The lionfish info sheet sent me here

[COreefer]

Sunday I was at a fish store in Denver. I live a little over an hour away. I found this fuzzy dwarf lion that had been in someones tank and it was eating prepared foods. (Normally I would have had them hold the fish but the distance was to great...the fish was eating prepared foods and I didn't want to pass up this opportunity)

Due to the fact that I have been battling an unidentified ailment in the 55 I set up months ago I elected to put the lion in my 40g sump/refugium that is connected to my reef tank.

Sunday he ate one or two krill but yesterday and today he has eaten nothing. I figured the sump was too stressful so I moved him to the 55 (yes the one with the scourge). I have been running ozone on the 55 for 1 week and hope that the protozoan/parasites are significantly reduced in number or are gone. Anyway the lion still has not eaten. Is a hunger strike normal when transferring these fish? What should I do? In your aritcle it says they are fairly disease resistant...should I worry much about the scourge as I like to call it?

thanks

[FMarini]

Corefeer- thanks for the question. Well I'm not too sure what to tell you...
Yes lionish are pretty hardy creatures, but they are NOT bulletproof. If your water quality is suffering then the fish may strike. However, since the fish has only been in your care for a few days I wouldn't worry too much-YET. These fish will eat, then digest its food and not eat again for 2 or 3 days, not uncommon actually, combined that w/ the stressful move around your tank, and any potential new stressors will cause these fish to strike. So my recommendation is to allow them to settle in afor a few days, then intiate feeding. If you can find live ghost shrimp, try this to stimulate the lions feeding response. Feel rfree to check back in if your lion is still striking.
Lastly, skip the frozen or freeze dried krill- since you've read the lionfish info sheet, try to get Sw based food items, small silversides, gulfshrimp, etc

[COreefer]

Thanks Frank...I will try to get him on silversides rather than krill. He has begun to eat krill from a feeding stick, but I have to put it rather close to his face. Maybe he will go stronger after the krill.

BTW, this fish was in someone elses tank and he appears to be fat, compared with others that I have seen. I'm afraid that he was being fed feeder fish and this has caused an unhealthy reaction...if this is the case will thee feeding of frozen natural food sources reverse the effects of a poor diet? I believe he was in their tank for 4 mos. according to the LFS.

[COreefer]

I picked up some silversides but they are large...can I just tear them apart and feed them like that? I haven't been able to find any smaller ones than these. At one time I saw some smaller ones (years ago) but haven't seen them available in a while.

Thanks.

BTW, the Lion did eat some keill, but since I added the other fuzzy dwarf he hasn't eaten. I fed him ghost shrimp today and he went right after that, both did. The new FD sucked down a piece of krill but spit it out about a minute later. It was a bigger piece...does it sound like he had trouble digesting it due to the size?

One last question...these fish don't seem to eat anything that is on the ground unless it is moving. One has eaten from a eeding stick and the other is scared. What is the best way to present frozen foods?