lion fish compatibilty - hurry please

[MandarinFish]

In my 55 gallon carnivore tank, I am about to pick up a "used" spotted lionfish (5-6" long).

I need to know if it will harass:
1) a Coral Beauty (about 3-4" long)

2) an anemone

3) a pink sea cucumber

Also, how hard is it to ween a spotted lion onto dead foods?

 

[danmhippo]

1. shouldn't be a problem, yet.
2. no problem
3. no problem

starve the lion for a few days to a week, and use a rigid air tube, spear a piece of siverside, wave infront of him. You may need to get it used to your presence before he will accept food from you.

If the specimen is weak, feed him live ghostshrimp first. Frozen mysis can be tried too.

 

[MandarinFish]

I'm not into feeding live, thx though.

Tell me - when might the lionfish become a problem for the pygmy angel if both are full grown?

I don't want to kill my coral beauty...

 

[xKEIGOx]

what about brackish fish? hem... over here we feed them with barckish fish or freshwater fish. And they grow really fast. I'm not talking about the feeder gold fish. there is not fun looking they kill the gold fish. I'm not sure with the name. But they are about 3" long and in silver colour. I feed the eel with that also.

I don't think that the pygmy angel will have any problem when they grow up. as I notice, if the lion fish are with the fish after awhile, he will not eat it anymore. But I have heard that some angel and butterfly that will attach the lionfish'sfin. My friend 10" lion fish lost all of his fin to a butterfly fish. They come in for a bite and run away. hit and run.

 

[Moose22]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by danmhippo:
<strong>Freshwater fish are not a good food for the lions, especially feeder goldfish. Vitamin deficiency. Do a search on lionfish and read them yourself.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually, it's not so much vitamin deficiency as the fat content, protien, etc. Feeder goldfish are very fatty compared to a lionfishes normal food sources.


As for weaning it, I got mine on dead food pretty quickly. He was almost hand tame, in fact. It just took some persistence. I'd wave food on the end of a rod, then I'd just drop it into the flow from a powerhead. After a couple of weeks I'd tap the water, he'd come over, I'd toss it in, he'd eat it.

 

[xKEIGOx]

feed him with some life. fresh water fish will do. The way they catch thier pray are really cooL! but you can train them to eat dead food but feed them some life once in a while won't hurt. Usually larger lion are harder to train.
They are predator that like to kill~ his big mouth can put in large fish and it's hard to imagine. they will eat the fish even that it can't completely fit in. with the head in his mouth and tall out side.

 

[danmhippo]

Freshwater fish are not a good food for the lions, especially feeder goldfish. Vitamin deficiency. Do a search on lionfish and read them yourself.

 

[FMarini]

Hi:
I'm not sure what a spotted lionfish is. Do you mean an antennata( spotfin lion?) or a dwarf fuzzy ? I ask becuz the species of lion will dictate the tankmates. The dwarf speices get no bigger than 6-7" , while the mid bodies and large bodied lions get 10"+.
Rule of thumb... a lion can/will eat anything which will fit into its mouth comfortably. A fish of equal size to the lion is borderline safe, bigger than the lion probably safe.
AS mentioned lionfish are whimps and will allow other fish to pick on them, before they fight back, if you notice any harassing tankmates, remove then.
I don't recommend anemones w/ lions lions are clumsy swimmers and use zone of safety to hide in. Meaning if the anemone provides cover the lin will stupidly try to use it to hide under.
AS far as "weening
lionfish over the others have given you good advice, essentially, starve the lion for a few days than then introduce a fish on a stick, or shrimp on a stick. The food must look alive and it will be your job to convince the lion that its alive. I always use small silverside fish as my weening fish, sinc they have eyes.

Try to skip the FW feeders, if you must feed live foods, ghost shrimp are the better of the evils, but not for long term. As mention FW feeders are deficient in essentially fats and worse most FW feeders are fatty carp. Long term feeding of these fish to lion have been associated w/ fatty liver disease and shortened life spans
HTH
frank

[ April 28, 2002: Message edited by: FMarini ]</p>

 

[MandarinFish]

Thanks everyone.

The guy I got it from mislabeled it.

A two-spot lionfish is a dwarf, a Fu Manchu. That's what I thought I was getting myself into.

In fact, it is a red/orangish Volitan I think. I'm about 70% sure, and Volitans are supposedly the most common.

Kinda sucks. They get big.

My coral beauty (Disco Stu) is about 2/3 the size of the Lion at present. The CB is a hider anyway, as well as a fast swimmer that is pretty shy. I have faith it will be able to stay away.

Kinda sucks still though, since Volitans get to like 14-18". Jesus. I only have a 55 that it fits in. My 135 houses my cleaner wrasses, perculas, etc.

No way in hell I'm going to put the Lion in there to eat my favorite little fish.

The Lion is a fantastic creature to watch. Very beautiful. Just wish I had a bigger tank for it. I obtained it from a 20 gallon, which is an improvement. Still, this fish would be happiest in a 200+.

Now to ween him off bad live food...

 

[Mouse]

If you feed Live ghost shrimp, make sure you pull off the barbells because they make small lions cough and choke.

 

[FMarini]

Mandrain:
If you'd like please email me directly i will send you my lionfish info sheet, it has alot of husbandry tips for caring for these fish, as well as tips for weening and feeding. If this lion is a baby volitans youre in fo a big surprise. This fish will be about 10-12" in 1 yr and 15" in 2 yrs. These fish grow fast, and your coral beauty will be toast.
Are you sure its a volitans? I know Fus look different but he are solid orange w/ lite black marking, Volitans are striped.
Feel free to look at my tank photos this might help
http://www.marshreef.org/members/fmarini/index.htm

Last thing, don't worry about the barbels off ghost shrimp in th 10yrs i have had lions it has nevr caused probem for me, the substrate will often times cause the lion to cough and spit but never foods (unless big chunks)
frank

[ April 29, 2002: Message edited by: FMarini ]</p>

 

[MandarinFish]

Well, the good news is that "training" the Lionfish to feed was easier than I wanted it to be.

I had a frozen (thawed out) krill on a pair of tongs that I was about to give to my anemone.

The Lionfish surged at it and grabbed it hard enough to nearly take the tongs from me.

Damn!

It was like hand-feeding a Great White Shark in a way. I love the Lionfish, but reading about how awful their stings are (and my only allergy is bee stings... my Lionfish could probably hospitalize me) makes me keep my distance.

When it grabbed the krill and wrestled me, it startled the bejesus out of me.

Catching my Coral Beauty is so hard. Damn. I wish they could co-exist. My CB is awesome. So is my Lionfish. Neither can be in my main, 135, reef tank.

The one I was expecting was like this:
http://www.marshreef.org/members/fmarini/pages/DSCN0219.htm

But I ended up with one like this:
http://www.marshreef.org/members/fmarini/pages/DSCN0179.htm

GREAT pics Frank!
PS, what is your email? It's not listed on reefs.org

[ April 29, 2002: Message edited by: MandarinFish ]</p>