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FAQs about Dwarf Lionfish Foods/Feeding/Nutrition
Related Articles: Dwarf Lionfishes,
Lionfish & Their Relatives, Keeping
Lionfishes and their Scorpaeniform Kin Part 1,
Part 2, by Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner,
Related FAQs: Dwarf Lionfishes,
Dwarf Lions 2, Dwarf Lion
Identification, Dwarf Lion Behavior,
Dwarf Lion Compatibility, Dwarf
Lion Selection, Dwarf Lion Systems,
Dwarf Lion Disease, Dwarf Lion
Reproduction,
Lions 1, Lions 2,
Lions 3, Lions 4, Lionfish
Selection, Lionfish Compatibility,
Lionfish Behavior,
Lionfish Feeding,
Lionfish Disease, Lions will
sometines "suck
up" invertebrates like Hermits... | 
Fromia monilis, the Necklace Sea Star.
|
help! is my tank to big for lionfish to see food?
Help! Is my tank to big for lionfish to see food?, Feeder Fish
8/17/09 8/18/09
Hey, my tank is a 3 feet by 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet, in it I have a few
live rock for the lionfish to hide in. I`ve recently purchased a fu
Manchu lionfish, and its the only lionfish in the tank.
<What other fish are in the tank with him?>
It measures 3 inches long. I placed in feeder guppies but I don't think
he can see it,
<Why do you feel this way? There are so many other reasons for not
eating, water quality, overall health, harassment, prey size just to
name a few.>
So what I did was I caught the guppy in a net and put it in front of the
fu Manchu, but he still doesn't it. What should I do?? Thanks a lot!!
<Step one is stop trying to feed your lion live feeder fish, they are
not good for him or the health of your tank,
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fdgfdrartneale.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm
A better choice would be ghost/glass shrimp, which are smaller, less
likely to bring in disease, and easier to use as a stepping stone
towards feeding of non-live items. Its not surprising that this
generally retiring ambush predator would not eat a guppy out of the net
in the open, it was probably to stressed by the net to even think about
eating. How is this fish's behavior otherwise? Coloring? What are your
water parameters? How long has the tank been set up?>
<Chris>
Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish long lasting feeding strike
8/10/09
Hello Crew,
Let me first state that I am overwhelmed by the amount of information
that you have packed into your site. It literally took me days to finish
scanning through all of your lionfish information. There isn't a better
place on the net, thank you!
The real reason I email you today though is about my fuzzy dwarf
lionfish. I have read all about their feeding strikes on your site, but
am starting to worry slightly about this particular case. I got my
lionfish on July 24th from a LFS about an hour and a half away. They
claimed that the lionfish was eating frozen krill soaked in garlic,
<Insufficient nutritionally>
but I tended to think otherwise. I watched them drop a couple pieces
into it's tank and only saw the lion stay in hiding as it's tankmates
(two tangs) gobbled up all of the food. It had been in the LFS tank
since July
14th (10 days) and I figured it was pretty safe to say it hadn't eaten
at all, and was not weaned to frozen food.
I brought the lion home and put it into it's own, prepared tank, and it
found a nice cave and immediately settled in. It's colors were pretty
faded, and it was acting pretty lethargic, and it looked like it's days
were numbered. I tried feeding it some krill on a stick, but to no
avail.
He didn't even glance at it, and it almost seemed as if he was just
floating in the current. I made a trip down to my only local LFS and
bought the only live feeders that they had (feeder guppies) vowing that
I would
never feed them to "Leo" again after this. I took them home and dropped
the three very small ones in the tank. I watched as he happily chased
all of them down and ate them.
I waiting a couple days before offering up some more frozen krill soaked
in garlic, but again to no avail. I decided to combat his fading colors
and feed him some ghost shrimp.
<A good choice>
I read on your site that these were higher in a certain marine protein
and were slightly more nutritious then feeders. I drove a longer hour
trip to grab some ghost shrimp and brought them back home. Over the next
few days I fed them sparingly to the lion, while offering frozen krill
at the same time, and he ate the shrimp up in no time, leaving the
krill. His colors started to brighten, he seemed much more active, and
looked very healthy.
On august 1st I decided that I would trip
<?>
to wean him to frozens now that he looked healthy. I bought some medium
sized krill and some small mysis shrimp. Since the first, I've been only
trying to feed him these two foods. I have tried putting them on a
stick,
but he barely gives them much attention. He seems to pay more attention
to the frozen food when it's dropped into a current and it whizzes by
him. I have tried feeding him at different times of day and night, but
without success. I have had a few brief moments of "success" though.
Though it was a bit strange, a few days ago he came swimming to the
surface and nipped at a test strip that I was holding into the water. He
also ate a frozen mysis shrimp that floated by him, but spit it back out
a second later. A couple days ago he actually nipped at the krill that I
had on the stick. He didn't take all of it, just a little, and hasn't
taken any since.
It's now august 9th and he is looking the same way he did when I brought
him home. Very un-active, lethargic, faded. His eyes aren't clouded
though. All of his water parameters are excellent, and I've kept
nitrates below 20 ppm across the board. I'm wondering now what more i
can do for him.
<Mmm, really just more of the same... or return this fish, give it to
someone else...>
I read on your site that I should only be concerned if his strike goes
on past 10 days. It's about 8 days now, and his condition really seems
to be slipping. I know that he can't survive solely on live feeders, and
needs
frozens weaned in. I'm not sure what do to at this point though. Any
help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Matt
<... Up to you... to keep supplying live foods, keep trying to wean onto
frozen... I would expand the latter diet... to include fish... perhaps
frozen/defrosted silversides are at least available there... or some
other
small fishes from the seafood, maybe oriental foods section/food store.
Bob Fenner>
Re: Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish long lasting feeding strike
8/10/09
Thank you very very much for your quick response. I greatly appreciate
it.
A short update though. Last night after emailing you I decided to feed
him after it was dark in the house. I took a piece of krill that had
been soaked in garlic and dropped it into the tank. It caught a current
and sped
by him. He tracked it down and grabbed it. I waited a few seconds then
went downstairs to put the remaining krill in the freezer, celebrating
my success. I returned upstairs about a minute later to find the krill
on the sand underneath the lionfish still in one piece. The lion really
seemed to be trying to digest it and did so for a good 30 seconds or so.
I don't think it was that the piece was too big, He easily fit it all in
his mouth, and it was about the same size as the ghost shrimp he was
eating. I now am wondering if he may have a gut blockage since he has
twice spit out his food.
<Possibly; but the taking in of the guppies, ghost shrimp argues against
this>
Maybe I caused this by just feeding him those two small guppies. I
looked more into gut blockage on your site and saw that a lot of lions
experiencing this problem would try to open their mouths real wide and
try
to spit something out. I have only seen this lionfish open its mouth as
such twice, and it was more then a week ago since I last saw that kind
of a spasm. Your insight is probably much more experienced then mine
though, and I eagerly await to hear it. Thank you so much
<... again, krill, shellfish are not "that" palatable, digestible... I
would look into other (fish) foods, saltwater in origin... BobF>
Hungry, Hungry Lionfish,
dwarf 7/12/09
First of all, thank you for your site, I have found it to be the most
informative I have found, and I have spent hours on the web looking for
info to help me with my current dilemma.
<Fire away.>
I have a 120 gallon reef tank that currently houses a coral beauty
angelfish, cowfish, 2 clownfish, a dragon goby, 2 scooter blennies, one
cleaner shrimp, and a cleaning crew, and the brand new fuzzy dwarf
lionfish. On a recent trip to my LFS I fell in love in with a beautiful
little juvenile fuzzy dwarf lionfish (about 2"). Being relatively new to
the hobby, I rely a lot on the advice of the owner of this store and one
of his employees, and so far they have been extremely knowledgeable, and
this is what they told me in regards to the fuzzy dwarf lion...
He is actually a pretty peaceful, reef safe fish that kind of hangs out
and waits for food to come to him. He is not safe for small ornamental
shrimp and he will eat things that will fit in his mouth, but buying
them little and growing up in your tank, he should be just fine in your
tank.
<More or less accurate; Dendrochirus tend to make excellent aquarium
residents, though they are of course predatory, and like any fish, need
sufficient space to feel settled. It's unwise to trust fish not to eat
small fish if they grow up with them, though I admit in some cases this
does actually seem to happen, the predator viewing existing small fish
as "part of the scenery". But it's not a reliably strategy, and
Dendrochirus have relatively large mouths given their body size, and
being somewhat nocturnal, they're well able to catch sleeping fish of
considerable size.>
After reading thru much of your site, I am really beginning to doubt
that advice, that being said here is my problem. I can find a lot of
information on lion fish that don't want to eat, or won't eat anything
except live feeder fish, my fish is apparently the exception to the
rule.
<Depends a lot on the aquarist and the aquarium, I think.>
He would not eat the first few days I brought him home (which in
hindsight I actually think is due to the absence of my Pederson shrimp).
On the third day I got some tongs, waived some frozen krill shrimp in
front of him, dropped it, and he gladly ate it.
<Sounds good!>
I feed my fish twice a day, the next morning when I went to feed them,
there he was with everyone else waiting to be fed. Since that time, when
I go to feed he swims to the top waiting for his food. A few days later
I was in my LFS and I asked how often they should be eating and was told
a couple of times a week, yikes!
