# Freshwater Lionfish?



## Doddridge (Aug 7, 2006)

I saw one of these guys at my lfs the othere day and from the start i liked him. Hes stocky and ugly and doesn't move too much and when you poke him he growls like a dog. Supposedly these fish can live in all fresh or all saltwater tanks and i was considering putting him in my cichlid tank. hes only about 20 bucks so what do you guys think? should i buy him>?

Also these fish are supposed to be poisonous and have spines at the base of their dorsal fin and and other spines all over their body. Would these fish be ok to keep with a piranha? could i hope that the piranha wouldn't attack the fish because its poisonous and kinda looks like a rock anyway or is it too great a risk to the piranha and the lionfish?


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

The 'freshwater lionfishes' are a very confusing group, so excuse me if some of this info is off.

What you're looking at there is a Bullrout, I think. They are brackish and do best in brackish and they come from austrailia. I would not put it with your cichlids, they would likely pick on him (depending what kind of cichilds) and putting him with piranhas would be assured death to both.

All in all, I would just skip that fish. Not much is known about them and he would need brackish to thrive, and very little to no tankmates.


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## Doddridge (Aug 7, 2006)

Tibs said:


> The 'freshwater lionfishes' are a very confusing group, so excuse me if some of this info is off.
> 
> What you're looking at there is a Bullrout, I think. They are brackish and do best in brackish and they come from austrailia. I would not put it with your cichlids, they would likely pick on him (depending what kind of cichilds) and putting him with piranhas would be assured death to both.
> 
> All in all, I would just skip that fish. Not much is known about them and he would need brackish to thrive, and very little to no tankmates.


thanks for the info. definitly glad that i asked here before buying.


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## BlackSunshine (Mar 28, 2006)

aggree with Tibs there. tho they are freaking RAD fish. I'd like to get one but you really should provide the proper water conditions for this particular fish or it will suffer horribly and die a early death. cichlids will pick it to death and probably get themsleves killed in the process. I would suggest similar water condition fish as tankmates and more leaning towards the non aggressive and large enough to not get eaten.


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## SLANTED (Dec 7, 2003)

Tibs is correct. These are also called rock fish or monster fish. They are brackish water but will do okay when young in freshwater but will need to be in a brackish water tank or they generally die. There is a freshwater variant that is strictly freshwater but it is rarely seen and quite expensive.

Edit: also, they are poisonous. So if you do get one, watch out for those spines.


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## humpy_3 (Feb 28, 2006)

i had one for 3 days before he died my lfs guy said he would be fine in freshwater and im a dumbass and believed him ....... that was 20 bucks wasted

a guy i work with has one in his freshwater tank and it does ok he has had him for over a year now with no problems but im not sure if it is "thriving" in the freshwater, but it is alive


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer (Aug 22, 2006)

I heard that they aren't poisonous and are really a toad fish









"Freshwater Lionfish, Batrachomoeus trispinosus, is actually a Toadfish"

"Having many of the same habits as Saltwater Lionfish, this Lionfish is completely harmless (not venomous.)"

Anyways can I be wrong I read this at this site.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Freshwater+Lio...0-I-C-3-C-.aspx


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## rayman (Aug 9, 2006)

check_ya_self said:


> I heard that they aren't poisonous and are really a toad fish
> 
> 
> 
> ...


stating a fish is completly harmless is a lie any fish can be harmfull. take this for example if a person put his hand on it's spine he could have an allergic reaction


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