Fu Manchu compatibility?

[fermentedhiker]

I'm thinking of setting up a 40B(as a low-medium reef setup) for a Fu Manchu Lionfish. For tankmates I was considering a Matted Filefish partly for it's own merits and partly as an insurance policy against Aipstasia(as copperbands can be hit or miss, not too mention too big for this tank) and Peppermints shrimp are liable to be lunch. The other addition I was thinking about is a Flame Hawkfish(originally was thinking of it for the mixed reef I want to set up, but I decided I want some ornamental shrimp/crabs more).

Temperament wise I'm pretty sure they are all fine, but the obvious concern is the potential that the lionfish will attempt to eat his tankmates. He could potentially get up to an inch larger then the filefish or the hawkfish. Does anyone have any experience with these particular fish or a very similar pairing? I was also wondering if stocking the tank with ghost shrimp, and acclimated feeder guppies and mollies, so that there is an abundant source of smaller easier to swallow prey for the lionfish would significantly reduce the odds that he'll attempt to make a meal out of the hawkfish or filefish.

Thanks
Adam

 

[OrionGirl]

The hawkfish would be the potential concern, and ultimately it will depend on the lionfish. They vary in temperament, with some being VERY prey driven and others, not so much. The best bet would be to acquire one that's already taking prepared foods and never give it live foods, reducing the prey drive even further.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Do you think the Filefish would be safe(relatively speaking) though? I was thinking a smaller species of waspfish might be a better choice than the hawkfish, but was unsure whether or not the Filefish was big enough to be ignored.

 

[OrionGirl]

The file fish shape should discourage the lion. There's no 'for sure' answer when dealing with predators, but the file fish will look bigger, so be less interesting.