Short answer…
As long as you are able to provide adequate space, hiding places, and food to your Lionfish it will likely thrive under your care in captivity. Lionfish make colorful additions to personal saltwater tanks and they make great ornaments to offset the colors and wonders of a reef aquarium.
The importation of live lionfish, breeding lionfish, and the harvest and possession of lionfish eggs and larvae for any purpose other than destruction is prohibited (all ten species of the genus Pterois). It’s easier to find another pet that won’t cause our ecosystem to be damaged if someone is, unfortunately, irresponsible.
Lionfish caught in state and federal waters off Florida can be landed in Florida and sold live in the aquarium trade. Must have documentation that the lionfish was imported before Aug. 1, 2014, and hold the appropriate wholesale or retail license.
If you have a Lionfish you can no longer take care of, call the FWC’s nonnative hotline at 888-IVE-GOT-1 for help finding a new home for your pet. Do the right thing like your ZooKeeper Team!
If you wish to have a Lionfish as a pet you need to be educated on how to care for them. Multiple lionfish can be kept in one aquarium and one or two make a safe addition to a community reef or coral tank, provided that the other fish are large enough not to be eaten. Lionfish are sage to keep with corals and do not require a cave to hide in.
