What's a good first fish?

I know the lionfish are extremely hardy and i read in practical fishkeeping the magazine they are sometimes used as a cycling fish! so i would say the lionfish

I would put in the most fragile fish first. Based on that...and feeding tendencies I have experienced I would put the lion in first. Groupers are usually aggressive feeders. Mine would out compete the lion for food. So I taught them both to be hand fed. Gotta watch out, big groupers will grab your fingers tOO!

Size doesnt really matter. My lion was bigger than the grouper when I bought him, but the grouper quickly overtook him. This tank was a predatory reef, so it had lots of flow. Lionfish due to their "plumage" arent very fast swimmers the way it is. You put them in a tank with flow, groupers, and triggers, and they wont be able to catch their dinner.

Even when I fed live fish, I had to dump about five in there...the grouper would tag three in the time it took the lion to get one. Their hunting techniques are beautiful, and efficient, but best not hurried.

I would also recommend that you buy the smallest fish you can. Letting them grow up with you not only makes you like them more, but I think that it lets them appreciate their tankmates more. Sometimes aggression can be something that comes on with age, but life long tankmates seem to get along better in my mind.

FLESHY;4237949; said:

life long tankmates seem to get along better in my mind.

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i am not experienced with marine, but when i was reading up on oscars i'd read several people recommending introducing tankmates to the Os when the O is still young, because they can have a tendency to bond with others that they were placed with at a young age. i had also read some people saying that they were able to keep Os with fish that would normally be considered dinner, because they had "bonded" when they were young. though it all depends on the fish's personalities

snow;4243105; said:

It deff depends on the fish. Doesn't matter if they are life long tankmates at all.
For example you were talking about an oscar, I'm keeping my oscar and moved him into my last FW tank. This oscar I've had for 7 years. 4 months ago I put a 3" JD with this 12" oscar. They got along great! Now this JD is 6" and they still huddle together at night even in the new tank. His new tank has a asian arrow,indo dat and RTGG plus many others. Some much smaller then him including a 3" catfish and he just chills with them all.
BUT he has never been a chill oscar. In his youthful days he didn't not let anything into his tank but after year 5 he became a new fish.

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wow. i wouldn't think they'd calm down so much, especially that young. maybe when it became a senior, but i woulldn't think that would happen with a five year old. yeah, i was just saying what seems to be the case with the majority of oscars, or at least to be on the safe side if the fish ends up being a more aggressive one. but yeah, like you said and i said, it all really depends on the specific fish. my oscars are both still real young, but seem quite peaceful enough. the smaller one is very docile, and roland is usually very good but sometimes chases the puffers away. i'm more than positive that he does this for fun though, as he's had the opportunity to nip at them before and hasn't, only waited for them to notice him and then chase them for a few seconds. [and yes, i know, they don't belong there. i am trying to find them a home.]

Yes, different fish will ACT differently, but to completely write off the theory based on that one experience is wrong.

I never said that fish COULDNT peacefully live together if not introduced at small sizes, I just said that in my personal opinion it helped the chances of peaceful co-existence.

I second the lion. If fed correctly, I've heard these guys can be very hardy and have tons of attitude.

my 2 cents worth.....