SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I ordered the fish (both a Volitan and Radiata) from the LFS. I have never seen any captive/bred specimens offered, and I'm not even sure if they can breed in captivity.
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
My experience with lionfish has been to chose a lionfish that is medium-sized. I normally try to avoid small Volitans because I've traditionally had a harder time trying to get them to feed than larger ones. I wouldn't get a Volitan over 5 inches, though, due to their nature of growing very fast.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Yes, the juvenile Volatin's fins are thinner and are not as thickly defined as the adults. Also, as the lionfish age, some lose their horns at the front of their head (all of mine have). The juveniles, in my opinion, are more attractive (but you kinda get attached).
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
Never tried. Can't tell ya.
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Volitans, in my opinion, are one of the easiest fish to accimilate to the tank environment. I would recommend introducing the volatin with any other lionfish at the same time. Volatins will shy for a few hours, but after that they'll be a show fish.
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
None that I can see. Bright light should be avoided for the first few days.
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Volatins, if that's all you're adding, can be added whenever.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
I have a FO tank with the Volitan and a large-sized Radiata lionfish.
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Yes, for about 2 months and I noticed nothing special.
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
N/A
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
N/A
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Yes, they've eated a few damsels (the ones I used to cycle the tank with).
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
N/A
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
No, the Volitan hasn't bothered the few hermit crabs I've had in the tank.
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
The first feeding consisted of live ghost shrimp that were eaten rather quickly.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
The Volitan, at least in my experience, was extremely quick on learning to eat prepared food such as frozen silversides and shrimp. To wean them over, I would use a feeding stick (basically a long clear plastic skewer). I merely would place the silversides on the end of the stick and wave the food in front of them as if the silverside was resurected. The Volitans would eventually catch on to this before the 4th or so try and from then on would eat the prepared food. Now, all I have to do is merely drop the shrimp in the tank and they'll eat it without the feeding stick.
What's the diet?
Prepared shrimp from the grocery store, silversides (frozen in the package), ghost shrimp, and sometimes a freshwater (NOT GOLDFISH) treat from the pet-store.
How much and how often do you feed?
I feed mine maybe two times a week. I feed them generously and you can watch their stomachs go down. Some people feed theirs every other day, but the more you feed them, the faster they'll grow.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Regular sedentary predator procedure.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I bought the Volitan I currently own at about 4 inches... it's about 5 inches. (about 8-9 months to get there).
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
The fish resides in a 25 gallon tank (FO). The minimum tank size is 20-25 gallons due to the high protein diet required. Bigger>better, but I'm in a college dorm that is limited.
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
Not sure on the time it takes, because I bought mine into adulthood.
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I've kept this one for about 8-9 months. I've had another one that lived for about 1.5 years until I had to give him to a friend because I couldn't get a larger tank (college situation).
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
Dunno. Google for it.
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
The fish came with a parasite that affected all of the fish in the tank. I performed a copper treatment (remember this is a FO tank), and I performed some freshwater dips on all the specimens in the tank. It worked fine, and the parasite was killed.
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Not that I've noticed.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
The Volitan is pretty active and is always greeting people that come into the room.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Since it is with another lionfish, they act as if the other does not exist. It's a pretty laid back species.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
Thank god, no.
How does this fish sleep?
In the rock/fake coral formations of the tank... just lounges around either upside down or whatnot.
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
N/A
How does this fish interact with human?
Mine is very social and will come to the edge of the tank when you're looking at it. He only reacts to certain people, myself and one of my roommates... most likely because I'm the one that feeds him...
He also can feel the vibration of music in the water and will swim vertically up and down during Aerosmith songs... (Coincidence?
)
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Above.
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?
N/A
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
The Volitan, in my experience is very hardy and said to survive the cycle (wouldn't try it). However, I'd have to give it a 2.
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
No, only because of the venemous spines on these guys. Otherwise they'd be great beginner fish.
Any other recommendations/comments?
Don't get stuck with one of these guys... the pain is tremendous and might require medical assistance... If you get stung... put your hand under scalding hot water.
If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us! [/B][/QUOTE]