Queensland "Super" Grouper  8/25/06
First Fish To Undergo Chemo Dies At Shedd
Bubba the Queensland "Super" Grouper Passed Away Tuesday
(CBS) CHICAGO Bubba the Queensland Grouper was born a female but became a male. More remarkably, this Shedd Aquarium resident was the first fish to successfully undergo chemotherapy. Now, staff members at the Shedd Aquarium are mourning the death of a most “super grouper.”
Bubba died suddenly on Tuesday. Teams were mobilized to provide emergency medical care to Bubba, but efforts to save the fish were not successful.
“The past twenty-four hours have been extremely difficult for our staff as Bubba was truly a member of the Shedd family,” said George Parsons, director of the Fishes department, in a news release. “Bubba overcame some incredible odds over the years, and that’s what made him so special to us. His story of survival inspired so many of our guests and the public that followed him.”
An initial autopsy revealed Bubba had health issues related to old age and a number of abnormal growths. A more extensive report will come back in a few weeks.
Bubba was born a female, but later became a he because groupers can actually change gender as they mature because of social and other factors. Bubba was left as an abandoned pet at the Shedd in 1987.
Bubba was diagnosed with a type of cancer and successfully treated in 2003, earning him the nickname “super grouper” by the media who followed his story. He became an inspiration to cancer patients and even has a tile in his honor at the Hope Children’s Hospital oncology division in Oak Lawn, Ill.

- Panther Grouper Illness 8/22/06 -
I have had a panther grouper for about a year and it has been acting funny lately. He hasn't been eating for a few days and he just kind of lays around and sits there with his mouth open and gills open as well. Please help, I don't want him to die!
Thank you,
Rebecca B.
<Rebecca, it sure would help if you could tell us a little more about the tank this fish lives in... how large is the tank? How often is the water changed? Have you run any water tests on the fish tank? If so, what were the results. With a little more information, we'd be happy to do our best to help. For now, I'd suggest a 10-25% water change and see how that plays out.
Cheers, J -- >

Feeding Miniata Groupers  - 5/12/2006
Our LFS told us that Miniatus groupers should only eat three times a week or they will die from liver disease from over eating.
<Mmm, this interval is about right...>
It doesn't make sense.... if fish live in the ocean, why would they overeat?
<... perhaps there is generally not enough food about to do so... maybe when one is getting too full it is more likely to not be able to catch/find other food... Over long generations maybe there is genetic selection for ones that don't get too full to be caught/eaten themselves...>
There is 1-6" clown trigger and 1-4" sohal tang in a 240 gal.  tank. He suggested feeding separate. Dale
<Likely necessary as they get larger... Bob Fenner>

Hawk and Shrimp Mixing   1/17/06
Recently I've seen a fish sold as a geometric hawkfish which is really a Perchlet (Plectranthias)
<Yes they have been much more common around here as well lately.>
at my local fish stores.  Are these fish good aquarium residents?
<There small size and level of activity, or lack there of makes them a good choice for many tanks. Due to their deep water collection they often do not recover from collection and shipping, but those that do survive acclimate and eat well in my experience.>
I'm thinking about purchasing one for a 40g tank with numerous shrimp.
<What type of shrimp, larger shrimps such as adult Lysmatas should be okay but smaller shrimps may be lunch.>
Would the shrimp be a nice meal for the fish?
<If they are small enough.>
On the other hand would my Coral Bands enjoy hunting down the Perchlet.
   <Likely would be too quick for the shrimp to catch, though that isn’t to say I haven’t seen a CBS snatch a fish before.>
Adam helped me a while ago with a P. ataenia wrasse.
<I remember.>
Let him know this fish is doing great and has become the family favorite.
<Awesome.>
Thanks for your help!
<No trouble.>
Myles Goldfein
<Adam J.>

Non- raised white spots: Blue Line Grouper  11/23/05
So - I've e-mailed you before and your advice when I started this hobby a year ago, has been absolutely valuable. I have referred your website to a friend of mine who is building a 1500 gallon tank in his new home in Belize and wonder if you all have conversed.
<I see>
My new blue line grouper, I bought from the local aquarium purveyor has developed white spots that are not raised. There are no bumps, no lumps, no tufts of white. It almost appears like the pock marks of a trout. Squarish spots. During the past three days the amount has doubled, so I know this can't be it's natural pigment. Something is afoot in Denmark - or something. It has, in deed, been rubbing itself on everything.
<Are stress markings... something not to its liking...>
I have a Niger and a Domino with it, that have been there from the start and have no signs of infection. The blue line grouper has been in the tank for two weeks.
<Mmm, these are likely the psychological source...>
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am totally bewildered, having searched through the sea of information with nothing really popping out as to what is up with my ferocious, small at five inches, beast. 
Mucho Gratitude,
Ishan
<Try moving out the Domino first... Bob Fenner>  

