a hypothetical saltwater tank

[dbacksrat]

hypothetically- i am just interested- i have not researched and have no money:
could i keep two lionfish together, and what is the smallest size tank they could live in?
again, this is extremely hypothetical- i have never kept a saltwater tank, i am just interested...

 

[Aquarianna7891]

The answer would heavily rely on what kind you would want to keep. Pterois volitans, the big ones, get to be a max of about a foot long. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than 65 or so gallons for one. They need sufficient room to spread out their fins.

Dwarf lions, however could be kept in smaller tanks. they usually only get to be about 7 or 8", but still need a good sized tank.

Another alternative you may consider, if you are looking for carnivorous fish, is the leaf fish. They stay pretty small, about 5 inches, and you can keep 2 or 3 in a 30 gal tank, given that they are fairly docile fish.


Whatever you may choose- PLEASE read up on saltwater fishkeeping before you dive into it.

Good luck!
Anna

 

[colesea]

Lionfish are toxic, so be aware.

I have seen groups of lionfish live together. This has been in large public aquariums though. I do not know what the natural territorial size a lionfish may require, so more than one may prove stressful without giving them appropriate space.

Like the above post mentioned, even dwarf lionfish get quite large, so at least 75 gallons I would recommend, and that is probably without tankmates.
~~Colesea

 

[wayne]

Lionfish hunt together in the wild, so territorial issues are not likely. They are big, messy fish though, so I would say at least a 75.