

A small species of pufferfish like a sharpnose or toby if you don’t go with the lionfish and if it’s only going to have it since one may get eaten even by a dwarf lion.

 

[GrizzReacts]

A small species of pufferfish like a sharpnose or toby if you don’t go with the lionfish and if it’s only going to have in it since one may get eaten even by a dwarf lion.

Definitely taking out the lion fish only because I don’t want a tank full of em I want a variety of diff fish

 

[AydenLincoln]

Definitely taking out the lion fish only because I don’t want a tank full of em I want a variety of diff fish

Definitely a pufferfish then and a lemonpeel or bicolor angel could work too and a small species of tang like a tomini could go in a 65.

 

[Slocke]

Green wolf eel? Wolf eels are actually giant dottybacks and aggressive but are the right size.

 

[Ks4726]

Larger hawkish or marine betta,

 

[LadAShark]

Larger hawkish or marine betta,

+1, these are the ideal options