My sick Grouper  9/30/05
Hello:
Please help me.  My 6 inch Panther Grouper is laying sideways.  He won't eat and now has some type of parasite or scales on him.  He was so cool.  My roommate is an idiot and will let him die.  Although he is not my fish, I take care of him while bad parent visits the world for months on end.  What do I do with this fish.  
The tank is 200 gallons I guess.  it's 6 ft by 18 inches.  It has a puffer fish in it who is a hog eating all the food from the others to the point I have to hide it under the rocks.  Two Nemo fish, 3 star fish and several crabs.  Plus a large eel at about a foot long.  The main food my roommate feeds is Krill.  with only differentiating of seaweed pellets.  
Please Advise.
Anne
<Do you have idea's re why this fish is behaving this way? Water quality test kits? This species does at time "just" lay down, and will (for no apparent reason) go into a non-feeding strike... If good-sized, the Panther Grouper can go w/o food for weeks. I would check your water quality, execute a large water change, look into placing some chemical filtrant (e.g. Chemipure, activated carbon, Polyfilter) in the filter flow path, and offer some fresh/er frozen/defrosted foods... at both ends of the tank to keep some of it away from the puffer. Bob Fenner>

Keeping two groupers 9/19/05
I have a FOWLR 180gal system (6x2x2 ft) currently stocked with two eels;
Whitemouth moray 15 inch and zebra moray 18inch, both brought back from
Hawaii.  Also have lunare wrasse 5inch, Fiji damsel 2.5inch, and clown
grouper 2.5inch.  Like to get one or two big show fish to finish the
system...something easy to feed and hardy and disease resistant.  The LFS
has a large 7-8inch miniata grouper and 7-8inch argus grouper...both look
healthy.  Can I get both at the same time and expect everyone to get
along.  Or should I get just one and a large trigger of same size like a
Pinktail?  Have not had much luck with large angels and tangs...finicky
eater and ich-prone.  I know I might have to take the Fiji damsel and
clown grouper out due to their small size.  I'm running a Top Fathom
skimmer with a W/D filter sump.  Also a large hang on power filter and
Purigen to help lower the nitrogenous waste so filtering I hope is
adequate. <Your tank isn't large enough to keep that many larger fish.  You will be asking for problems, being that the groupers grow at a very fast rate. Search the WWM, keyword, "stocking levels" for more info. <James (Salty Dog)>

- Chalk Bass Compatibility -
Hi there! I've been looking through your FAQs and info, and as far as I can understand, chalk basses are from the same family as royal grammas... 
<Yes, both basses [Serranidae] although in different genera.> <<Mmm, actually Grammas are in a separate family, Grammatidae... but these families are not very distally related. RMF>>
I have a well-established 32 gal reef tank with a chalk bass, green Chromis, ocellaris clown, firefish and a few inverts (shrimp, hermit, etc...) They are all really peaceful and seem to do greatly together. I also have LPS and soft corals... My question is, will it be OK if I put a Royal Gramma with these guys? 
<I'd recommend against it only because your tank is full, livestock wise... the fish would likely get along given more space but I think this will put your tank over the edge both socially and biologically.> Will there be any territoriality/species problems with my bass? (I love this guy!! so bright and beautiful colors, and lots of personality ;) Thanks a lot!!!  Ivan
<Cheers, J -- > 

Snowflake moray eel and panther grouper
Hey  again,        
        I have one more question  that I forgot to put on the last message.
Will a {panther grouper} live with  a {Gymnothorax tile}?
                                                Best regards,
                                                    Miles
<Likely so... as long as the Panther is not so much larger than the eel that it can swallow it. Bob Fenner>

