Anyone keep a leopard grouper

[filefish]

Hi All
New to the board and really like what I see. I have recently set up a new 120g with a 4-6" dsb. The tank is cycled and I have a clean-up crew in place. Last weekend at the lfs I saw this small , 2-3", leopard grouper for just $9 andI couldn't pas it up. It's doing great, but now I'm concerned about adding some blue damsels. I have read that they will eat anything they can get in their mouths, which most fish will. Is there anyone out there wth experience keping these guys?

 

[EdgeKrusher]

Welcome to the Sanctuary!

I don't know about the grouper but I would, this is my opinon of course, stay away from any kind of damsel. They are very territorial and aggressive. I had two at one point and they beat each other up until one died. They may find that picking on your grouper is a good time, this will eventually kill it.

Peace

EK

 

[Craig Manoukian]

The Panther Grouper, Cromileptes altivelis, and can get up to 20 inches in length and a 120 is a minimum tank size. They can be part of a reef with caution, as the Panther Grouper will eat any fish and invertebrates it can swallow.

Very cute when they are little, but not my first reef fish choice for obvious reasons.

:smirk:

 

[Tarasco]

I have a buddy who had a 300 gallon fish only tank with various fish, ranging from tangs to damsels, clowns, and little wrasses, including what started off as a small panther grouper. Didn't take long for the grouper to get large and start eating the smaller fish, as well as some cleaner shrimp. Part of this may have been because he underfed the fish, but I've heard that it happens generally. Hope this helps.

Oh, and welcome to Reef Sanctuary!

 

[Craig Manoukian]

It is their natural tendancy and they will eat, and eat, and eat. Fish feed all day long in the reef not just once or twice a day like most feeding schedules.

:smirk:

 

[Brucey]

I think damsels are OK if you introduce them last when the other fish have already setup their boundaries, but I agree with the others, if the grouper can fit a fish in it's mouth ..... soon it will become expensive grouper fodder
Brucey

 

[filefish]

Thanks for the advise and the welcome.
I have two wrasses that are about twice the size of the grouper in the tank with the grouper. They seem to be getting along fine. In fact they share many of the same hidding places. I'm also thinking about getting a triger or filefish and maybe a puffer. I would think with their built in defences they would do fine with the grouper. My wife really wants some blue damsels though.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

What kind of wrasses do you have? Genus and species would be nice. Any pics of your set up?

:smirk:

 

[filefish]

Hi Craig
I wish I could post some pics, but I don't have a digital camera. And the id of the wrasses I will not be sure of until I unpack my books. Interesting enough though is that I didn't buy the wrasses. I caught them at the Sebastian Inlet with hook and line. I used small no12 hooks with the barbs removed. I have also caught file fish and puffers there. But thew them back because the were too big for my tank.

 

[filefish]

The wrasses I caught are Slippey Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus). They are very common down here in Florida. I catch them just about every timeI go fishing. I have also caught several sargent majors. the largest two of which are the only to survive. Seems the wrasses are like wolves when it comes to fish smaller than themselves. And I thought damsels would be too fast for them. :explode:

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Will check that species out, thanks for the scientific name filfish. They certainly don't sound reef safe. How big are they?

 

[SaltyQueen]

Like the others said, even though the grouper is smaller than the wrasses now, he will eventually grow larger, and they very well may become food, along with damsels & anything else in the tank. If you plan on keeping the grouper, you should limit the fish you get to ones that will grow a little larger than the grouper (although in a 120gal. you don't want too many large fish). If your wife is dead set on getting damsels, you may consider getting anoter tank to move them to once the grouper starts to grow- they just may be very difficult to catch!

 

[filefish]

Originally posted by Craig Manoukian
Will check that species out, thanks for the scientific name filfish. They certainly don't sound reef safe. How big are they?

Hi Craig
The wrasses I have are 4-6" long. I have caught some that I would say approach a foot. However, the fish identification book by Paul Humann says 9" is max.
Anyway, I leaving for a month long workshop at the end of may. SoI plan on catching everything including the sargents and/or letting them go free or taking them down to the lfs. I don't feel right about leaving them in a tank unattended for a month.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Don't blame you!

 

[ddm_aet]

Is it a panther grouper or a leopard hind. Whatever will fit into the panther groupers mouth he might eat that includes inverts. I also once had a leopard hind, but i gave him back to my lfs.

 

[Tarasco]

Wow, you brought back a two year old thread!