How long is too long?

[Sturgeon]

I am trying to get my Lionfish and Puffer to eat frozen food instead of goldfish. Neither one is eating the silversides or shrimp I give them. How long can they go without eating. I am not too worried right now because it has only been 3 days but I just wanted to know for future reference.

 

[seatom]

Hello Sturgeon,

I think, if you feed the Lionfish all three days with many shrimps or frozenfoods, then I don't see any problems, because the Lionfish are a carnivore ( a longer digestion ). The Puffer have a same behaviour. What kind of a Puffer do you keep ?

 

[Anonymous]

I switched my Lion to frozen with no problems

I just started dropping in some frozen with the goldfish, he would eat some each time

then I started making the number of days between him getting a goldfish more and more until he wasn't getting any at all

You are unthawing the food first right?

hth

Bryan

 

[PeeJ]

I would let them about a week with no food. Then try. Perhaps gulf shrimp from the supermarkey might be a better choice.

 

[dhoch]

Sturgeon,

Sounds like you are on the right track.

My lion has gone about a week without eating at times (he get's sulky as you heard about in another thread).

I wouldn't worry just yet, but again keep persistant.

They want to eat and won't starve themselves.

Dave

 

[fishfanatic2]

You should only feed lions and stuff once every 3 days anyway. He should be good for a week, week adn a half max. :wink:

 

[Sturgeon]

Thanks for all the help. To answer Tom's question I have a Porcupine Puffer. Yes I thaw the silversides out in a cup of the tank water for 15-20 minutes before I put it in the tank. I just started yesterday giving them shrimp from the supermarket. The puffer ate one piece and then he was done but the lion didn't even seem interested at all. I'll just keep trying. I am glad I learned about this website because the guy at the LFS told me to feed them only goldfish and to feed them 2-3 goldfish a day. Since you guys have been so helpful about this maybe you could help me with another question. I am switching from a 55gal. tank to a 125gal. and the guy at the LFS said to put all the water and my 2 filters on the 125 and add fresh tap water and I could go ahead and add my fish as soon as the temp got to 76. Does that sound right? He also said get some pantyhose and fill them up with my old crushed coral(I am switching to argonite sand) and lay the pantyhose on top of the new sand and that will help transfer the beneficial bacteria. Does this sound safe to try?

 

[dhoch]

and add fresh tap water

I definitly would not do that it'll kill any beneficial bacteria in your filters water and any substrate.

The substrate is the biggest problem. If you are not going to use the old substrate then you basically have to build the beneficial bacteria.

I don't know about panty hose, but a netted material holding some of the substrate will help.

Is the 125 gal going in the same spot as the 55 gal?

Dave

 

[Sturgeon]

Yes the 125 is going in the same spot as the 55. That is my next problem. Trying to move the 55 to put the 125 there. So it is not a good idea trying to not cycle the 125 for the whole 4-8 weeks?

 

[dhoch]

Well I don't know, but I did the same thing you did... Here is what I did.

I borrowed a 30 gal tank...

I empted water into the 30 gal tank then capture fish & rock and put it in. (with a filter)

I then took the rest of the water and put it in a plastic bin. A friend and I moved the 55 gal tank and replaced it with the 125.

I then added all the 55 gal substrate + new substrate (to cover the bottom so I was happy). Then I added the existing water.

THen I added freshly made saltwater (a big trash can works great for this) to top off the tank (well fill it really).

I let tank go for about 1 week (with fish in the 30) before I added them to their new home.

Dave