Grouper Grudge
Hello all.  Sorry to be constantly asking you questions.  I am a very
curious person and you all seem to be one of the only well-versed and
reliable sources available (not that I don't also like you and appreciate
the work, but you understand the difficulty in finding reputable information
I'm sure).
Just a quick question this time.  I have a four inch or so Huma, had him
about a year now, and I was just wondering- when you say they are very very
slow growers, exactly how long should I expect for him to take to become a
sizeable specimen?  It seems like he's only grown an inch or so.  It's hard
to tell since I see him everyday and it happens so slowly, even though he
eats more than any other fish I own.  My concern is that I acquired a small
(maybe 2 inches at the time) miniatus grouper who is rapidly putting on
size, already about three plus inches.  The trigger has completely dominated
him thus far.  Though they do not cause any harm to one another, the trigger
has certainly asserted himself as the top dog (or fish) in the tank.  I can
see how this may become a problem as the bitter miniatus has a mouth that
will probably soon be able to fit around this long-term enemy.  Should I be
concerned?  Is my grouper going to hold a grudge?
thanks again.
Reuben
>>>Hello again Rueben, nice to hear from you.
If you had a very small trigger, say 1", then it would be difficult for me to predict exactly what would happen here, but I can guarantee you it would be one of two things.
One, the grouper, having been raised with the trigger, would grow larger and leave the trigger completely alone. Often, when a predatory fish is raised with another, smaller fish, (especially a more aggressive one) the predator will not consume the fish when it finally gets large enough to do so. It doesn't see the fish as food, just another part of it's environment. It's acclimated to the other, smaller fish's presence.
The other possibility, things would be fine for a long time, then one morning you will wake up minus your trigger.
Now, since your Huma Huma is already 4", you have little to worry about. Although they are a SLOW grower, as I said before. (about an inch a year, as you have witnessed) they are a tough mouthful. It will be quite some time before the miniatus is large enough to even THINK about ingesting a trigger of this size, and your trigger will continue to grow. No worries. It would take quite a large grouper (by aquarium standards, say14"), to eat a trigger of that size
I had a 3" Huma Huma with a 9" miniatus for quite a long time.
Cheers

Grouper, et al. ID, husbandry help...
Hello again.  I have a couple of new fish questions-
The first:  I saw a grouper, I am guessing it's Variola sp. because it has a
lyre-shaped tail, but it has a white stripe down its face and small white
margin on its tail.
  I thought it might be albimarginata for obvious
reasons, but when I saw photos of juvenile individuals they did not look
like this one (only three inches being generous, and already looking very
red, with vertical bars, not horizontal).  Is this correct?
<Possibly. Take a look at the pix of this genus' members on fishbase.org>
If it is, I
couldn't find much info on this so-called "cherry grouper" and I was
wondering what its maximum length would likely be (probably around 2 feet,
right?)?
<Something like this, yes>
The second question:  I actually read the literature on your site about this
fish, but it mostly was written by other people.  And I couldn't find any
solid info about it after I identified it (even tried the Google search and
didn't find the image you spoke of).  It is Vespicula depressifrons, the
leaf goblinfish, or more commonly seen as the Indonesian butterfly goby
(although I know not why).
<As Shakespeare gets credit for: "What's in a name?">
Can you give me some natural history on this
little guy?
<Mmm, none. Have not seen others experiences, had any of my own with this fish>
I bought one (because they were only three dollars and if it
dies it would be sad, but not like the death of an imperator angel or
anything), it was being kept in fresh water like so many unfortunate,
misidentified fish in the pet trade, so I put it in a freshwater quarantine
for the time being, but I am more than suspicious that it is truly a
brackish fish.  I have added a little bit of salt, since it must be at least
a hard water fish and should be able to tolerate it.  I think I should keep
adding, however.  Am I correct?
Thanks again.
Reuben
<Take another look on fishbase here. Bob Fenner>

Panther Grouper in 55 G?--Not (8/3/04)
Hi, this is Blake. <Hi there, Steve Allen today.> I was wondering if I could put a Drawf lionfish and a Panther grouper together in my 55 gallon aquarium. Its dimensions are 48x15x20. <Absolutely not. The Panther Grouper will grow to over 18 inches in length and needs at least 240 gallons. Not only that, but as a voracious eater, it will eventually out-compete the lion for food. The dwarf lion ought to be fine in your tank. Look for more suitable tankmates--ones that are too big too eat, but small enough to keep in this small tank.>

