Fuzzy dwarf lionfish and adding tankmates

ok this may qualify as the dumb question of the day but here goes...

I have been running a semi-aggressive tank for a while now and I would like to get back to just a mixed reef tank over the course of a few months I have lost a few fish and the tank is looking quite empty now so I would like to add more but more towards the peaceful/semi-aggressive side.

here is what is in my tank now, dwarf flame angel, red flame hawkfish, fuzzy dwarf lionfish and snowflake eel.

the eel is going to be donated to my LFS probably this weekend, he's starting to get a little too aggressive for me to handle and I know for a fact that he will not allow me to introduce anything new.

The question marks I have are the lionfish and the flame angel. Right now the lionfish does not bother anyone or anything in the tank, he just hangs out on the rocks and keeps to himself, all snails, crabs and my CBS have not been bothered and he is hand fed all the time so he does not have to search for food he just comes to the side of the tank when its feeding time.

Same goes for the flame angel he just swims around and picks at the rocks

The tank has been up for a year now and what I would like to add after removing the eel and getting my nutrients back under control is a white tail bristletooth tang, a mandarin, royal gramma and a pair of percula clownfish

I plan on getting them on the medium size range except for maybe the tang as I think the small would still be big enough.

do you guys think I would be ok with this? should I remove the lionfish and angel from the tank while I introduce these guys? rearranging the rock work is not going to work as I have most of it epoxied together. Or am I living a pipe dream?

 

How large is your tank?

As far as aggression from the lionfish, there won't be any. Lions are about as mellow as they come in terms of non-related species (unless the tankmate can be swallowed, and even then, it's just a food thing).

The basslet is a pretty easily-swallowed shape (being torpedo-shaped), so it MIGHT go missing one day, or it might not. The same with the clowns, if they're too small, they're likely toast. Mandies have a poisonous slime coat, but that doesn't give them a free pass if they're small.

The bottom line is that you need to mind the size differential...you want a minimum of 75% of the lion's size to have a warm fuzzy feeling.

As for the tang...it may try to browse on your lion, or it may not. If it does, you'll need a Plan B.

HTH

 

My tank is a 75 gallon, sorry should have mentioned that before, the lionfish is still on the small side right now from head to tail about 3"

I kinda figured I'd have to get any fish on the larger size

And what do you mean the tang may "browse" on the lion? Do you mean he may attack the link?

And how about the flame angel?

Thanks for the help btw

 

Tangs, being the vegetarians they are, tend to pick at the rockwork constantly. I've heard of tangs and Siganus sp. trying to "graze" on sedentary fish, and this could happen when your lionfish is "perched" as it will be part of the time, esp. after a meal.

I know of peeps who are keeping flame angels and dwarf lionfish, and really haven't heard of any troubles. In the past I've kept a coral beauty with dwarf lionfish with no problems, but I've never kept a flame angel at all, so I have no firsthand experience with them.

 

I get what you're saying about the tang now lol

And about the flame angel...I already have one with the lionfish, I'm wondering if he will cause any issues with me adding fish to the tank

 

I don't think the flame will cause any trouble. I have a flame and a potters angel they are both pretty mellow just keep to themselves browsing the rock work. They have been two of my favorite fish so far. The flame was one of my first adds. Never bothered anything new

 

Great to know hopefully I have just as mellow of a flame