planing for fish in 40 gal tank

[Diomedes]

Hey Stirfry, If you are interested in keeping morays, triggers, and lionfish, then here are some acceptable species in those families. The triggers are the hardest group to place in a 40 gal, as most individuals grow much too large. The trigger species that stay the smallest are the Bluechin (max 8.5 "), the Picasso (10"), the Scimitar (9.4"), Blackbelly bursa (9.0")....so the picture is pretty bleak for their long term care in a 40. But If you get them when their young the 40 will be fine for a while, and during that time you can save up to purchase your 135 gallon tank!? You will need a large tank for almost all triggers once they breach adolescence.... The morays I suggest are Richardson's moray, Whitelip moray, Snowflake, Chesnut, etc. Do some research there are lots of small morays. Lionfish spp. are the easiest to locate and the small spp. will be happiest in a 40 gal...contrary to popular opinion Lions do not all get extremely large. Examples: the twinspot lionfish (Fu Manchu), the shortfin lion, the zebra dwarf, the antennata etc. Do some more research.
The best help I could offer though is to go and buy Scott Michaels "Marine Fishes"...That will save you asking people for info and possibly not getting the full story.

Good Luck

Stephen