Is A Lionfish A Good Option For My Saltwater Tank?

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One of the biggest mistakes beginner saltwater aquarium enthusiasts make is finding a pretty fish and deciding that this is "the right fish" for them! Usually, people end up making this decision when the fish they are looking at is more exotic and more beautiful than any of the fish around it. But many beginners fail to realize that in addition to these fish being more exotic and beautiful, they are also more difficult to care for!

Out of all these exotic and beautiful fish, one of the most exotic and beautiful of all is the lionfish - which, actually, has the proper name of "scorpionfish." And if you are wondering why this fish is actually called the scorpionfish, you don't need to look any further than the reason why these fish are not good for beginners. The long spines of the lionfish that make them so attractive in an aquarium are also able to give a highly venomous sting! And if you put one of these into your own tank and do not know everything about them that you should, you may very well end up with a nasty sting!

Here are a few other things you should know about the lionfish, if you feel you have been keeping a saltwater aquarium long enough to take care of one without getting stung.

Lionfish are meat eaters, and generally speaking, they prefer live food - which means that small fish and crustaceans are not good to keep with them! You can typically train a lionfish to eat frozen brine, shrimp, or clams if you get them when they are still young.

Your lionfish will also need a lot of room, and you should not add one to your tank unless you have a tank that is at least 75 gallons - preferably larger. You should also know that lionfish do most of their hunting and swimming at nighttime, which means that you will probably not see a whole lot of them.

If you keep the lionfish in a sizable tank with big enough fish, it will be a good tank mate, and will be extremely hardy. But before you add one, make sure you know as much about them as you should - for your own safety!