Groupers are powerful, predatory fish with bold, often territorial temperaments, best suited to experienced keepers and robust tank mates. Most species are not reef-safe with livestock, as they will happily eat smaller fish, shrimp and other meaty invertebrates, though they usually ignore corals themselves. Even juveniles grow quickly, so they require very spacious, well-filtered aquariums – typically 500 litres and above, with much larger systems needed for many species. Groupers thrive in fish-only setups with plenty of rockwork caves to retreat into, strong filtration to handle heavy feeding, and tank mates that are too large to be viewed as prey.