<I actually don't treat my predatory fish this way; I prefer to give
them smaller, daily meals instead. My rationale is that this avoids
dumping a large meal into the tank, and so problems with regurgitating
food and sudden changes in water quality are avoided. If you choose high
ash content foods (i.e., things like Krill that come with skeletons as
well as the meat) then the actual amount of protein added to the system
is rather small, typically 5%. So even in fairly bulky amounts, you
aren't actually adding much ammonia-producing material. Plus, the
indigestible content makes the fish feel "full", like fibre in plant
foods, so that the fish is satisfied more quickly. In the wild, fish
tend to consume high ash content foods a lot of the time, so this is a
very natural approach to feeding them; the 30-40% protein foods we give
them, like flakes and pellets, simply don't exist in the wild!>
But he is hungry twice a day, I have read these fish can eat themselves
to death.
<Yes and no. Overfeeding is rarely (ever?) about a fish eating so much
it gets physically ill; the issue is that too much food in an aquarium
reduces water quality, because protein is ultimately metabolised by the
fish and then the filter bacteria to nitrate and phosphate. Moreover,
too much of the wrong foods can cause serious health problems, just as
when humans eat too much of the wrong things. In the case of fish,
certain fats seem to cause problems, these fats coming primarily from
certain freshwater fish, notably the Cyprinidae (goldfish, minnows,
etc.).
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fdgfdrartneale.htm
In addition, some fish meats and seafood contain thiaminase, and this
destroys Vitamin B1, and over the long term, this leads to all sorts of
problems.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_1/thiaminase.htm
The main thing with predatory fish is to offer them a variety: nothing
beats this approach! For things like Lionfish, you can use all sorts of
things, but try to minimise the use of prawns and mussels since these
contain a lot of thiaminase, and instead concentrate on squid,
thiaminase-free white fish such as tilapia, flounder and cod, and
thiaminase-free shellfish like cockles and squid. Earthworms are also
superb foods for all predatory fish, though you need to collect them
from clean (i.e., organic, non-pesticide-sprayed) areas. The aim is to
offer enough food the fish has a gently convex belly but doesn't look
bloated. In between meals, the predatory fish should be alert and
looking for another meal, rather than bloated and resting contentedly.
Really, much what people say about the optimal human diet for health:
not too much, lots of variety, plenty of fibre!>
So I tried not feeding him when I feed everyone else, since he is the
only one eating krill, everyone else gets a variety of pellets, mysis,
and brine shrimp. If I don't feed him, then he starts to get active, and
swims around the tank, something he never does, I am assuming he is
looking for food, and not wanting any of his tank mates to become
dinner, I cave in and feed him. I am currently just giving him smaller
pieces of the krill twice a day until I can find a solution.
<Krill is quite a good food, but don't use it exclusively.>
THANKS! Dawn
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Hungry, Hungry Lionfish 7/12/09
Thank You so much for your speedy response! I feel much better about
Leo's future. I will continue to feed him when he is hungry, but I will
add some variety to it.
<Cool.>
Again, thank you so much for your quick response and for providing a
site with such an amazing wealth of knowledge!!
<Happy to help! Enjoy your fishkeeping. Cheers, Neale.>
Fuzzy Dwarf Lion Eating Habits... Unique Situation/Not Unique
At All 6/30/09
Hey Crew,
<Drew>
Love the site/database... I've looked through most of the info here and
I haven't found anything too conclusive on my current dilemma. I'm
pretty experienced with freshwater (esp. African Cich's) but somewhat
new to saltwater. I have set up my second SW reef tank (46g... first was
20g). Its been stocked with 60 lbs of well cured liverock, various
corals (not important in this case), live sand, Reef Octopus HOB
skimmer, Halides and T7's, UV sterilizer, and I run a Marineland Emperor
400 - half filled with liverock fragments, the other half a sponge
filter and SeaChem Purigen. Here's the livestock: 2 adult True Percula
Clowns, 1 juvenile (1.5 inch) Ocellaris clown, 1 juvenile Regal Tang (I
know),
<If you know, why did you buy it? Your tank will be much too small for
this fish.>
1 adult Diamond Goby, 1 Bicolor Angel,
<A difficult fish to keep for someone new to saltwater.>
and (drum roll......) 1 juvenile Fuzzy Dwarf Lion whom is about 2.5 in.
long, including fins.
<That "drum roll" is going to turn to "taps" before too long.>
I know... extremely risky, and even overstocked.
<"I know" again, but still purchased.>
But I've got a LFS who will openly trade with me. So here's the dilemma.
The tank has been for the most part up and running for the past 6-8
weeks, young I know, but thriving.
<Not nearly aged enough for the Regal Tang and the Bi-Color Angel.>
Well 5 days ago I was shown a juvy dwarf lion at my favorite LFS. They
know me there and know the tanks that I've had and that I've been
working on. Well, we were talking about the livestock which I'm
currently housing and we concluded that the lil 2.5 inch lion would
probably work well in the long run, under the condition that he
acclimates to prepared food.
<Even if acclimated to prepared food, live food will be the first choice
if available.>
Hopefully, being introduced to his tankmates (clowns) at such a young
age will ultimately spare their lives.... at least for a while. So I
went ahead and rolled the dice, drip acclimated, so on and so forth. 5
days in he has yet to eat any of the prepared food which I've offered.
Frozen Mysis and Frozen Carnivorous Cuisine (recommended by LFS...)
<Not unusual at all.>
So I have multiple breeding pairs of African Cichlids whom yield me a
constant supply of fry and juveniles... to the point where it's a
nuisance. I have read all about the truths of feeding freshwater fish to
lions... but I had to try it out. I threw two of my many 6 week old
African juveniles (sp. Pseud. Acei) in the tank. He hunted them down and
gobbled em up. So, here we stand with my question. If I were to feed the
Pseudotropheus Acei fry/juveniles an exclusive veggie(Spirulina, etc)
and marine based diet(reef flakes) (they friggin eat anything!) do you
think they would make a legitimate/safe... or at least temporarily safe
diet for my adorable dwarf fuzzy? At least compared to the typical
freshwater feeder fish that are fed to Lions.
<Would be fine, stay away from feeding goldfish. I don't understand why
you are willing to go through all this trouble when this fish will be
having clownfish for dinner one day. These fish can exceed 6" in length
as an adult, and your tank will soon be too small for it, and certainly
will not handle the high waste levels/load produced by this fish and
other inhabitants. I don't think too much of your LFS selling you some
of these fish knowing your tank size, inhabitants, and experience
level.>
Thanks for the help,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
- Drew Canale
P.S. - I introduced the 2 adult Percula's a week after I had the
juvenile ocellaris, and they absolutely love each other, which I great
to see. Well ever since I put the lion in the tank, I have noticed that
at night, they shelter and protect my little ocellaris in a corner of
the tank. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen. The lion has been really
peaceful so far.
<Won't be cute too much longer. With your inhabitants and tank size, you
have a recipe for disaster.>
Re: Dwarf Lionfish
Health\Feeding 4/5/2009
Hi Mike
<Hi Peter>
Thanks for the reply. The answer to your questions. There is only 6
turbo snails and 5 hermits crabs in with the dwarf lion fish.
<Ahh OK, fairly light load then>
I did a 10% change today and was curious about the water I was adding. I
did a test for nitrates on the water from the tap, that was okay 0
reading, I prepped the water ( added salt, tap cond. PH 8.2, Cycle) and
did a nitrate test on this and it came back as 15ppm which seems high.
<Hmm.... wouldn't add the cycle to the make up water. Do make another
batch without the Cycle and test again.
If you are still getting a high reading, you should consider changing
your salt mix.>
I was really worried about the dwarf, so I tried him with 6 Neons (
hated doing it but was getting desperate) and he was a different fish,
ate them all in a couple of min.s.
More active eyes have cleared up, which seems maybe he was not on frozen
before?
<I think the fish store was stretching the truth a bit. It is good that
he ate them, now you can start weaning him on non-live food>
I have enclosed a couple of pics of the tank and structure of rocks etc.
<Looks like a nice set up. I notice some green algae on your rocks,
probably related to your nitrate levels.>
What was in the tank before was an emperor angel, 1 firefish, 2 humbugs,
1 clown, 1 psychedelic, keyhole dwarf angel, and a longnose butterfly.
The butterfly was getting harassed by the emperor and got the velvet
1st.
Don't know what else I can tell you.
Thanks for the links will check them out.
Regards Peter
<My Pleasure>
<Mike>
Re: Dwarf Lionfish
Health\Feeding (4/8/2009) Update with BGA control 5/4/2009
Hi Mike
<Hi Peter.>
Fuzzy still doing well, still not weaned him off live yet, but I leave
him a few days and he then shows interest in dead at first but does not
eat it, but I am sure with perseverance he will come around.
<It can take some time. Just keep trying.>
My nitrates are still quite high, however I do have good news.
<Keep up with the water changes for the nitrates, or add some
macroalgae.>
The red slime I had is no longer,
<Excellent News.>
I really don't know what I did, except I do not add cycle anymore,
thanks for the tip, and basically I left the tank alone. I used to clean
the red stuff as soon as it appeared, I left it for a week without
touching it and
although initially it got worse after 2-3 days it started to recede, and
within 2 weeks it was gone.
<It likely ran out of stuff to 'eat'>
I have now had 3 clear days without it appearing.
Thought I would let you know as it may help other marine keepers get rid
of this problem.
<Thank you for sharing this.>
Regards Peter
P.S. Picking up an Eel today to add to the tank, but he IS eating
lancefish (no weaning required).
<Do read up on its care requirements. Here is a great place to start:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/morays.htm >
<Mike>
Dwarf Lionfish: Polly Want a Minnow? - 7/1/08
Hello good people.
