Blackfoot lionfish captive care?

[kathainbowen]

A few years back, I fell in love with those little beauties, the blackfoot lionfish (Parapterois heterura). And who wouldn't when faced with one of those guys? Unfortunately, the two that I ordered separately never fared well with two separate incidents of bad shapping and both perished in QT at the store. At the time when I ordered them, there was NO information about them (aside from species and pics- they were even going by the strange name of "Bluefin Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish" in some circles), and I just couldn't find it in me to potentially keep killing the little guys since it seemed no one had the answers on them (or even knew whether or not they could be kept!).

Now that I'm seeing them kept slightly more often and certainly with far better results that my poor two, the bug has bitten me again. But I'm hobbyist enough to know the extent of my care knowledge and admit.... I'm bedeviled. All the info I see is rather conflicting. Some people say coldwater, others are insisting reef conditions. *exasperation*




Anyone out there on RC have any experience with the blackfoot that they could share? I'd be very grateful to hear your stories.