BEWARE! The Grouper! Sage Warning
This is advice you can pass on rather than a question... I know a divorced coworker who kept a 75 gallon tank in her recent settlement. Her ex apparently had a much larger tank that he took with him. Anyway, she didn't know a lot about fish and had a maintenance team clean it, etc. She told me the tank had some clownfish and an angelfish which turned out to be a mid-sized Navarchus (more on him in a sec). Last week she said she picked up a "cute" fat fish that "looked like a football with stripes". It didn't occur to me what it might be, so I shrugged it off. Yesterday she called me horrified and asked me to come to her house. The "cute fish" was a six-inch sexlineatus grouper that ate two small percula clownfish during the night and then, apparently craving a big breakfast, attacked her angel as she watched in the morning. She described that it kind of body-checked the angel into a rock senseless, then tried swallowing it whole, and unable to, kept smacking the protruding part into the rock to help force it down. Ugh. When I saw the grouper it was grossly swollen and laying between some rocks. She said that the angel was larger than the grouper, which may not have been true, but it perhaps could have been somewhat close to it in length. The reason I share this story is to have you remind newbies to NEVER trust a big-mouthed predator with something smaller than it. I myself had a sexlineatus years ago and it was a favorite "personality" fish of mine, but it swallowed a similar-sized hawkfish when it was about 4". They have HUGE mouths, larger inch-for-inch than any grouper I have kept. 
>>Oh man! I have to chuckle, but poor woman. And now she knows (hopefully other newbies reading this will remember next time they see an animal they don't know much about), never buy a fish without first consulting her knowledgeable friend. Marina

Chalk Basslet Compatibility Question
Hi,
<Hello! Ryan Bowen with you today>
I've been looking for information on the compatibility of a royal Gramma
(Gramma loreto) and a chalk Basslet (Serranus tortugarum). <OK> Currently I have
a royal Gramma in my 90 gallon tank, along with a Scopas tang, Foxface,
Tailspot wrasse, sharknose gobies, redhead gobies, Banggai cardinal,
Firefish, lined blenny and bicolor blenny.  All of these fish are fairly
small (less than 2 inches) except for the first three which are about 3-4
inches long.
Jeez, looking at this list I wonder if I should even be adding another fish.
;)
<Just what I was thinking! It's possible, but would require lots of attention.  You may want to trade in a few of your current residents for a small group of the Basslets.  Doing something to this effect will take the stress off a single individual if aggression is a problem.  Whenever you're unsure, have a QT tank on hand to be safe.>
Anyway, I haven't had any problems with the royal Gramma so far. I mean
other than the usual flaring of the operculum and fin shows when the
Firefish gets too close to whichever hiding spot he has chosen for the day.  
Everyone pretty much gets along.  However with both the royal Gramma and the
chalk Basslets being from the same family (or at least related), I am
wondering about aggression.  Any thoughts? <Could be a pricey mistake. Would be a stunning display of color if you pull it off.  Ryan>
TIA,
Christy Falkenberg :)

Unidentified grouper
you know that electric blue grouper, that you were not able to identify?  This one (last one in list) http://wetwebmedia.com/basses.htm
Just wondering if you were able to get anymore info on it.
Thanks,
Ron
<Nope, not yet. Bob Fenner>

Re: unidentified grouper
Found it!  It is Anyperodon leucogrammicus.  Rarely seen in the hobby.  Gets about 24" and its blue juvenile color changes as it grows.
<Bingo! We have a winnah!!!>
here is its intermediate stage: http://www.uga.edu/cuda/images/INnightwhitelined72.jpg and then here is its final adult stage: 
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=4922&genusname=Anyperodon&speciesname=leucogrammicus
<I'll be... I have a pic, we have this species listed on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/basses.htm>
The reason I was searching for it was because I just got one for free from a friend that is friends with an importer.  Lucky me.  Anyway it is doing fine, its a grouper so it is a hardy fish.  I currently have in in a 60gallon, but when he gets a little bigger, he will look nice in my 310 gallon.  -Ron
<Sounds good. thank you for the input. Bob Fenner>

- Grouper Chemotherapy -
I found this copied in the Philadelphia Inquire today, 12-26-03. Found the web version with goggle. Web article dated 10-15-03 so it may be old news to you, but I found it interesting. Thought I'd pass it along. Don
http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/7023056.htm
<Thanks for sharing. Cheers, J -- >

- Giant Mouth with an Appetite -
Hi all!
Just got done reading some more articles on your wonderful site, the last being about groupers and such.  I have a "black tipped grouper" (Epinephelus fasciatus). It is about 7" in length.  Knowing the general rule of "if it can fit in it's mouth...", I purchased  another fish recently that I assumed the grouper could not eat.  
This was a particularly large damsel (about 4") and mean as can be imagined- if you put your face near the tank he would come charging and slam into the glass about 5+ times trying to get your eyes!..  same with reaching in the tank..
Anyhow, the groupers mouth opens fairly large- about the size of a quarter.. the damsel being nearly 3" tall not including fins obviously is much bigger than that.
To make a long story short- the grouper apparently got mad about the damsel bugging him and is now in the process of digesting him....
So the moral of the story is if ya gotta grouper, make sure other fish are bigger than the grouper- I would have bet anyone or anything that there wasn't a chance of this happening -  but the fin in the throat and the big fat belly prove it I guess.
PS: can this kill AHHHHHH? <Doubtful.>
PSS: My wife asked our two year old daughter to name it - she looked at it covered her eyes with both hands and screamed AHHHHHHHHHH at the top of her lungs.  She does this whenever we ask her the fishes name.
Thanks
<Ah yes... thanks for sharing. Is a common tale, and one that few people think their little groupers are capable of duplicating. Cheers, J -- >