<Hello!>
I've been reading your Q & As on Dwarf
Lionfish and you stated that you shouldn't feed marine fish minnows.
<Right...chronic poor nutritive value, digestion issues...>
I gave my
guy 2 minnows the other day and he gulped them up like it was no
tomorrow.
I'm kind of nervous now that I read where you said that it
can be harmful to the little guy. I'm looking at him now and he's
swimming back and forth in the front of the tank. It's almost like he
wants minnows now.
<In a sense...is a predator. Unlikely for him to
have developed a 'preference' after two minnows- and these fish capture
by surprise, not hunting.>
Or maybe he's sick?? I don't know.
I've been throwing krill, and frozen mysis shrimp in there but, what I
want to know is what else is good for them to eat?
<Probably won't
get much response>
Earth worms?
<If we're going for natural diet,
these are definitely out>
Marine flakes?
<I'd be impressed if you
got a lion to eat these...and they wouldn't come close to supplying the
biomass a lionfish needs to consume in order to survive>
I'm getting
the idea that he (Lion-O) only wants live stuff.
<You're getting the
picture. Live ghost shrimp can be used to help train him to accept
less-live things. Giving him one will prime his feeding response, then
using feeding tongs to wave a piece of raw shrimp (shell on), marine
fish, or squid (preferably soaked in vitamins) will hopefully teach him
that these items are equally desirable as live>
Can you help me?
<Also continue to read wetwebmedia.com re lionfish and their care.
Benjamin>
Re: Dwarf Lionfish
Health\Feeding 4/5/2009
Hi Mike
<Hi Peter>
Thanks for the reply. The answer to your questions. There is only 6
turbo snails and 5 hermits crabs in with the dwarf lion fish.
<Ahh OK, fairly light load then>
I did a 10% change today and was curious about the water I was adding. I
did a test for nitrates on the water from the tap, that was okay 0
reading, I prepped the water ( added salt, tap cond. PH 8.2, Cycle) and
did a nitrate test on this and it came back as 15ppm which seems high.
<Hmm.... wouldn't add the cycle to the make up water. Do make another
batch without the Cycle and test again.
If you are still getting a high reading, you should consider changing
your salt mix.>
I was really worried about the dwarf, so I tried him with 6 Neons (
hated doing it but was getting desperate) and he was a different fish,
ate them all in a couple of min.s.
More active eyes have cleared up, which seems maybe he was not on frozen
before?
<I think the fish store was stretching the truth a bit. It is good that
he ate them, now you can start weaning him on non-live food>
I have enclosed a couple of pics of the tank and structure of rocks etc.
<Looks like a nice set up. I notice some green algae on your rocks,
probably related to your nitrate levels.>
What was in the tank before was an emperor angel, 1 firefish, 2 humbugs,
1 clown, 1 psychedelic, keyhole dwarf angel, and a longnose butterfly.
The butterfly was getting harassed by the emperor and got the velvet
1st.
Don't know what else I can tell you.
Thanks for the links will check them out.
Regards Peter
<My Pleasure>
<Mike>
Lionfish question... will eat small-enough and not fishes! –
03/07/08
Dear crew
<Doug>
I have had this lionfish for
about 6 months. It eats essentially half a cube of Formula One and
half a cube of Formula Two per day. Over time, it has gotten a
couple of blue green Chromis.
<Eventually all...>
The other
day he got a yellowtail blue devil. The next day he ate, but the day
after he did not. Today, he was in the middle of the death throes.
<... gut blockage...>
Tonight he is just lying still on the
bottom of the tank, gasping. Looks like he is near the end. Still
full of color. He is about 7 inches, very think. The other fish in
the tank are doing very well.
Thoughts?
Doug
<Put the term
"Lionfish gut blockage" in the WWM search tool:
http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
read
the cached views... live and hopefully learn. Bob Fenner>
Re: Lionfish (choking on Pomacentrids) question 3/9/08
Bob
<Doug>
Thanks a lot. You guys are helpful and that seems
to be the best answer that I have heard. We also have a missing tiny
snail, but it is hard to
spot in our 95 gallon tank.
<This
too could be a source...>
We got the lionfish last and frankly he
is the showpiece of the tank so it is sad to lose him (or her).
If by some miraculous comeback it survives, do you have any
recommendations as to how to feed a lionfish while we are on
vacation?
<Mmm, yes... not to. Unless the specimen is absolutely
tiny, or the vacation more than a couple of weeks... Pteroines do
fine with fasting this long...>
We have been using neighbors
twice a day, but that will get old very quick on an upcoming 14 day
vacation.
Doug
<I would place a timer with spectrum pelleted
food (conditioning the other fishes so they are familiar) and leave
this as that. Bob Fenner> |
Dwarf Lionfish Blockage? Help! Too much pizza available... sans
bier! 3/1/08
Hi Crew,
<Chris>
I think I may need
a little help here. I have an 8 gallon BioCube that has been set up
and running for 8 months or so now. I just added a Fuzzy Dwarf
Lionfish to it about 2 weeks ago now. He was a great addition to the
tank that just had a Hawkfish in it before. I do frequent water
changes so that the bioload doesn't get out of control. Everything
was just fine until the other day. He was swimming happily and
eating any ghost shrimp or guppy that was within reach.
<Mmm, may
have been too much>
About two days ago I got some ghost shrimp
that were a little larger than the ones I had been feeding him. He
grabbed the first one and it seemed to get stuck in his throat. He
kept trying to spit it out or something and every time he would go
for another shrimp, he would grab it and then spit it right back out
(because the other one must have been in the way).
<Sort of
sounds like me and pizza...>
Since then he looks like he is
having a hard time breathing and is not swimming around anywhere
near as much as he was before. Every now and then he will open his
mouth really wide and kind of spasm, like he is still trying to get
rid of something. I have looked in his mouth when he is near the
glass (because it kind of looks like he is gulping for air) and I
can't see anything in there now. I got some smaller shrimp today to
see if he might want to go for them
<... No!>
and he didn't
even move or look in their direction when I put them in the tank. I
am worried about him. I like him and don't want him to die. Is there
anything at all I can do, or do I just have to wait it out and hope
he doesn't go to the big ocean in the sky?
<Yes... and stop
overfeeding...>
You guys have a great website with lots of
information and knowledge so I figured if anyone could help, it
would be you. Thanks in advance for your time.
Chris
<...
Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm
and the
linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: Dwarf Lionfish Blockage? Help! Still not reading... 3/1/08
Thanks for the response. Sad news. Literally 15 minutes after I
wrote you the first e-mail, I went over to check on my fish and
watched him die right in front of me. It was (is) very sad. I was
feeding him about three times a week and he was only getting maybe
five shrimp each time (that Hawkfish is fast and likes shrimp too!).
<Ah, yes>
Is this still too much? I am eventually going to get
another one (once I bury this one) and I think I will cut down to
twice a week feeding, is that more in line? Thanks again for all
your help.
Chris
>///// Read where you were referred to. RMF< |
Dwarf Lion Gut Blockage 11/28/2007
Hello there! Just one
very quick question here...
Is there anything we can do to help w/ a
gut blockage?
<Possibly>
Our dwarf lion has not eaten for almost 2
weeks now and we just purchased some live food (ghost shrimp and rosy
reds)
<These last... a very poor idea>
but he has absolutely no
interest in any food we put in front of him. So I'm suspecting from what
I've read on here that it is some form of gut blockage that is
preventing him from eating.
<Possibly>
Is this going to be a
waiting game to see if he snaps out of it? Or is there some kind of
medication that could help?
Thanks so much for all your help
throughout the years!
-Molly
<The best thing to do is wait... if
the animal has swallowed something large/ish that is not-digestible
(shell from a hermit or snail, rock...) even this may not pass... Some
folks try Epsom salt... in a dedicated treatment system... such use is
mentioned in a few places on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Feeding Dwarf Lionfish 8/3/07
Hey WWM Crew,
<Hi Ryan,
Pufferpunk here>
I have found myself to be slightly paranoid when
dealing with the inhabitants of my tank and have held out on asking
a question for some time
<Not necessarily a bad thing...>
but
now I would like a little advice. I got my Shortfin fuzzy dwarf a
few weeks back and since the first day he has eaten frozen food
happily.
<That's great!>
It has gotten to the point now that
when he knows it's food time, he swims to the top of the tank and
squirts water at my girlfriend and I until he is well fed.
<Cute!>
My concern is how much is too much? We give him a little
less than a full silverside daily and throw in shrimp/krill
occasionally for some change. Your info pages say to feed about
twice weekly. He is getting a little pudgy and I'm not sure if his
increasingly lazy style is due to comfort or being overfed. The lion
is about 4.5" head to tail.
<Hmmm... sounds like you've answered
your own question. Those info pages are there for a reason--listen
to them. There is such a thing as killing them with kindness! ~PP>
Thanks for the help
-Ryan | 
|
Feeding a dwarf lionfish and thinking of stocking SPS, sys.
8/26/07
Hey guys,
First, I just bought a relatively small
dwarf lionfish from the LFS and am wondering what would be a good food
to use to wean him off of ghost shrimp.
<Mmm, "start wiggling" most
any smallish meaty bits (frutti di mar package?) on the end of a
"feeding stick"...>
I bought some fresh shrimp from HEB, the white
gulf shrimp, and used a needle to thread some fishing line through a
small piece and dangled it in front of the lionfish just after
lights-out. He didn't seem remotely interested.
