NEED INFO ON LION FISH

[jenni*]

I am interested in getting a lion fish and I need some info please on:

-food
-habitat
-tips etc

thank you

 

[jwtrojan44]

I've had two of them, both volitans sp. The larger species need room to grow. A full grown volitans would need a tank in the neighborhood of 120 gallons to be able to move about comfortably and gracefully. They can be trained to eat frozen preparations such as silversides, krill, squid, clam, shrimp, etc. Most are fed live feeders at the lfs and this is a bad long term practice with regards to their health. They are not overly active fish except when they are hungry, when they will cruise up anddown the tank with their fins outstretched. They spend a good deal of time hovering around, either on the substrate, a rock ledge, or even in a corner of the tank, oftentimes upside down. They don't need to eat every day and usually three times a week will suffice. They will eat just about anything they can put in their mouths and this includes smaller fish, shrimps, etc. The dorsal spines are venomous and while not an aggresive fish, great caution must be exercised when working in the tank. I've never been stung, but have talked to someone who was, and he said it was the worst pain he could imagine. Gorgeous fish, btw. Not much can compare to a large volitans with his fins spread out. I'm sure there's more info to be passed on but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. JWT

 

[platylover]

I have a smallish red volitans lionfish currently housed in a 29 gallon tank. A full-grown lionfish would need a larger tank. The fish leads a rather sedentary life and only gets excited when feed, which i do twice a week. I was able to wean the lionfish to cocktail shrimp and then eventually to pelleted food. I currently alternate between shrimp and pellets. The fish is very hardy and has a great appetite.

They will eat any fish smaller than them, and will try to do so even if they can't. That is why it is currently living by itself in the 29 gallon tank.

 

[KanUCme]

I bought a black volitan for 20bucks, and took him home and put him in my FOWLR and he looked happy. This was when I knew jack... Anyways, unless it's a FO I wouldn't reccomend it. After all the inverts, and fish it ate, the $20 fish turned into a $200 fish. They will eat anything that will fit in their mouth. I mean anything. I traded him to a LFS for store credit and bought other animals.
Nick