- Reusing Freshwater Equipment and Livestock Selection -
I am a newbie to salt water aquariums, actually I am in the planning stage to set one up. So here it goes. I have a 100 gallon freshwater that I am going to convert to saltwater. For filtration I have 1 AquaClear 301, and a TetraTec 2. My question to you is can I use the same filters that I did for fresh water in my salt water. <Yes you can, but even in combination it's my opinion that this amount of filtration is woefully inadequate for a 100 gallon saltwater tank.> Money is tight, so I am going to try to use any equipment that I already have. <Can appreciate that, but everything about saltwater is more expensive, and most importantly the livestock which means you'd better prepare yourself.> I plan on trading in my 9" Arowana, and some large South American cichlids for some in store credit to help me buy what I'll need. <Don't think that will cover it entirely.> One more question, can you advise me on any fish that would get along with a Panther Grouper. <Actually, I'd advise you to skip the panther grouper - while a striking fish, these grow much too large to be safely kept with much of anything except a large puffer or trigger. All but a few groupers get quite large and can inhale just about anything including fish their own size.> Thank you for your time and expertise.
Steve
<Cheers, J -- >

Groupers!! can't get enough of them: Try to. 11/22/03
Hey guys, I was wondering if you might be able to name some groupers that get along with other grouper types? I have a miniata grouper and wanted to add another type (not any type of Soapfish either)... thanks for your time...
<while I too admire the sea basses, they are predatory and highly territorial. It really would be a bad idea to mix any. Few will tolerate the competition. You will be safer to mix non-competitive organisms in like Angels, Tangs and Wrasses. Since you like 'em though... do go seek some pics on the net (fishbase.org, etc) of a Polleni grouper... my fave. Anthony>, etc) of a Polleni grouper... my fave. Anthony>

Extracting a Grouper
Kevin,
Any tips on getting the grouper out.
<If the fish is friendly enough to you, try a clear container to capture it. Other methods include using 2 nets (one held by another person), netting while feeding, and using a barbless hook. For a grouper, the barbless hook idea may work great! -Kevin>

Basses for sale... how many?
To whom it may concern
I was hoping you might be able to help me find some information.  I am working on a project and am trying to determine the market value of species of Cephalopholis and Epinephelus groupers to the aquarium industry.  More specifically I would like to find out Import/export details (tons per year), what the going price for some of these species is, and what the annual value is for any of the species in these two genera?
<There are some recent WCMC papers, compilations of data on aquarium fish by region, with some family level data by Elizabeth Wood...>
  I have been trying to search for the information on the internet but have not been very successful as there is an information overload and not much in the way of my questions.
<Not in print as far as I'm aware>
  I would appreciate any information or links you might have to help me find the information, if you know of an importer/exporter that may be able to answer the questions I would appreciate contact details as well.  Thank you for your assistance
Jason Vasques
<Not so much that the information you seek is proprietary, just not collected by CITES, other requirement... You might try (this has been done as with Tridacnid clams) doing a "market survey" of the larger volume marine livestock wholesalers... In Los Angeles, Miami, New York, TMC in the UK... re these serranid genera... how many individuals of what size they deal in, what their FOB costs are from sources. Bob Fenner>

Setting the panther on the damsel
<Hi Bill, PF with you tonight>
Hello to my favorite fish crew,   
This isn't a joke. If I get a panther grouper. I like triggers ,but they nip at corals), will it get this damsel fish. It's 125 gal reef tank. With two tangs of good size. He become quite a pain over the years. I'm not tearing down my rock to get him. I've tried netting him, trapping him, and even fishing for him. He's gotta go!
Thanks Bill
<Well, I don't blame you for wanting to get rid of it, but a panther is not the answer. For one thing, they get to big for your tank (180, at bare minimum, but bigger would be better). I know you don't want to tear down your rock, but I think that is your only option. Damsels are fish that successfully defend their territories from much larger fish, heck, they even go after divers. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.>