<Takes some
practice, starving... a modicum of patience>
It has been close to a
week since he's fed so I thought he'd be hungry enough to take it. Is
there something else that he would prefer to eat other than the gulf
shrimp?
<Maybe not... Perhaps some other live food for a bit... like
baby livebearers... still expensive and inconvenient...>
Any thoughts
or advice would be greatly appreciated.
<You have read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm
and the pertinent
linked FAQ file above?>
Next, I'm thinking of getting some Acropora
but before I did I wanted to some advice first. I have 2 175 watt MH
lights over a 75 gallon aquarium. The color temperature is 14000K. Is
this good lighting for SPS?
<Likely so>
I have a 20 gallon
refugium/plenum and a protein skimmer all being run with a Mag 9.5 and a
have another 300 GPH powerhead going against the flow in the main tank
to cause some turbulence. Would this be sufficient?
<Maybe, but I'd
add to...>
My tank parameters are pH 8.1, DKH 12, Calcium 420, with
no detectable nitrates, nitrites, phosphates or ammonia.
I add
Fiji Gold twice a week and that's all. Also, I have some Asterina stars
in my tank and your website seems to think they are fine but GARF.org
thinks otherwise stating that they are carnivorous feeding on sessile
invertebrates and should be removed immediately. Any thoughts on this?
<I would not sweat these small stars>
I have noticed the occasional
zoanthid polyp decline, possibly this was the cause. One last thing
regarding my sump: I was thinking of removing the filter sponge and
instead running the pipe down about an inch or two from the bottom of
that chamber in the 20 gallon and filling it up with live rock rubble.
This way the water would flow up through the live rock. Would the
rubble, combined with a thick layer of Chaeto algae in the refugium
section eliminate the need for the mechanical filter sponge?
<Try it
and see>
Also, do I need any chemical filtration such as a carbon
bag?
<Perhaps periodically... would likely help with water quality,
clarity... Again, this is all archived on WWM>
I currently have a bag
of carbon that the water goes through directly after the sponge and
before the refugium. If needed, is that a good spot for it? Whew, I
think that's it.
Sorry about how long this turned out to be, once I
started I just couldn't stop. Thanks a ton you guys!
<Be reading. Bob
Fenner> Fu Manchu Lionfish feeding 1/16/07
Hey
Crew Member,
<'Allo message-writer, Graham T. with you.>
I
just bought a Fu Manchu Lionfish about a week and a half ago. He's
residing in a 5 gallon mini-bow right now with a whisper 10 filter with
a sponge and carbon, 50 watt heater, <Big heater...> a couple of pounds
of live rock from my 65 gallon FOWLR, and about 2 1/2 inches of
aragonite sand.
<I'm surprised at how many people totally skip the
info and go right to the questions! Does 5-gallons seem a little too
small for a carnivorous envelope-feeder?>
I figured I'd set up a
smaller tank for him since I've heard that Fu Manchu's can be difficult
to get to feed.
<Not really... make 'em happy - they eat.>
At
first he would only eat feeder guppies, but about three days ago I got
him to eat frozen plankton by dangling it around on a tooth pick.
Yesterday, he ate one plankton, and today, he ate two plankton.
<Good.>
So, my question is how many plankton and how often should I
feed the lion? The plankton are approximately 1 cm long,
and the Fu
Manchu is about 1 3/4" long.
Thanks in advance,
Greg
<First,
since he's eating, I would move him to his permanent home if his QT is
up. You will only stress the dude out swapping him when he seems comfy.
Once bioload isn't an issue, feed like you have been 1 - 3 plankton, but
keep in mind that he needs a variety of meaty foods, and vitamin
supplements are a boon.
HTH -Graham T.>
Almost dead
lionfish... Dwarf, fdg. 1/12/06
Hi. My lionfish will
probably be dead by the time you guys respond, but I'll ask my question
anyway. We bought a zebra lionfish about six weeks ago. My husband
maintains the tank so I don't know any of the water dynamics. However,
he tests it regularly, says it is good. It is a 55 gal tank w/five
other fish and three hermit crabs.
<Might be consumed...>
When
we bought the fish, the store said to feed it krill, brine shrimp, but
not fresh water feeders.
<Good>
However, that is all
that the fish will eat.
<...>
We have tried feeding it frozen
krill, Formula One, live brine shrimp, and fresh shrimp from the grocery
store. He will eat nothing else.
<Needs to be trained to other
foods...>
We've tried using a feeding wand and soaking the food in a
garlic solution from the fish store. Several days ago, he starting
acting unusual. He was lethargic and swam like one side of his body was
slower than the other. Since then, he isn't eating anything.
Last night he was having a hard time balancing himself. He would swim,
but couldn't control his balance, turning upside down. He would move
toward our air filter system and let the bubbles carried to the top,
then float down.
He floats into the living rock,
seashells, sea fan, etc. I thought he would have died last night. To
my surprise he was still alive, and when I got home tonight, he is still
kicking. I've read a lot of your emails, and haven't found anything or
anyone else with this type of problem.
<All sorts... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/lionfdgfaqs.htm
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm
and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/goldfshfd.htm
and the linked files above>
I did try your one reader's suggestion with the fish hook, but I used a
sewing needle.
My fish still didn't eat, but the idea
worked! Other than those problems, he looks good, his eyes do not seem
to be clouded. Any thoughts? Thank
you, Denise
<Patience...
these fishes will very rarely stop feeding to the point of starvation...
Bob Fenner> Re: Almost dead lionfish... Dwarf, fdg. -- a
follow-up 1/12/06 1/20/07
Hi again. I just wanted
to thank you for your responses. Unfortunately, my zebra lionfish died
later in the day that I emailed you last time.
<I'm very
sorry for your loss, Denise.>
I would have been shocked if he made
it through whatever illness he got. Think we are going to stick with
creatures that eat pellets, or frozen fish products.
<You are likely
wise here. Making maintenance chores for yourself that you're not
prepared for can be overwhelming, and these fishes do require some TLC
to get feeding sometimes.>
Anyway, again, I just wanted to thank
you for your help. Denise
<Thank you for the follow-up, Denise.
Again, I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure you did everything in your
power, my friend. -JustinN> I'm not dead yet - lionfish
1/16/07
Hi. Thank you for emailing me so quickly. I wasn't sure
if I would get a response or not. Last time I told you about sick zebra
lionfish. I was having trouble feeding him anything other than
guppies. However, one of your viewers suggested "going fishing", and my
lionfish has now eaten twice off the "hook". Unfortunately he is still
sick. He doesn't have control over his body movement.
<Patience>
The current in the tank has floated him into living rock, a sea fan
and coral.
<Place elsewhere>
He was floating upside down, my
husband thought he was dead, but to our amazement is still hanging
on. He was floating on his back for several days so I moved him to a
holding tank.
<Ah, good>
Now he rests on his side. However,
he is still eating.
<Can go w/o for weeks...>
This morning, I
fed him another guppy, then followed with a small piece of uncooked
shrimp. He ate both, but the food had to be right in front of his mouth
to get it. Is it possible he had a stroke?
<Interesting
possibility>
He has been like this for over two weeks. I though
he would have died a long time ago, but he truly amazes me. I think I'm
going to call him "Timex" Thank you again, Denise
<Where is that
Cameron Swayze when you need him? Excelsior! Bob Fenner>
Finicky Dwarf Lion 12/13/06
Greetings Crew - I've seen
similar posts in your FAQs but as nothing appears to be helping I
thought I would try my own situation as a last resort - purchased a
dwarf fuzzy lion recently - 125 gallon - 5 tankmates (Goldentail Moray,
Purple Tang, Niger Trigger, Annularis Angel, Saddlebacked Puffer).
<These last three are too-likely to cause a Dwarf Lion woe... harassing,
picking on it... at least eating most all foods to its exclusion>
I
read all your materials about what not to feed and how often to feed a
lion and so I set upon my task of marine husbandry and things went
extremely well for a short period of time - he ate thawed frozen food
(silverside pieces, krill, shrimp pieces, mussels etc.) I would only
intentionally feed the lion every 2-3 days but as he became more bold he
would hang out for the daily feeding of some of his brethren and he
would grab something if it floated by. Lately he has appeared to go on
a feeding strike of sorts, slowly deselecting virtually all foodstuffs -
he turns away from shrimp and squid - he will grab a piece of
silverside or a little krill but then he goes into this (what would be
comical looking if it were normal behavior) regurgitation dance and then
pretty much always eventually spits it out - sometimes after 60 or 90
seconds of wrestling with it.
<Could be some sort of gut blockage
here...>
The only other things I can tell you are:
- he actually
still swims well - hangs out near the bottom if the tank lights are on -
more active when off - often swimming up near the top and hanging around
upside down
- have never observed any of his neighbors harassing him
at all -
<Good>
which I initially worried about - but they all
seem to have read Bob's chapter on lions and envenomation
<Heeeee!>
- no other tank mate is acting differently - all have normal appetites -
the Eel, Tang, Trigger and Angelfish are all longtime residents -
approaching 4 years for all
- pretty simple set-up - lots of live
rock, Euroreef skimmer, self-owned RO/DI unit, water changes every 7-10
days
- I do not have easy access to ghost shrimp or other
potentially economical live food stuff - which would likely get scarfed
up by the marine garbage disposals I have the lion housed with anyway
Could he somehow be trying to snack on the invertebrates that have
managed to survive?
