SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
Didn't; unknown.
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Looked good; 3" or less.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? Yes, body shape: elongated, slender with thin fins for a young.
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? Don't know.
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? No, usual fish acclimation and introduction.
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? No, but they are nervous, easily scared - no fast moves near it.
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? No, very easy-going fish.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? In order of arrival: cleaner wrasse (big mistake, most aggressive fish of the tank, pinching lion), percula clown, tasseled filefish (or fuzzy file). Tank was expected to be reef, but because of fish and mobile invertebrates that were using corals for own needs, now it's FOWLR.
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? One lion only.
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? No.
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? Only feeders fish was eaten (lion is 5" now). When irritated by pinching cleaner wrasse of fuzzy file stealing HIS piece of food, fast faces them with fins extended - it's usually enough. Fuzzy (which is much bigger than lion) is totally terrorised by lion's appearance, but no lion's aggession was ever seen. Nasty wrasse is much faster and continues harassment.
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)? No, but it irritated chili coral by using it as support for hanging.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? No. What is interesting: cleaner wrasse wasn't accepted as cleaner, but blood shrimp was. Volitan lion and valentini puffer come regularly for cleaning/grooming service. Lion once was seen opening mouth and blood shrimp was operating deep inside lion's throat with it's pinchers. It seems, they feel better after being patted by antennae and pinchers, like petted pet.
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? Put feeders guppy into field of view of the lion.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? Couple of week later started to feed other fish (fuzzy file) with chopped grocery seafood, lion saw it, jumped and swallowed piece. No problem - weaned since first try.
What’s the diet? Most common - grocery seafood and fish with selcon; likes atlantic salmon, strongly disapproves mussels.
How much and how often do you feed? First 2 months - 3 times daily, then - 2 times daily. If continue eat - until belly rounds, or he stops at own will.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) Active predator, of course, but needs food to be in field of vision.
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)? Initially 2.5-3" long, now around 5", during 3 months.
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? 20 gal high, still plenty of space, already bought 90 gal because of another, bigger fish. Recommended - tried and true - 300 gal for 3 lions.
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? 1.5 month since initial 2.5-3" long.
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? 3 months, still keeping.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? Can't be precise, but median seems to be 12" and decades in the wild, 11" long 13" fin's span in home aquarium with life span years until action of predation/accident/ disease.
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? Always healthy.
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? Bleaches if poor water quality.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? Not active - only when minding own business and feeding. I wouldn't say "shy", more self-sufficient and considerate, as a cat.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? No territorial interests, cooperates with blood shrimp with sharing the best cave in the tank, avoids conflicts without fear - just considrate. Moves in another place, if too much activity somewhere. Minds own business, doesn't try to dominate, cooperates with other fish during feeding time. Tolerant, not easily annoyed, until the wits end (sp?), then sharply turns with extended fins. No other agressive acts.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? No, in open top tank.
How does this fish sleep? As a bat - handing somewhere (rock or equipment) bottom up.
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? Active looks for a grooming, choosed willingly the blood shrimp, not cleaner wrasse.
How does this fish interact with human? As human with it - watching, actively waiting for food, participating in feeding, following piece of food along the glass, or finger, showing the food location. Cooperates during cleaning - moves where is herded by cleaning tool, or just where are less activity.
Any other interesting observation of this fish? Skin shedding.
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2 - quite low sensitivity, but reacts by changing brightness of color and breathing. Could be 1, didn't tried (no extreme reactions even at ammonia spike 1.6 mg/l, Hagen test kit).
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
Would you recommend this fish to beginners? Yes, for a willing beginners.
Any other recommendations/comments? More sensitive to water quality, then other fish - fuzzy file, valentini puffer, cleaner wrasse and percula clown.
If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!
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