Big Grouper... with mouth-size Butterflyfishes?
Hello, MY cousin has asked me to safe keep his 1 foot long grouper for a while. My current tank consist of some adult size butterflyfishes and judging from the wide body of butterflyfish it seems the grouper will not be able to swallow them. Am I right? Also, what are the main menu for the grouper? <The butterflies will probably be ok if they can’t fit in the groupers mouth.  The grouper should eat anything and everything it can fit in its mouth.  They usually like larger shrimp and fish such as krill or silversides. Cody>
Regards
Sugeng

Pix offer
Bob,
I got Plectranthias altipinnis, Rabaulichthys altipinnis, and Liopropoma
pallidum.  Would you like pics of them?  I noticed all are missing from your
site.
-Josh
<Yes, thank you. With the name you want credited. Bob Fenner>

Bass/es?
I have a Question for you …
Is a speckled hind and a strawberry grouper the same thing?
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/cephalopholis.htm on our site re hinds, and back on to the basses in general (the link is at top, in blue) and fishbase.org re this/these fish/es
Bob Fenner>

Re: Panther Grouper
In a 120 gallon tank, how long will it take before my panther grouper starts to grow?
<Immediately... faster with more feeding, regular maintenance>
Also how long will it take before the panther has outgrown the tank?
<Depending on other livestock (crowding), starting size, feeding/foods... months to a year or two>
The water is perfect and he will be soon living in this 120 with seven other fish.
<If they're small fishes, they may well be eaten (in time), if they're larger ones this system will soon be crowded. Bob Fenner>

Re: Clown Grouper
Hi:
    I just got my e-mail fixed and read your reply !!!
the fish I was referring to is on your page on basses & the fish is called
Pogonoperca punctata
aka (Clown Grouper)
                  Thank you        Ed
<Ohh, of all things, species. Our pic, coverage is here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/basses.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: pantherfish (grouper) (feeding feeders)
Happy New Years, We have purchased this fish about week ago, was not eating. We starting feeding it feeding goldfish, he or she love's it. Grouper is about 4 to 5" long. How many feeding goldfish would you feed it in day. Please reply. Thank You!!!!!
<None. I would train this fish on to more appropriate fare ASAP. Goldfish are not good for it. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/goldfshfd.htm
Bob Fenner>

"Killing him softly with feeders..."
He or she will not seem to eat anything that is frozen but once a goldfish hits the water its gone in a second.  Which to me point that it like live food.  Since goldfish are bad what is a good substitute? (Feeder Guppy??) We have trying frozen Shrimp Brine, Marine Diet (Frozen Mixture)  Please reply with substitute and how often it should be fed. Thanks, Rob
<Try frozen/defrosted meaty foods like silversides, krill..., and formulated foods made for marine fishes. This will take time, to train an animal that indeed finds, eats live foods in the wild.
Bob Fenner>

Clown Grouper
Hi, I purchased a Clown Grouper about three weeks ago and  it does not eat. Is that normal?
Thank You, Ed
<Not familiar with this common name. But no, not normal for all bass/grouper to go so long w/o feeding. Are you sure this is not a grunt/Sweetlips? Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/haemulid.htm
Is the clown or harlequin Sweetlips look like what you have? If so, please read the linked (blue, at top) FAQs file... these fishes do very poorly in captivity.
Bob Fenner>

- Which Herbivore? -
Thanks Jason, <You are welcome.> I have wanted to add an herbivore as you mentioned, but is there one that I could add considering my present livestock?.  I don't know of any that would be able to "survive". <Well... just how big is this grouper?> Maybe a tang? <Yes, although you will probably need to obtain one of size that would discourage the grouper from making a one-bite meal out of it. Groupers can be bad that way.> What about the little critters, is there something that I might have success with? <You might try an urchin... I've used Tuxedo urchins around more questionable fish, but there is still no predicting what that trigger will do. Might be worth a try, but a tang would probably be better.>
Thanks again, Tim
<Cheers, J -- >