<Yes, possible>
There aren't that many in
the tank - cleaning takes place by the five-fingered fish - Or could he
have damaged himself taking a hermit or snail in shell and all?
<Another possibility, source of blockage, yes>
Any thoughts would be
very much appreciated
<If the hunger strike has only been a week or
two in duration, I would not be concerned here... Nor even longer if the
fish appears to be "full" (have a good index of fitness)... Chances are
very good here, given your relation of good behavior with tankmates,
your set-up, maintenance routine, that this fish will resume feeding.
Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Dwarf fuzzy lion hunger strike - 11/02/06
Hi, Crew.
<Dan>
I have a dwarf fuzzy lionfish, about 3-4" long,
that has decided to go on a prolonged (several-week) hunger strike. I
know from the FAQs that this is not uncommon, but the little guy is
getting really skinny and lethargic, and we don't want to lose him.
<Understood>
Background: Tank is 120 gal FOWLR with about 200 lbs
live sand (w/plenum) and perhaps 50 lbs of live rock. We have a small
refugium, a Euro-Reef skimmer, a 1250 gal/hr pump, and a "micron bag"
for mechanical filtration. Water parameters are all excellent (ammonia,
nitrite zero; nitrate < 1; pH ~8.2; PO4 < 0.2). Inhabitants include a
purple tang, diamond sleeper goby, the lion, a small Toby, a long-nosed
Hawkfish, a Christmas wrasse, and a few damsels.
<Mmmm...>
The
lion used to come to the top of the tank and "beg" for food. We rotated
through several foodstuffs, including silversides, krill, Mysis, squid,
and shrimp, feeding maybe three times per week. Now, none of these
work, even offered on a gently-wiggled feeding stick. At the suggestion
of the FAQs and the LFS, we tried live ghost shrimp. One literally
walked in front of, and then onto, the lion's nose. Nothing, nada.
There has been no signs of harassment. Everyone gets along reasonably
well (the tang is the "queen" of the tank, everyone stays out of her
way). There is no evidence of fin-nipping by the Toby, which was
originally a concern.
Any ideas? We've grown very fond of our
little lion and it's heartbreaking to see this fat happy fish wasting
away.
<I would move this Lionfish to a smaller setting just the
same... for "change of scenery", social dynamic... and try some live
"ghost shrimp" here>
Many thanks,
Dan
<Bob Fenner>
Hey Guys - Lionfish Q, dwarf, small Lion feeding 10/2/06
Yeah yeah... I know I'm part of the crew, but I've got a question I
can't seem to find a really decisive answer for.
Thanks to WWM - I
got a job as an aquarist expert at one of our local (or semi-local, as
it may be) LFS. When I started there last week, they had just got a
very small dwarf lionfish in. I'm talking about 1.5 inches small - and
were trying to feed him flake food!
<...>
Hello... not
good. But I can't seem to prompt him to eat - nothing, not a fish
slurry, not live brine shrimp - not frozen anything! Any ideas of what
I can try that would be more successful?
<Ghost shrimp... can/will
live in marine settings for a good long while... and are palatable...
and baby livebearers if you have them (look in the "feeder guppy" tank
if they have such... Acclimate over a day or two to more saline
conditions...>
Or possibly a way to condition him to the food
available?
<Not likely in a/the short (enough) term>
Thanks so
much everyone!
Jen S.
PS - tis why I've been absent answering
questions the past few weeks... once a get a handle on everything I'll
be back.
Plus I've already handed out WWM website to everyone
wanting to know more than comes on in!
<Real good. BobF>
Re: Dwarf Lion diet and angelfish bad behavior 8/14/06
Hi Bob and crew,
<Hosh>
Thank you for your reply. It is most
helpful.
<Ah, good>
I have moved on trying to find the missing
maroon clowns as I can obviously see that the fizzy dwarf lionfish is
getting fat and happy.
<... expensive meals>
Besides
his obvious flaws in social skills, he is still my favorite fish as he
follows me all around whenever I approach the tank. He is definitely a
puppy of the sea. He is out playing all the time even though (as you
have suggested) most others of his kind are inclined to hide. This fish
is unique if not
special in some ways and I feel very lucky to have
him around.
<Very good>
I want to give a follow up on his cloudy
eyes condition. As I have read though your posts about how it is better
to feed saltwater fish with natural
ocean foods, I went out
shopping. I picked up some (raw) frozen bay scallops, market shrimps,
whole squids and fresh saltwater fish fillets to feed him
along with
the larger fish in the tank on the selection of ground up meats over the
next few days. His eye trouble clears up in a matter of days with
no water change. He is looking much better then when I first got him
from the LFS and every fish that ate the real ocean seafood seems to be
much
happier including the anemones. I toast
<Heee... tossed>
out the LFS’s krill and silversides the next week as I feel that they
are what have been causing the nutritional deficiency. The only thing I
am feeding the fish now are brine shrimps and bloodworms as snacks for
the smaller fish on top of the real seafood.
Moreover, I can’t
believe how much cheaper real seafood is in comparison to processed fish
foods.
<Yes>
What I paid for a small bag of processed krill is
enough to buy a whole pound of bay scallops or raw shrimps. I guess the
marketing folks have gotten into my head over the years that processed
foods specifically designed for whatever animal is the best choice.
<Well put>
Now I can actually see the result for myself in just 1
week how saltwater fish can benefit from raw food from the
sea. Frankly, I’ll never go back to
processed foods again. I also
visited the Chicago Aquarium the other day and saw a couple of small
pieces of raw scallops caught between the life
rocks in one of the
community tanks. I knew right then that I am definitely on the right
track. Even the clown sweet lips (Plectorhinchus
chaetodonoides)
seem to be during well under this diet. Ok, it was an impulse buy as he
is so cute.
<Not easily kept though...>
Of course, there is
always trouble in the making that requires your expert advise. The
bi-color angel turns out to be the devil after all. It has
been
nice for over a month as a newbie, but now he is attacking the dwarf
lion and the baby sweet lips for no particular reason except to have a
piece
of their fins down to the spine. What is most aggravating is
that he is very much well fed everyday. I’ve scared the angel fish
around in trying to
tamed his temperament with no luck. I also put
a tank divider in the tank and he resumed his bad behavior after the
divider was removed in a few days.
<Mmm, have to be permanently
separated>
Nothing seems to work out. A few days ago as I was
headed out to vacation, I dropped him off to the LFS before I leave to
put him in (fish jail) isolation. My goal is to introduce him back into
the main tank as a new fish without his bad attitude. We’ll see how
that turns out. What is your opinion on this?
<Likely have to be
left out permanently>
The next thing I am thinking of is to
introduce a flame angel (which I’ve always wanted) into the mist and
thereby keeping the bi-colored angel in
check Do you think this is
a fair move?
<Worth trying>
Frankly, I have been so frustrated
with the bi-angel that I basically took the whole tank apart just to get
him out. Without having resulted to anyone being flushed down the
toilet, do you have any suggestion in behavioral modification for a mean
spirited problem child that is no angel?
-Hosh
<A much bigger
tank... another tank, tankmates... Bob Fenner>
Zebra Lion
Fdg. Question ?? - 8/10/2006
WWW Crew,
I just
recently purchased a Dendrochirus zebra, my first lion fish.
<A
beautiful animal>
He seems at home among the live rock…. swimming
around, hanging in caves, being responsive to me… defensive toward the
Blue-Headed Wrasse, a Tomato Clown and
a Damsel.
<May eat these
last in time...>
His color has become more vibrant since he was
introduced 4 days ago and he seems healthy.
Of course, my question
concerns feeding. He did eat some ghost shrimp a couple of days ago but
nothing else.
<Dwarf Lions don't eat that much, often...>
I’ve
offered various frozen marine fare as well as dried foods. Should I keep
feeding him live foods until he eats the frozen and, should I worry if
he doesn’t eat anything for a few more days?
<The latter>
Will
he literally starve himself waiting on live foods?
<Mmm, not likely>
Marine flesh on a feeding stick seems to repulse him as he just turns
away.
<Takes time, practice...>
Also, let Bob F. know that I
emailed. I haven’t spoken with him in quite some time and would like to
catch up. My email address is below. Thanks much!
Regards, from
David A. Bell
<Oh! Hi David! Hope/trust all is well with you and
yours. Bob Fenner>
New dwarf zebra (Lion).......will he start
eating? 4/30/06
My tanks, a moderately stocked 65 gallon
(reef) & a 55 gallon (predator) w/ a 40 gallon sump feeding both tanks.
Large protein skimmer, excellent water parameters.
<Excellent>
Reef tank set up for about 4 years now. System has 125 pounds live rock
w/ 50-60 pd.s of live sand between the two tanks. Large copepod/amphipod
population w/ macro algae. 55 gal predator tank newly setup about 3
weeks ago. I started with a very small 1" Picasso humu trigger who is
happy and doing well and who does not bother my newly acquired lion at
all. (Yes, i realize that eventually the humu will outgrow a 55 or maybe
be incompatible w/ the lion long-term) Plans are only to have 2 fish in
this tank (maybe 3, until an upgrade.)
My time
in the SW hobby I have been strictly a reef guy. This is my first
lionfish (dwarf zebra) & 2nd attempt at a predator tank so I am still
learning as i go in this area. I did as much research as possible
beforehand reg. Lions but there are so many opinions out there as is the
norm with anything in this hobby. He is about 2" and appears to be
healthy. I have had him for 5 days now. For the most part he just sits
perched on the live rock which i know is normal. When I was redoing my
spray bar on the 2nd day as I thought the circulation was too forceful
for him, and moving the live rock around he was swimming all over the
tank and active. On the 2nd day I initially tried frozen krill &
silversides on a clear feeder rod which he ignored, & eventually swam
somewhere else as i don't believe he liked me bothering him. On day 4 I
tried those again with no luck. So on day 5 I tried live brackish
mollies which i acclimated to 1/2 SW salinity in a small holder tank.
