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SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
I have gotten this speices from both LFS and mail order. Both have done well. Look for consistent coloration and interest in food. These are not difficult fish to keep so being particular is important, but not as much as with other fish. Only way to go is to get a small fish <2" as they grow big and fast.
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Normal acclimation procedures. They are pretty tough fish...can handle quite a bit. I've added them to very established tanks with good success. Never had one die on me.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?[/list]
Currently I have my panther in a 125 with a 3 angels, one small trigger, harlequin tusk, tomato clown, 3 tangs, one cuban hog, and one foxface. Grouper gives no one trouble, gets no trouble from any of them. It will however eat whatever it can fit in to it's mouth(or it thinks it can fit in its mouth)
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? Does it eat dry food (flakes or pallets)?
What’s the diet?
How much and how often do you feed?
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae?
I never feed any live food. Only frozen. Krill, mysis, and hunks of frozen fish left over from fishing here on the east coast. I freeze all fresh fish before feeding. Feeding is done by hand, with the grouper very tame and eats from my fingers. Interstingly, the grouper loves squash...as it cannot bite the squash it will hang out right above it and wait for another fish to bite the squash and let loose a small piece.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
They grow fast and big. Within a couple months fish can quadrople in size in a 125. Coloration remains the same as the fish matures with the exception of a slight darkening of the white background on the fish.
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Never encountered disease with this fish.
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Does this fish dig the substrate often?
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
How does this fish sleep?
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
How does this fish interact with human?
Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank?
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Hides often in the tank, especially with a full belly. When hungry they are out and about. Can be a very tame fish with a lot of personality often eating out of the owners hand.
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?
No experience or known breading in captivity.
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
Any other recommendations/comments?
2- Only get this fish if you are prepared to feed special diet apart from other fish and are prepared for it to get big fast. A fun fish!
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