Re: Indication of old age?
Hi guys,
<Hi, Brad, JasonC here...>
I bought a 3 inch long panther grouper back in 1993. He's well traveled having accompanied me & career to 6 southeastern cities over the years. <Excellent.>
Currently he's approx 14 inches & enjoys a 125 gal tank with an emperor angel (5"), queen angel (5"), Singapore angel (4"), & a hermit (3").  I figure my panther grouper (hereafter referred to as Gulper) is now at least 10 yrs. old.... has slight cataracts. Gulper's eating habits are consistent in that he consumes 3 cubes of formula one / once a day. His stomach appears full & this diet has been followed for many years. Recently I've noticed that he's developed a gaunt look along both sides of his dorsal fin.  Do you think this could be due to old age? Or should I do anything different at this stage in life? <Well, although your fish is "old" for a captive fish, I'm sure they could live much longer so it's hard to say for certain that this is senescence creeping in, although it is certainly a possibility. Personally, I would lean towards a nutritional problem. As good as Formula One is, to eat only that for all this time is to eat a lop-sided diet. You should try to get some greens in there, in addition to some different meaty foods [clams, squid, shrimp, Mysis shrimp, etc.]. For a green food, try Pygmy Angel Formula or Spirulina Formula - all my fish eat this as readily as any other offering. The meaty foods will also give you the opportunity to get some additional vitamins in there, Selcon is a good one.>  I give Kent trace mineral supplements once a week (for past 2-3 yrs).  Gulper's appetite is still as ravenous as always... even chases down MYSIS shrimp the angels don't get to. <Then he's a good candidate for a well-mixed diet.>
Thanks & Best Regards, Brad
<Cheers, J -- >

Compatibility, Lion and Grouper
Any thoughts re a small panther grouper (3 in.) and small lionfish (3 in.) inhabiting a 29 gallon tank together. I know they will both grow and am prepared to deal with that; however, curious as to your thoughts on how these two predators will cohabitate. Thanks.
<for a short time they will co-habitate (less than 8 months). The grouper ultimately feeds too fast and aggressively and will outcompete the lion... not to mention drastically outgrow it. My advice would be to simply keep one (the lion) and enjoy it easily for more than a year in that tank. Best regards, Anthony>

Compatibility
Any thoughts re a small panther grouper (3 in.) and small lionfish (3 in.) inhabiting a 29 gallon tank together. I know they will both grow and am prepared to deal with that; however, curious as to your thoughts on how these two predators will cohabitate.
<Have seen these species kept together... often the bass will "steal" all the food intended for the Lion... and both/either get too big for a twenty nine gallon system. Need an eighty gallon plus just for these two fishes. Bob Fenner>
Thanks.

Honeycomb Grouper
Hi, I have searched for information about the honeycomb grouper, but I have not found any. Can you please tell be about the honeycomb grouper, what habitat it likes, what it eats, etc. THANKS
<You might look here on fishbase.org: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Epinephelus&speciesname=merra
or here on our site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/epinephelus.htm
Or? Bob Fenner>

Panther Grouper
Dear Mr. Fenner,
<Anthony Calfo in your service while Bob attempts to break the world play dough eating record>
I have a 55 gallon tank with a 4 inch spiny box puffer, 3.5 inch maroon
clownfish, and a 3.5 inch dragon wrasse. I just got a 6 inch panther grouper today upon the recommendation of a local fish store. I wonder if this is a good combination to have?
<overall it is a rough choice I must say. The grouper, boxfish and wrasse all get over a foot long each as adults. Without the grouper your tank will be overstocked within a year or two. Furthermore, the grouper grows so fast and the clownfish doesn't...lunch. And to make matters worse, the grouper is such a hardy and aggressive feeder that it may very well out compete the boxfish for food in the long run>
I do not plan to add any other fish to the tank. I am pretty sure that the panther cannot fit the clown or wrasse in his mouth. I think the pet store did try to feed it live food but I fed it some krill and flake food and do not plan to continue any live food feedings. All of my fish are on frozen formula one brine shrimp, prime reef, Spirulina flakes and large krill. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
~Thanks a million!~ Kelli
<a bigger tank will help with all but the eventual clownfish murder... I'd remove the groper if a bigger tank is not in the future>
P.S. LOVE your book!
<agreed... CMA is a gem for aquarists>

Panther Grouper
Hi again! :)
<Cheers Kelli>
My friend has an 80 gallon tank with a baby bamboo shark, and 2 lion fish. Would a 6 inch panther grouper be compatible in this environment?
<aside from the fact that a pry bar will be needed to take any of them out in a year...hehe. No, I'm afraid that the two lions and the bamboo shark already will reach a cumulative 4-5 feet total as adults. The grouper is another 12-18". It would be a gross overstocking even in the two year picture. Only less than a year while small and not a cool thing to do (unless we eat the grouper at years end <wink>>
Thanks so much, Kelli
<quite welcome, best regards... Anthony>