They swam
right past his mouth multiple times with no response.
However, my 2 tanks are side by side. In the reef i have a mated pair
of percula clowns w/ a long tentacled Anenome. When he sees the smaller
clown or one of my small damsels or other smaller fish through the side
of the tank he shoots over to that side and gets real excited. Obviously
a feeding response?
<Maybe>
Are they attracted to brighter color
fish?, as the mollies are black & the clowns & damsels bright?
<Perhaps>
Any suggestions on what I should do to initiate an
initial feeding?
<Posted...>
I realize that it may just take
some more time for him to acclimate and i am getting impatient, but i
don't want to reach the point where I'm going on 2/3 weeks with no
eating. I was going to try the mollies again or perhaps buy a small
bright colored damsel and go from there. No access to SW feeder shrimp,
only FW ghost shrimp which i don't really want to use (bad experiences
the last time i tried a pred tank w/ disease transmission & outbreak).
Should I try a peppermint or camelback shrimp (cheaper) as i know their
primary food source is shrimp or soft shell crab?
<I wouldn't>
Money has never been an issue with me from day one, only the health &
care of the animals. Whatever it takes to get this guy eating although I
am hoping it is just time.
Sorry for the
lengthy email, and thanks for the chance to pick your brains for some
much needed info.
A caring hobbyist,
Matt H.
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files
above. Bob Fenner> Salt mix and dwarf lion diet - 01/24/06
Hello WWM Crew, <Hi Brent>
First let me start by saying that I
strongly support what you are doing and that you are appreciated. <Thank
you.> I have a question regarding synthetic
salt mixes. I have read
though many of the FAQ's to try and determine who ranks where in
actually quality of synthetic mixes. Obviously all of them
claim to
be the best and that they are the closest to real seawater. From what I
have read on the site Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt seems to be a hit. I
am a fan of Seachem products and I am very curious about the salt mixes.
Every time I try to Google an answer all I get is articles about other
Seachem products. Where would an amateur like my self be able to find a
ranking of the top synthetic mixes? <Sometime ago a test was carried out
among different brands of sea salt. Here is a link to the results. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1/view?searchterm=A
list including the previous mentioned
brands. <There are several
good brands out there. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I feel it is
a good salt mix for the price. I also had a question about my dwarf
lionfish. I have had him about 3 months now. I had no problems getting
him to eat frozen krill. He even
begs for it and eats it out of my
hand. He is not really interested in chopped scallop, clam, etc.. I
feel bad if I do not provide him with a
varied diet. Will adding Zoe
or Selcon to his krill suffice or do I need to
provide other foods
regardless of him not wanting it? <I'd soak the krill in Selcon and
offer other foods from time to time and see if he changes his mind. I'm
sure he will be fine with the krill/Selcon combo. Do search our site,
keyword "lionfish" for more info.> Sorry to hit you with
two
questions at once. I do appreciate your taking the time to help me.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Thank you,
Brent
New Dwarf Lion - 12/14/2005
I have a Dwarf Lion in a 50g tank
with a Clown, Dwarf Angel, Toby and two Damsels had to get rid of 1 and
may get rid of the other two if they continue the spawn of Satan route).
I have had the Dwarf Lion for a week and he has not eaten.
<Good ol'
feeding strike.>
I have tried frozen shrimp, dried shrimp and
silversides. He went for a silverside once, but spit it out.
<Probably thought it was "alive and kicking" at first.>
Today I
noticed him in position to take out a crab, so I got a plastic rod and
moved the crab. That upset the lion and he flapped his body.
<Seems
he at least wants to feed (a good thing).>
When he did that I saw
see through material billow off of him and I could see it floating in
the water. Is that normal, what is that material?
<Probably just the
typical skin shedding and no worry. If possible just try to remove this
stuff and keep an eye on him. The Lion seems to want food, it's just a
matter of training him to except prepared rather than live. Keep trying
with the prepared but don't let him starve. You may just have to offer
some live shrimp or crabs to keep him fed during the process. Not to
often or he'll continue to hold out until you give him what he's looking
for.>
Thanks
David
<You're welcome. - Josh>
Nutritional Considerations 11/30/05
Hi Guys:
After six
months, I finally got my Dwarf Zebra Lion to eat non-living food! He was
on a diet primarily of live ghost shrimp gut loaded with frozen marine
foods. I fed him between one and two shrimp every other day. He is
really beautiful and in great health. Now the bad news. The food he is
now eating is Hikari freeze dried krill. Considering Hikari's reputation
for purity and vitamin loaded food, I thought I was just fine. Then I
read one of your posts that stated that predators on a diet of krill can
lose their eyesight due to a missing nutrient. Is that the case with the
vitamin loaded krill as well? Can I add anything to it to compensate
such as Zoe and Selcon? This is really disappointing considering how
long it to me to wean him off of the live food. Your help is certainly
appreciated.
Regards,
Rob
>>>Hello Rob,
There is no SINGLE,
NON-WHOLE food item that you can feed any predatory fish that will
fulfill all of its nutritional requirements. Consider this, when a
lionfish eats a small fish, it's not only getting meat, but blood, bone,
organ tissue, etc. Keepers of reptiles and certain birds also run into
this issue when feeding their charges. Soaking dried krill in a vitamin
solution will not account for these missing items totally. You MAY be OK
soaking the krill as you are doing, but long years of experience tell me
this is wishful thinking. My advice is to keep soaking the krill, but
begin conditioning the lion fish to accept other food items such as
frozen silversides, whole fresh shrimp, etc.
Best of luck.
Jim<<< Dwarf Lionfish, feeding 9/28/05
Hi,
I
just acquired a Dwarf Lionfish and I have read all the content posted on
the site before I wrote this question.
The question is that can I
feed the fish with prawns and if yes can I feed
them whole that is
without removing the shell etc because that is what I
read on
Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner's page and I quote them "......raw
and whole cocktail shrimp (as in, shell-on and not gutted, but cut in
pieces
if necessary)"
Thank you.
Regards
Rajeev Menon
<Yes to leaving whole if small enough... let's say half the diameter of
the Lion's mouth. Otherwise, the exoskeletons may prove to be too much
to digest, pass. Bob Fenner> Goin' On A Hunger Strike -
08/11/2005
I have a 150 gallon marine tank. My dwarf lion (D.
zebra) has not eaten in a month (frozen krill).
<Disturbing....>
Have tried many ghost shrimp, crab, shrimp, etc. to
no avail. My 8" snowflake eel seemed to be having trouble eating also
and recently died.
<A major concern....>
He did not
seem thin and actually seemed swollen.
<An excellent
clue....>
My 5" porcupine puffer quit eating for 3 days but now is
eating fine. frozen krill). My powder blue tang and other herbivores
seem to be unaffected. No change in appetite or behavior. The lion
appears to try to suck in the food but cannot. My water quality seems
good.
<Seeming good is not enough info.... Be certain
ammonia and nitrite are ZERO, pH 8.3, salinity 1.021-1.024....>
But
my nitrates are high.
<Also of concern. How
high? Above 20ppm can be an issue.>
I have done additional water
changes (more than normal), I run a UV sterilizer, protein skimmer and
do regular filter changes.
<Try to find the source of
your nitrates.... I would be concerned that the tank may be overstocked
if you cannot keep nitrate down with reasonable water changes.>
No
fish in the tank have bad fins, color or any abnormalities. And there
have been no recent illnesses or fish additions. I would appreciate any
suggestions.
<My first guess is purely environmental issues. Get
more water changes done, pronto, if anything is mildly amiss there. Try
feeding foods soaked in garlic extract to stimulate an appetite. If
still unsuccessful, you might want to consider the possibility of
internal parasites.... the swollen eel, after having not eaten, may be
an indicator, here. Are any of the fish excreting long, clear-ish
strands of poo? You might consider offering a food medicated with
Metronidazole or Praziquantel, or treat these fish in a quarantine tank
with either of those in the water.>
Thanks.
<Wishing you
well, -Sabrina>
- Dwarf Lion Questions -
I have fuzzy
dwarf lionfish who shows no interest in any food except Mysis shrimp,
brine shrimp, and ghost shrimp. <Ghost shrimp and Mysis shrimp are fine
- nothing to worry about here.>
I have tried krill, goldfish,
saltwater guppies and Tubifex worms but has shown no interest in them.
<Would keep up with the krill but would not offer "feeder" fish - these
will affect the long term survivability of your lionfish. As for the
Tubifex worms - these are not marine in origin and I've seen very few
marine fish, let alone lionfish that will eat them.>
Well do you
recommend all my levels are all where they should be.
<Think you're
doing fine - you might want to offer the krill on the end of a feeding
stick - waggle in front of its face... but the Mysis and ghost shrimp
are certainly suitable foods.>
My fuzzy also turns a creamy color
every once in a while, is this rare or a problem?
<This is neither
rare nor a problem. Cheers, J -- > Feeding a Dwarf Lionfish
First of all, your book is our bible. We don't go fish shopping without
it
and has served us very well.
