Will my Lionfish eat my clowns?

Discussion in 'Tropical Fish' started by KillaKawi450, Mar 11, 2013.

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  1. KillaKawi450

    KillaKawi450 Astrea Snail

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    Hello Everyone,

    I just recently got my 180 gallon tank set up and a week ago I purchased a Volitan Lionfish (about 5 - 6 inches long), as I was leaning towards a predator tank, since I already have a Niger Trigger. I also have two clowns, and a handful of damsels.

    I have had a few of my damsels come up missing in the past few days, so I am assuming the Lionfish is eating them at night. It doesn't seem to pay any attention to them when the lights are on. The LFS said it was trained on frozen food, and that I should not have any problems.

    I thought it ate one of my clowns, but found it in the overlfow safe and sound. :)

    They are my daughters nemos, so I would hate for them to come up missing. I took the clowns out an put them in my sump for the time being.

    Is this a good idea, bad idea? Should I just put them back in the display tank and not worry about it?
    I do have a 10 gallon tank setting empty that I was thinking about possibly putting a few pieces of live rock and sand from my 180, is this two small to keep two clowns in?

    Thanks for any help you can give.
     
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  3. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    Well Lionfish are nocturnal hunters and will eat most anything that fits in there mouth so I would be worried.I will bring this thread to the attention of our resident Lionfish experts.;)
     
  4. jbraslins

    jbraslins Teardrop Maxima Clam

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  5. APC

    APC Gigas Clam

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    Yes they will eat them, and yes a 10 gallon is way to small for two clowns. I would trade them in at your local fish store for something else.
     
  6. mrbanggai101

    mrbanggai101 Astrea Snail

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    I don't know about putting 2 clownfish in a ten gallon tank. That could be more dangerous than your 180 gallon tank. I think maybe one stays in the sump and one stays in the 10 gallon would work. Clownfish are territorial little fish. Your fish could all be good if you get an anemone for the damsels and clowns to take. But damsels and clowns would rather die than share. Trust me, damsels are evil! The culprit could be the damsels killing each other, not the lion.
     
  7. DevinH

    DevinH Montipora Capricornis

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    Lionfish with a Niger trigger (or any) is a no no. The Niger will kill the lionfish.
     
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  9. Greg@LionfishLair

    Greg@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    Vinny is right...

    It doesn't matter if your lionfish is eating non-living foods...if they get the chance, they can most certainly down damsels (clownfish are indeed damsels as well). In fact, I know of at least three people who have had adult P. volitans eat adult female maroon clowns (we're talking 6.5" clowns here). One of them took a year to decide on eating the clown, but it did swallow it. Remember that a full-grown volitans will end up being at least a 12" cube of fish (including fins)...pretty much the size of an American football. I do consider them "the" lionfish tho...an adult is super impressive.

    One thing not to do is overfeed your lionfish in hopes of delaying the predation. They really should be fed about 3x a week, even tho they might beg, and overfeeding won't guarantee anything anyhow.

    That being said, some of our lionfish are so well trained to the feeding stick that they will ignore live in favor of the stick if both are offered concurrently, but they WILL eat live food.

    You didn't mention which species of clowns you have, but unless you have maroons, a 10 gal might work, at least for awhile, if you keep up on the water changes, esp. if it's a choice between losing them or not losing them. I'll let the clownfish lovers field that one tho.

    Planktonic-feeding triggers such as the genera Odonus, Melichthys, and particularly Xanthicthys, are generally OK with lionfish, altho as with any fish, there are individual exceptions.

    HTH
     
  10. KillaKawi450

    KillaKawi450 Astrea Snail

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    Thanks for all of the quick responses everyone. Do you know where I can get a pair if night vision goggles for them lol.

    I have had my trigger and ocellaris clowns for about two years and they all get along just great. My old tank was 150 gallon and the clowns were always together, so I do not think they would kill each other? Maybe living in a smaller tank would change things.

    I know if I did not have enough space to get away from the wife, I would go crazy too.


    I really do not want to give them to my LFS since the will not trade or give anything for them and my daughter would be pretty upset at me since she is only 7 and loves them.

    The lionfish seems to be more aggressive towards my trigger than the trigger is towards it, so I hope they will be ok together.

    My sump is 75 gallons, and has a section for my drains, a middle section (if I ever wanted to do a refugium in the future) and the return pump section.
    The two clowns are currently in the middle section that has my heaters (18 x 14 x 12) I think these are the dims.
     
  11. Marshall O

    Marshall O Giant Squid

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    I was just at my LFS overhearing some customers saying how their Volitans ate their Garibaldi!

    Given the options of the DT with the Lionfish, the 10 gal, or the sump (which if it is not full to the top will basically be 10 gallons of water anyways), I would go with the 10 gal tank. Get it setup now, and then next time Petco has their $1/gal sale, upgrade to a 29 or 40. I don't see why 2 Occ would not be fine short term in a 10 gal tank. One of my LFS keeps some of their pairs in 5 gal tanks (short term obviously, assuming they are sold).
     
  12. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    Ideal??No; but who am I to break the heart of a 7 year old.:(
    I usually recommend at min. a 24 gallon aquarium for a pair of Clowns.
    Looks like dad needs to setup a new tank for Nemo/Coral and a nice anemone.;)

    Also you can take the fish away from the Lion but you can NEVER take the Lion out of this fish.8)8)
    Good luck.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2013
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