Panther grouper
G'Day to all, thanks Anthony on your reply on my question, I will endeavour to do the conversions in future. I have been searching for info on the panther grouper and more to the point its compatibility and behavior towards other panther groupers.
<Have seen them in captivity more than one to a tank, and in the wild, not too distant from others>
I have a 120gal FOWLR that I am going to make a predator tank. I wanted to have 2 or 3 panther groupers in it with one red emperor (Lutjanus sebae (I know they all get very big but as soon as they get to big for the tank I am going to release them I have reliable access to their natural areas -southern great barrier reef, Australia-my father runs fishing charters in this area.) so back to my question- can the panther grouper be kept in groups when small and would they be all right with the red Emperor all similar size fish of around 3-5 inches)
<Should do fine if enough food to go around. Bob Fenner, who will be in Brisbane, Gladstone then Heron Island next week.>

grouper
I wrote you a while ago about my panther grouper, who has not eaten for well over a month. He used to try and grab food from my two other fish ( Maculosus angel and black durgeon) but now he doesn't even seem to have the energy for that. He's also swimming (when he does swim, which is rare) with his head at a funny angle. Can I do anything for him? My pet store said to put copper in the tank but my other 2 fish are just dandy and I see no reason to do so (should I?) Should I just give the fish back?
Thanks for the advice- Yaron Aronowicz >>
>>
Very strange for a Panther Grouper to give up feeding... and no to the copper... I would place it in another tank if you had one... or give it to someone who does... and offer it small live food items... to see if this is some sort of "psychological" problem.
Bob Fenner

Swissguard Basslet I was just looking for some info on the Swiss guard Basslet. I reed books  and they just have basic info on the fish. I would like to know some other  things like habitat and wild food and other little known facts. Thank you >> This little Liopropoma lives under rocks out of the light... eats various types of worms, small crustacean zooplankton... and fish larvae... Maybe take a look through FishBase via your search engine(s) with the genus name... Bob Fenner

Above: a lovely Liopropoma in an aquarium

Eating problem
Bob,
I had a quick question about one of the fish in my tank. I have a panther 
grouper that has not been eating for about a week. At first it wouldn't 
even come up to the top to feed. Now it is doing that but after it eats a 
piece of shrimp, it makes some coughing motions or choking motions and spits 
out the food. It tried to eat it again but the same thing happened. All of 
the other fish are healthy as is the water quality. I was wondering if you 
had any idea what the problem could be and some remedies.
Thanks for your time, Andy Reeser
>>
Does sound like something in the way of "gut blockage"... and as you know, with such eager eaters as this species, non-eating is a bad sign. However, if the animal has swallowed something lodged in its G.I. tract, or has some sort of growth there... about all you can/should do is "hang in there"... These basses can go for quite a while w/o feeding, and in all likelihood this problem will solve itself.
Bob Fenner

I'm going to be starting up a 55gal fish only set up. I'd like to have
a small number of the more predatory fish (since I can't keep them in my
reef tank). Is there any problem with mixing different species of
groupers, and if so what would you recommend instead.
Thanks, Joe
<Not much problem mixing different species of groupers (many are territorial as they get older/larger)... except for the size differential consideration... Make sure the smallest won't fit in the mouths of the largest...
Bob Fenner>

Fish compatibility
I have a 50 gallon fish only tank
is it safe to put a golden striped grouper , about 3 inches with a large
true sebae clown?
<The Golden Striped Grouper (or Soapfish) Grammistes sexlineatus? Yes, this should work out. This "bass" is actually pretty shy, so will hide a good deal of the time, but on the plus side, it does not grow very fast or to very large size... and so, shouldn't pose a predator problem for your clown.
Bob Fenner>

Q: I have a 135 gallon saltwater tank with about 120 pounds of nice live rock
and very good water quality (protein skimmer and significant wet/dry
filtration).
I have one Panther Grouper which is about two years old and is about 8 inches
long. In our old tank he was very aggressive and either ate all the food put
in the tank or intimidated our other fish. I suspect he may have caused the
demise of some of our smaller fish.
My question is "What can you suggest as to what other fish to add and what
minimum size they should be?" Also "what suggestions do you have for
feeding when one fish is so aggressive when food is introduced into the
tank?" Finally "any suggestions for added live coral or other reef
elements?"
A: There are many species of "large enough", "aggressive enough" to go with that Panther Grouper. Angelfishes, other basses, morays, and many many more. They need to start out larger than mouth size, and preferably be introduced as the less aggressive species first (a little late now perhaps). For now, you might have some luck diverting the established fish's attention by moving the décor on the day of new arrivals, and placing them in the early morning on a day when you can be around for close observation. If you have a quarantine tank, I'd switch out the new fishes for the Panther and leave him in isolation for a couple of weeks while the new fishes get settled in. Strictly speaking, due to its size, having fishes like Panthers (Chromileptis) preclude having a reef tank with corals; however I'd try s soft coral, some zoanthids and coral anemones with that bad boy. Bob Fenner