<Very glad to hear/read.>
Now
for the problem. I just bought a dwarf lion and admit that this was an
impulse buy, I did not see him eat in the store. Now, I have him home
and he is moving around from rock to rock, hanging upside down on
things, generally looks ok, but, he is not eating. I have tried all of
the following to know avail (freeze dried brine shrimp, frozen brine
shrimp, frozen little fish, live little fish, freeze dried krill). I
have dangled things in front of him, squirted things in front of him,
placed things in front of him. I can't bear to lose the cute little guy,
what can I do?
<If you've only placed the fish within the week, don't
over-worry... Lionfishes often don't eat when disturbed/moved. If it
doesn't start to take food after the week, I might try some live food...
Brine shrimp, mysids if the animal is small... "feeder" guppies... and
then train it onto un-live fare from there. Bob Fenner> Hunger
Strike
Hey Guys!
<cheers!>
Just to start.. I'd like to say
this is a great website and has awesome features like this one.
Question:
I have a 125 gallon. In it is a Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, Tiny
Niger Trigger, and various damsels. Recently, the lion went on a "hunger
strike". It started Wednesday night. He didn't eat anything. Thursday,
all he had was a little prawn head, Friday he didn't eat, and Saturday
he had a small prawn head. What is that all about? I even tied a prawn
to a piece of rope. He didn't even look at it. Think its just a phase?
<indeed they can go quite a while without food (several weeks), but it
is not acceptable of course. Depends on age in captivity, recent changes
to water quality, previous diet. Do verify water quality and use live
ghost shrimp if necessary to entice> Fuzzy dwarf lionfish
Hello,<Hey Jon, Phil here!>
I have read your faq's and got a lot of
great info. I have two fuzzy dwarf lions that love to eat
M.Y.S.I.S shrimp. They are very high protein frozen food. have you
heard of them?<Oh ya.. I feed them to my fish.>
Is this enough for my
fish to thrive. They don't seem interested in anything else.< Try
silversides, I have yet to find a lionfish that won't eat silverside
strips.>
Thank you <No problem!!>
Jon Kerr Teeny Tiny
Lion 06/16/03
Hey guys!
<Just guy, PF here with you today>
I just bought a tiny (1 1/4" at the most) Fuzzy Dwarf Lion. I was
wondering what the best foodstuffs to start him on would be. and what
options do I have if this little guy doesn't eat prepared foods? I
checked FAQ and there was little info on this small of lion.
<Well
JB, have you read here?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lions&rels.htm You could start him on
small feeder guppies if he's reluctant to eat something much better,
such as Mysis shrimp.>
Thanks JB
Tank info
30 gal hex
ECCO
Canister
12 lbs Live rock
2 Green Chromis
Fuzzy Dwarf
- Dwarf Lion on a Hunger Strike -
HI <And hello to you, JasonC
here...> I'll keep it short I'm sure you guys get a lot of questions. My
son's Fussy Dwarf Lion is sitting on the bottom and has stopped eating
for about three days. He was eating brine shrimp, I tried krill but he
wouldn't take any. He seemed to want the brine shrimp while it was still
in a chunk floating down the tank. The tank is a 35 gallon and there is
just the Lion and a orange tail damsel in it. We have had trouble with
high nitrates from the start, but it seemed the fish had adjusted to it.
I did a 10 gallon water change this morning and the nitrates have
dropped. The Damsel is active and eating fine. Overall the Lion seems
more lethargic than normal and off course is not eating. Can I try
something else, different food, raise the salinity etc.? <I think you
are on the right track with the krill, or really any meaty seafood - in
fact anything but brine shrimp or live feeders is recommended for these
fish. Best way to offer these foods is on a 'feeding stick' and waggle
the food item around in front of their face. Works even better once
they're hungry. It's not uncommon at all for a lion to stop eating for a
little while. Here's some additional reading for you:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/lions&rels.htm and that get's you in the
reading mood, read all the FAQs attached to that article. Much useful
information there.>
Thank you for your time
George Hill
<Cheers, J -- > Lion Practices Non-Violent Disobedience?
Hello! <Hi! Ryan Bowen with you> I've read all the emails asking about
training a Fuzzy Dwarf Lion to
eat frozen, but none of them really
say what to do if he still refuses to
eat. I bought a baby (about 2")
Fuzzy Dwarf 10 days ago and I've not seen
him eat anything. He won't
eat the brine or the Mysis shrimp, and refused
my offerings of
silversides and krill. I wiggle them in front of him and he
turns
away. He is starting to lose color and I'm worried! He seems healthy
otherwise and the LFS claims he was eating frozen silversides. He shows
some interest in the hermits but not in the food.
<I would get some
live brine shrimp, soak them in a little Selcon. It's better than
nothing, and you've got to get something in him quickly. If not, even a
few feeder guppies may work, but are not ideal. Are there other fish in
the tank that eat what is on his menu? It may help. Chopped clams are
a good food to get picky eaters eating.>
I also have a Banded Eel
that is a real piggy. He even ate the first day
in his new home! How
often should I feed him and how much?? He is about 7"
long, is it
possible he ate my 1" yellow tail damsel that recently vanished??
<Not possible, certain. You can feed him twice a week or so, and vary
his diet as much as possible.>
Thanks so much for your help! Your
site is amazing!
<Thank you for being a part of it. Good luck, Ryan>
Dayna Update on non-eating Fuzzy Dwarf
Well he's
eating now, Mysis and brine shrimp. He swallowed a good sized
chunk
of krill yesterday but spit it out a few minutes later so I guess he
didn't like it. He won't touch silversides which is odd. Apparently the
reason he hadn't been eating is that he was living off the three damsels
I
had cycled the tank with!<that's good to hear> They each
disappeared a day or two apart, but I
thought my Banded Eel, Bronson,
had eaten them. Now I am sure Fluffy was
the culprit., ya> I knew
they would be Fluffy food later on, thought he was too
small to eat
them yet. Live and learn! He hasn't touched the Pajama
Cardinal and
left my Saddleback Toby alone, but the Toby died suddenly
Sunday
night. :( It was very sad and for no apparent reason. He was fine,
swimming around and eating well and 20 minutes later I looked in and he
was
dead.<that is horrible :(>
I am considering getting a
Scooter Blenny, will Fluffy eat him too? Or
Bronson? Or should I get
another Toby??<I would purchase fish that are larger than
your
lionfish is...because eventually your lionfish will prey upon these
small fish, IanB>
Dayna Reef Lionfish Questions
<Hi,
MikeD here>
I have two quick questions for the fantastic crew at WWM
today :)<wow! Gee thanks!> I recently purchased a new juvenile dwarf
fuzzy lion he is only about 2 inches in length and has been in my tank
for about a week now...The first night he was there he had no problem
eating an already resident peppermint shrimp, however he has not eaten
anything since. There is one other live peppermint in there but he is
yet to catch it, I tried feeding him frozen silversides on a string but
they seemed too big for him, broke them up and he wasn't interested.
What are my other options here for feeding him and what can I use as a
feeder stick or something since I think he is scared almost of the
string ?<This is a rather common occurrence as Dwarf Fuzzy Lions in the
wild are highly specialized crustacean predators with stomach analysis
showing an extremely high preference for small shrimp and crabs. The
small ghost shrimp offered as feeders in many LFS will work as a first
food initially and from there it's often a process of gradually
switching them over to frozen krill. Those dropped into the water in
front of the return current often "shoot" fast enough to trigger a
feeding response. Feeding sticks and such CAN be tricky with these as
they are very shy and cautious. I've had some success using household
sewing thread and a small/fine needle, impaling the food and dangling it
in front of the lionfish. You're also correct about the silversides
being too large for a juvenile dwarf Fuzzy....many people cut lengthwise
through the head so as to end up with a 1/2" piece containing the eyes
initially>
Also I was wondering what corals and such dwarf fuzzy's
would be encountering in the wild? I have 192 watts of PC lighting over
my reef tank currently only a frogspawn and daisy polyps in there with
him, both are frags and very small...I wanted to recreate a natural
habitat for him as he gets this reef all to himself. I have searched
around for the natural environment for these types of lions but am yet
to find much info...where can I find this or what corals would be found
in his natural surroundings?<This is another tricky area and a good
caution as well. Make sure he has somewhere to hide out of the lights,
such as a cave or two. The Lionfish are largely nocturnal and MH
lighting is suspected in cases of blindness. The only way to get an
approximation on corals is to check the range and depth preference of
Fuzzy Dwarfs, then try to find books that list natural origins for coral
species. Dive sites are often excellent sources for this type of
information> Thanks much
James Feeding Dwarf Fuzzy
Lionfish: How much & How often
Hello Crew,
<Greg>
I
just bought a great looking Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish named Fozzy two days
ago. On the second day, I purchased six live Ghost Shrimp, Frozen
Silversides, and frozen Mysis Shrimp. I'm, also, planning on buying some
frozen Krill if Lionfish like them. I fed Fozzy 5 of the live Ghost
Shrimp, which he ate very quickly. He, also, reluctantly took 2 small
frozen Mysids soaked in garlic. Was this too much food in one day?
<Yes, likely>
Anyways, I'm not too sure on how much to give Fozzy in
one feeding, and how many times a week I should feed him. He is in a 70
gallon FOWLR with a Coral Beauty Angelfish and a Cinnamon Clownfish. The
water is usually between 80-84 degrees F. Thanks a lot crew,
Greg
<I would feed this specimen every other day... and look to its
"fullness" as the best indication of how much it should be getting. Take
care not to "feed it till it busts", looks bulging... as MANY more
lionfish and their kin are killed from too much food than any other
cause. Your selection of foodstuffs sounds very good. Bob Fenner>
Feeding a dwarf lion
Hi guys:
Thanks for the advice, I have
made a number of good friends at the LFS and
based on the size of
some of the Clowns I've seen in their tanks (as big as
Shaq's hand!)
