Lion Fish Tank Mates

[BellaCoop]

I am planning on getting a Lion Fish set into my new tank. <Not ready yet, Just pre planning> I really want to add a Lion fish but know its hard to add many other fish into the tank. The tank is 55g. What other swimmer fish can be added with a Lion in it?

 

[NikoO]

Maybe a tiny puffer or trigger?

 

[BellaCoop]

I have heard most Puffers will end up picking at if not eating parts of the Reef. I was thinking a Trigger though but iv heard Triggers and Lions fight a Lot, do you have any experience with a Type of Trigger that Lions get along with?

 

[andrewkw]

A trigger is a big no no. Given that your tank is a 55g I would suggest just make it about the Lion and that's it.
I have a 90g and it just has a Lion - some would probably even say my tank is too small for my guy but he's still able to hide, and the bioload is low enough with one fish it's no worries. I did have a snowflake eel in with him but unfortunately the eel died. If you are really looking for another fish I'd suggest the eel, since they are long the lion won't try and eat them but given your tank size I'd consider not adding anything else.

 

[lion king]

A 55g could house any of the dwarf lions. Any tankmates would just have to be size appropriate; the dwarf lions will grow to 4" pretty quick. I've seen my lions eat fish 1/3 of their size. A volitan would get way to big for a 55g, mine is almost 10" with a 12" wingspan.

You could look at dwarf angels and flasher wrasse for tankmates. A 55g is a tough size to find large enough fish that aren't too big.

 

[larangcon]

I had a lion fish before with a clown trigger and a snowflake eel, had no problem for years in a 55g. At the 5th year I had to sell the lion and trigger back to my LFS, getting way too big.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Agreed with lion king that a dwarf species is a better choice for a 55g. There are more tankmate options as well.

 

[jasonrusso]

Dwarf for sure. I have a fuzzy dwarf. Super easy to care for. Easy to ween to frozen but still give live as a treat to keep them interested. I'd also recommend a dwarf eel, expensive but you don't have to work about it getting too big.

Triggers are a no, especially in a 55. Dwarf angel maybe? Maybe a big goby.

 

[najer]

As above, dwarf fuzzy, I hand feed mine twice a week with large frozen RS mysis and it takes flake.
The smallest fish in with it are two 2 cm baby clown fish and various gobies, mixed reef maybe 15 fish up to 2 tangs.
500 litre display.

DSC_0002 by sshipuk, on Flickr

 

[BellaCoop]

So the Dwarf Lion, a Flasher Wrasse and a Dwarf Angel would work? I really enjoy the triggers but heard most of the time they don’t get along. @larangcon yoou didn’t have any issues with your Lion and Trigger together?

 

[najer]

So the Dwarf Lion, a Flasher Wrasse and a Dwarf Angel would work? I really enjoy the triggers but heard most of the time they don’t get along. @larangcon yoou didn’t have any issues with your Lion and Trigger together?

England here, I have a very special flame angel, tank bred (not tank raised), when I got her she could swim through egg crate, I would never put her at risk!
She is nearly 2 inches now, teenage bad attitude as she loves to wind things up, they get on fine.

 

[jasonrusso]

Here is mine with a bi-color angel.

 

[larangcon]

So the Dwarf Lion, a Flasher Wrasse and a Dwarf Angel would work? I really enjoy the triggers but heard most of the time they don’t get along. @larangcon yoou didn’t have any issues with your Lion and Trigger together?

No problem at all

 

[BellaCoop]

The Dwarf Lions are definitely the way to go for my end probably. @jasonrusso how old is your little bi-color angel? Also how matured is your tank?

 

[jasonrusso]

The Dwarf Lions are definitely the way to go for my end probably. @jasonrusso how old is your little bi-color angel? Also how matured is your tank?

The tank itself is a 210 and it is about 1 year old, however all the rock, sand, and equipment was swapped from my 150 which was about 5 years old. Obviously I added some more rock and sand, but the majority was from the other tank.

I've had this lion for about a year. I had a velvet issue in my last tank and lost my 2 year old Mombasa. I didn't realize that was the issue until after the tank transfer and I lost 5 of my 7 fish. The parasite was in the water and they were fighting it until they got stressed. Him and my puffer made it through 76 days in a QT tank with CP while the DT was fallow.

The angel I believe I got in August or September. He then went through 30 days in QT with a CP treatment.

 

[BellaCoop]

That is what i am doing this week. I am getting my QT tank set up and going out to buy all the vitamins and anything I can get that will boost their health. What type of puffer did you have with your Lion? Do you have Corals and such or mainly fish?

 

[jasonrusso]

That is what i am doing this week. I am getting my QT tank set up and going out to buy all the vitamins and anything I can get that will boost their health. What type of puffer did you have with your Lion? Do you have Corals and such or mainly fish?

Porcupine puffer, magnificent foxface, angler, tomini tang, and eel (not pictured). No corals in that tank. It's a predator tank and the fish are too messy to keep the parameters in check.

I have another tank with corals.

For QT, I highly recommend CP. It's easy on the fish and tough on parasites.

 

[BellaCoop]

I am going to need to set up a predator tank as well after i finish up with my Reef. I love the fish for Predators but I need corals fist haha

 

[Loretta Stauf]

I am planning on getting a Lion Fish set into my new tank. <Not ready yet, Just pre planning> I really want to add a Lion fish but know its hard to add many other fish into the tank. The tank is 55g. What other swimmer fish can be added with a Lion in it?

I had a snowflake eel with mine

 

[Jckisko]

Currently, two really small fuzzy dwarf lions, blue spotted puffer, long-nose hawkfish, six-line, and a mandarin... it’s my “dirty” tank (softies and hammers as well).