Here is my new Pterois sphex collected in Hawaii two weeks ago by a friend who collects professionally. Total length is 4.5 inches. These images are from a few days ago, about 2 hours after I added it to a 40B containing a Rhinopias of the same size. When I started keeping marine tanks in the 70s I kept a number of different lionfish species but I havent had one in about 40 years. I couldnt pass up a red Rhinopias a few months ago and wanted to add another predator that swims more. This one fits the bill. It has become quite tame and follows me around - since I am the source of food. It eats voraciously. It so far takes only live food but I will use the Rhinopias to train it. The Rhino hasnt eaten anything live in about 3 months prior to getting this fish. The lionfish's preference is for guppy-sized fish, I generally feed saltwater mollies that I have cultured for many generations whereas the Rhinopias readily takes very large adult mollies (and small guppy-sized ones). They get along food-wise since the lion chases down the small prey far more quickly than the Rhinopias (who only gives the smaller fish a half-hearted effort. The Rhinopias is like lightning for the large prey whereas the lion ignores large prey. I will stop with the large live prey for the Rhinopias tomorrow and go back to frozen and see how long it takes the lion to go after small chunks. I recall those I had in the past were easily trained to take nonliving foods. The lion and Rhino have become good "friends." Each rests at night opposite ends of the tank but during the day they move around together most of the time, with the lion hovering a couple of inches above the Rhino. If the lion moves, the Rhino follows, and vice versa. I guess they associate one another with food showing up.
I am in the process of cycling a 90 gallon tank for these fish. I have an angler that I would like to put with them but I am waiting for it to get a bit larger.
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