I'm assuming I will have to upgrade the 36 again in the
future. With
that said, knowing my interest in adding a lion, the owner of
the
shop got me a truly incredible yellow dwarf lion. He is a beauty!
However, based on your advice, I expressed my concern to him about
adding
him to my tank. The workers at the store being familiar with
my tank and my
clown thought he would work well in my set-up. Of
course, there was an
mutual understanding that I would "immediately"
return the lion if the clown
began to show any aggression. The good
news is, the lion has been in the
tank for a couple of weeks now and
neither the clown or the hawk could care
less. Indeed, he seems to
have adapted perfectly. So, what's the problem?
Well actually there
isn't one yet, just a quick question. I've poured over
your FAQs and
have learned a great deal about feeding lions. In particular
you
always seem to say that starting out with ghost shrimp is fine, but that
you should wean them frozen food as soon as possible. Living in
Florida, I
have pretty good access ghost shrimp. Would a constant
diet of ghost shrimp
supplemented with small live bait shrimp or
peppermint shrimp have long-term
detrimental effects on the lion? In
other words, if I can maintain a steady
diet of live foods, is there
any real reason to shift to frozen? Thanks in
advance for your
advise. You guys are great!
Gary
>>>Hey Gary,
You will be
fine, but VARY the diet as much as possible. Also, freeze the live food
for a time before giving to your fish. Parasite introduction is a danger
otherwise. So, one way or the other, you need to stick with frozen
items, whether you purchase them that way, or catch them yourself then
freeze after.
Jim<<< Dwarf zebra lion
Hi,
<<And
hello to you.>>
First off, your site is an outstanding source or
information. Keep up the great work.
<<Will do.>>
Now for
my problem. I bought a dwarf zebra lion about a week ago. He's not going
after the prawn I try to feed him. I've tried using a feeding stick and
shaking it in front of him. I know that lions can take a couple of days
to eat, but here's the odd part. Yesterday, I added a "tank cleaner"
kit. He shows interest in the scarlet hermit crabs and tries to eat them
when they poke out of their shell. He's only about 2 inches big, so is
it possible that he hasn't been trained to eat non-living food yet?
<<That is a possibility, but I get the sense that you are not
quarantining this fish... which would be a mistake. Quarantine gives you
the chance to try a number of feeding tricks without the social
pressures of other tankmates. Put yourself in the fish's fins... if you
had just come in from the ocean via a traumatic capture and shipping
process, what would you think about having a prawn on a stick shaken in
your face?>>
I also have a Volitans who eats like a savage.
<<And if I were living with this fish, I'd be nervous... I'd really
consider quarantining your dwarf lion, give it a chance to get it
together away from this fella.>>
I've read that I should feed him
3-4 times per week, but how many prawn should I give him in one
sitting?
<<Depending on the size of the prawn, one or two... perhaps
three if they are small.>>
Also, same question about a
snowflake moray eel. how much prawn per sitting.
<<Same answer.>>
I have a 55 gallon with a protein skimmer, canister filter, and extra
air stone. all of my levels are fine (Ammonia=0, Nitrate=0,
Nitrate=5)..so I doubt quality is the problem. Sorry about so many
question...but I figured better to get them all out now than to keep
writing back...thanks...Jim
<<Cheers, J -- >> HI bob! Lionfish
troubles..
Well, I picked up a lovely Dwarf Lionfish yesterday,
he's roughly 3 inches in length. Pretty small one, he's not accepting to
eat silversides, now.. is it too early to even try to feed him anything?
<Yes, give the specimen some time (days) to settle in... it won't starve
to death>
Or should he be eating this soon and there's something
wrong. I'd appreciate the advise on how long it should take until it
accepts anything to eat. BTW I love your website, its great!
<Thank
you. Patience my friend. Bob Fenner> HI bob! Lionfish
troubles..
Sorry I'm being such a problem about the subject.. but
I know you're a
professional, my pet shop doesn't seem to be too
"Educated" about the
lionfish. I was told a fish of my size, roughly
3 inches is a good size to
perhaps eat brine shrimp. Would those be a
good supplement for the baby lion?
<Sure, worth trying. Bob Fenner>
Feeding a Dwarf Lionfish
First of all, your book is our bible. We
don't go fish shopping without it and has served us very well.
<Very
glad to hear/read.>
Now for the problem. I just bought a dwarf lion
and admit that this was an impulse buy, I did not see him eat in the
store. Now, I have him home and he is moving around from rock to rock,
hanging upside down on things, generally looks ok, but, he is not
eating. I
have tried all of the following to know avail (freeze dried
brine shrimp, frozen brine shrimp, frozen little fish, live little fish,
freeze dried krill). I have dangled things in front of him, squirted
things in front of him, placed things in front of him. I can't bear to
lose the cute little guy, what can I do?
<If you've only placed the
fish within the week, don't over-worry... Lionfishes often don't eat
when disturbed/moved. If it doesn't start to take food after the week, I
might try some live food... Brine shrimp, mysids if the animal is
small... "feeder" guppies... and then train it onto un-live fare from
there. Bob Fenner> Dwarf Lion
I have a Dwarf Lion
(Zebra) that will eat only real fish. I put piece of fish on a feeding
prong and he pulls away from it. Are there any secrets to training him
to eat other than cheap feeder goldfish? Thanks.
<<Mainly what you're
doing and plenty of patience... Don't over-worry re this animal
starving... they can/do go on hunger strikes even w/o these efforts for
a few weeks duration at times... Keep wiggling those food items in front
of it, and not live foods.
Bob Fenner>> A Dwarf Lion And A
Full Plate
G'morning,
<Good morning, MikeD here>
I had a
pair (supposedly matched m/f) of Dendrochirus zebra in a 125g, and they
got along wonderfully for over a year<OK>, but 3 weeks ago, the one I
presumed to be the male just up and died. He was @4" long, well rounded,
no scars or marks (no one bothered him!), and I can find no particular
cause of death.<Many possibilities here, including old age as all
Lionfish are wild caught>
Everyone else in the tank (1 pr mand.
gobies [reg. breeders]; 1 pr cardinals [constant breeders]; 3
giant long tent anemones [semi-annual breeders]; 1 each yellow goby,
sailfin blenny, maroon clown [5"!], 4 seahorses [all females], plus an
even half-dozen polyps & Goniopora, and untold numbers of starfishes and
crabs) are all doing swimmingly fine! No fatalities for almost two
years, until this lionfish incident.<That sounds like a full load, but
if they are doing well, don't fix it>
This particular tank is just
over 6 years old, with a 2-3" live sand bottom, bioball filtration and
UV sterilizer. Stopped using the red sea protein skimmer @4 years ago
and my life--and that of the tank residents--has been much happier: the
water chemistry is much more stable without it.<This sometimes happens
if the skimmer wasn't properly maintained/adjusted and the keeper keeps
up water changes>
Everyone eats live brine shrimp and live FW
guppies<Here's problem #1 as freshwater guppies are NOT suitable long
term food for lionfish and will result in vitamin deficiencies and fatty
build ups> 5 days out of 7. When I have babies in nursery (almost
constantly, one variety or another), they get frozen baby brine shrimp
plus live tiny brine shrimp)<OK. Are you using Selcon or some other
vitamin additive? Brine shrimp alone are famous for being nutritionally
poor in food value>. The nursery is merely a Plexiglas sheet with holes
drilled in it for water flow, stuck in kitty-corner, with a small
sub-pump moving water from the general area into the sectioned off area,
so that their food also ends up in the general population, as well.<OK>
Regular chemical supplements are limited to Nature brand Reef Former
(1/2 oz daily), plus 1 oz per week of Mg and Sea Alk (also Nature), with
the rare gallon of Kalkwasser maybe once a month or two. I do 20%
changes @every 3-4 weeks with RO water, although I have gone as long as
two months between. I keep the salinity at about .022 +/- .001. There is
a great deal of live rock, stacked so that there are many, many
passageways and hiding places; I'd guess there's maybe 100 lbs of rock.
It supports a pretty broad variety of Caulerpa and corals and other
growing things, including spiky looking yellow sponges and flatter
orange and red spongiforms. I have more than my fair share of hair
algae, but there are only about 50 hermits in there, and the job is just
too much for them...<Not surprising. The Caulerpa is probably helping
keep nitrates down, but without a skimmer the task is just to big, thus
the hair algae is being fertilized>
Ok, finally we're at the question
part: How do I distinguish between male and female dwarf lions?<
Although harder than the Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish, the males here too have
larger heads and slightly larger pectoral fins. The two species can tell
the sexes of the OTHER species apart and will react to a male the same
as they would to their own kind> Do you think there's enough room for
another lion?<The room probably isn't a problem, but I'd improve the
diet> A friend has a small one, @1-1/2" long, but I'm hesitating about
bringing it home. Will it be a problem if I end up with 2 females?<Two
females usually get along without problem> 2 males?<While not as
definite about it as their close relatives, you MAY end up with a
dispute between two males, depending on the individual fish involved>
One large and one small?<Usually this won't create a problem with the
size differences you've given, although to be safe I'd feed the larger
one before introducing the new one. Again, you NEED to improve their
diet though.>
Thanks for your advice,<You're welcome>
Donna
Valdosta, GA
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