Will a dwarf lionfish eat a 1 1/2" fish? also a clownfish/stocking question

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launch

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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Will a medium size dwarf lionfish or fu man chu lion eat 1 1/2" fish? what about full grown dwarf? also, i'm sure any emerald crabs would be gone but would my hermit crabs be safe?

and which do people usually prefer, dwarf or fu man chu?

now for the off topic clownfish question. i currently have a clownfish (i'm sure it was tank raised) and 2 damsels (one sm blue, and one rather big yellowtail) they came with the tank.

could i add another tank raised clown? what about a black and white tank raised clown? what about 2 b/w clowns? what about all 3? lol

i try to do as much research before posting but i couldnt get any exact answers.

Thanks guys.
 
IMO.He will attack him all the time. Lion Fish are aggressive and can create issue with the other fish in your tank my suggestion is to fore go the Lion Fish and keep it safe. :)
 
The lions, even a fu manchu will find the 1.5" fish tasty. They have no problem consuming a fish as larger or nearly as large as they are. They are gulpers and greedy. As for which is best, I would go with the dwarf lion. Fu manchu's can be finicky to get started. Your crabs as you said, would be toast. Even the hermits will be at risk.

As for the clowns, adding another one isn't a good idea IMO. You'd have to add a smaller one than the current clown for them to get along but your real problem is going to be the damsels. They are already established in the tank and will pick at any newcomers, and a small clown isn't gonna be able to stand up to them and do well.
 
As for the clowns, adding another one isn't a good idea IMO. You'd have to add a smaller one than the current clown for them to get along but your real problem is going to be the damsels. They are already established in the tank and will pick at any newcomers, and a small clown isn't gonna be able to stand up to them and do well.

thanks for the reply. i keep hearing that damsels are like that. do they pick of everything? should i just get rid of them?
 
They are beautiful fish, but very territorial. Rather you should get rid of them or not is up to you. I can only suggest your next fishes be something that can fend for itself against them. Something larger and/or more aggressive. Another thing that may help is to QT the damsel while the new fish gets acclimated to the new tank. That can be a hassle though as they will be a bugger to catch and it's no guarantee. You could also try rearranging your liverock to disrupt territories though again, not a guarantee. Any smaller fish is gonna be a game to them no matter what IME.
 
You could just get a new clown fish larger than your current one. The idea is to have them different sizes, so you can go larger or smaller.

Not sure how big you current one is, but you can normally snag a large clown at an LFS for a little more loot. My mama clown makes sure her dimunitive mate gets no trouble from my Talbots.
 
Lionfish aren't aggressive they just love to eat. If they don't think a fish can fit in thier mouth they completely ignore it.

That's the thing though , if they THINK they can swallow it, they will try...so don't test your luck with anything even close to small enough. I learned this the hard way...
 
Hmmm, not true by any means. I have personally seen lionfish with Centropyge angels, frogfish/anglers, and other lionfish stuck halfway in their mouths because they tried to bite off more than they could swallow. When this occurs, many times, impending death looms for both animals. I've also had lionfish chase other lionfish out of their displays regardless of size as well as charge a hand that enters its territory. As far as FuManchu's go, they are not nearly as hardy as the other dwarf lionfishes and generally need more careful husbandry than that of other dwarf's.
 
I've never seen a Lionfish chase fish close to it's same size, they are not a territorial fish...The reason they come at your hand is because they see your hand as a source of food. They normally don't chase regardless , it's not thier hunting style. They stalk and corner thier prey... you must be keeping Lionfish in too small a tank, my friend.
 
All fish are territorial, no exceptions. Take Pterois volitans for example, which are known for flaring their fins and even vibrating their body with rays fully flared in an aggressive manner. I have entered my hands into aquarium water (over 500g) where a P. volitans fully flared and charged my hand, head down, as if trying to joust. That is part of their defensive/aggressive behavior for survival. All lionfish species possess similar traits of aggression and is separated from food modes as in all fish species. There are many stories of aquarists and divers being chased from water from aggressive fish including lionfish. As far as hunting vs. chasing, it depends on the specie. Large lionfish such as P. volitans are known for pack hunting in schooling formations...this constitutes chasing prey by corralling them into a given area. Most dwarf lionfish do not pack hunt as do larger species, per say, but there is always a territorial aggression and forcibly so in confined aquariums.
 
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In a 500 gallon tank , without feeling crowded or cornered , a Lionfish tried to aggressively attack your hand??


Ummm.... ok, if you say so....I've never seen behavior like that . MY Lionfish swim up to my hand all the time , because they see me as thier food source, but never in an aggressive manner.
 
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