My new lionfish!

jelwyoming · #1 01/16/2006, 10:01 AM

Take a look at my new lion! (In the gallery). Any hints in weaning him to frozen?

mrferrit · #2 01/16/2006, 10:07 AM

sweet looking fish heres your pic. how big is he ?

[img]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/532/91269lionsmall2.JPG[img]

Andrew · #3 01/16/2006, 10:09 AM

Sweet lion. Heres the picture:

jelwyoming · #4 01/16/2006, 10:11 AM

Thanks! He is about 4.5". I want to find a bigger tank to move him into. He is in a 40g now with a couple of sacrificial damsels to keep him company, but I'd like to give him some room. I am looking to see if anyone is getting rid of a larger tank locally.

FishyMel · #5 01/16/2006, 12:23 PM

With my russel's I weaned him on frozen by feeding him live fish every 10 days or so but fed everyone else dead food every other day after awhile he got tired of getting fed only every 10 days and got intrested in krill and mysis and i havent fed him live food since! He now eats everything including pellets.

Andrew · #6 01/16/2006, 01:33 PM

You may also want to fix that air algae problem in your tank.

JENnKerry · #7 01/16/2006, 08:57 PM

Stunning

VDHD1 · #8 01/16/2006, 09:00 PM

That's alot of algae man, need a lawn mower?

jelwyoming · #9 01/16/2006, 09:35 PM

Thanks for the positive comments!
As for the algae, it's getting in hand. I was without RO water for a while and it only takes using tap water (TDS of 600!) to make a mess of a tank in a hurry. You guys were sure quick to get that one! I also added some scavengers to help clean up as well. All the things that can't go in the reef tank...non reef type stars and urchin.

jelwyoming · #10 01/16/2006, 09:36 PM

I could use a lawnmower, but not sure he would last in there. Plus, I need to get rid of the damsels first. Thanks!

VolitanLioness · #11 01/16/2006, 10:33 PM

Beautiful fish....

The algae will get under control just work on it, it's a pain in the....... I actually keep algae in my FOWLR tank, I keep all different types from the Reds to Greens, I like it personally......
My Pinktail snacks all day long on it, my Fuzzy sits in it & my volitans well they dont care either way..... lol

No lawnMower blenny with the lion........

How is the feeding going with your new lion?

Kaye

VDHD1 · #12 01/16/2006, 10:34 PM

You could always get a refugium going to suck out all the nutrients so the algae in the display dies off.

jelwyoming · #13 01/16/2006, 10:45 PM

I agree about the algae in a predator tank! Some is ok. He took some live minnows and ghost shrimp the second and third day. None today. I intend on letting him get a little hungry and try the frozen again. He like smaller fish than the angler I have does. He spit out a live minnow that was about 3" long but took the 2" one. Thanks for the encouragement!

jelwyoming · #14 01/16/2006, 10:47 PM

The algae is already on it's way out as I do water changes to get the impurities down. The skimmer is pulling a cup a day out too! A refugium isn't a bad idea either. I have one on the reef tank already.

VolitanLioness · #15 01/17/2006, 12:16 AM

Be-careful with the live FW foods, I would switch to ghost shrimp gut loaded with something nutritional for your lion if possible.

For me I have a Refugium but love the colors in my tank......
I did not want to remove & scrub the fake corals yet I did not want just Rock in my 300g, so it works for me. My 90g reef is a different story...lol

pisces77 · #16 01/17/2006, 12:22 PM

Here's a pretty good method I've used on lions, scorps, and works on just about any gulping type. First get them eating gutloaded ghost shrimp (cyclopese is a good suppliment). Then start using a feeding stick with a live shrimp on the end (wiggle the feeding stick so it it enticing and the fish forgets about this stick). Once they are readily taking live feeders from the stick, feed a live one, then a dead one (thawed krill is about the same size.) The first few times the prepared food will probably get rejected, but eventually they will not care. After they accept the thawed krill, you can switch them to silversides or whatever you wish.

While using this method, it is important to feed 2 or 3 times a week max, as the fish must be good and hungry to take the risk of approaching the stick, and to aggressivly feed from it. I've used this method on the following fishes, some of which are notoriously hard to switch over:

Volitan lion
antennata Lion
Dwarf Zebra Lion
Fu Manchu Lion
sebastapistes cyanostigma (turn off lights for this species)
Taenianotus tricanthus, Leaf fish

Friends have used it on the following species with success:
Fuzzy dwarf lion
radiata lion
Rhinopias frondosa, aphanes, & eschmeyeri
diabolus scorpionfish
verrucosa scorpionfish
Anglers (frogfish) - commersoni, hispidus, striatus, maculatus
Sargassumfish Histrio histrio

pisces77 · #17 01/17/2006, 12:24 PM

btw, I believe you have a female.

VolitanLioness · #18 01/17/2006, 12:27 PM

pisces77 - How can you tell the sex on this type of lion & do you know if you can on Volitans?

Kaye

pisces77 · #19 01/17/2006, 12:58 PM

not on volitans. Fuzzy dwarf are easiest (most accurate) for them you count stripes (see pinned thread on scorps in this forum). I have been told by ichtheologists (one said it, another comfirms the belief), that while it is less accurate, one can make an educated guess on antennata and zebra dwarfs as well, by coloring and stripe counting. They say it is more of a tendancy, which is why I said "I believe...",

hcahan · #20 01/17/2006, 01:14 PM

I let mine get hungry for a fews days then bought some silver slides and wiggled them on a stick. After two -three days he tookthem no problem. Soon started eating anything I dangled on the stick. Good luck. Pretty fishes.

VolitanLioness · #21 01/17/2006, 01:49 PM

I know on the fuzzies you can tell but did not think on the zebras & antennata's ............ So it is basically the same on those as the fuzzies?

Kaye

rwhhunt · #22 01/17/2006, 02:25 PM

BEAUTIFUL Antennata! "She" is more Red than mine!

Diablo:

rwhhunt · #23 01/17/2006, 02:38 PM

the above pic was from about 6 months ago, here is a pic taken today, with more red coloration, Diablo is just now about 4.5 inches...

VolitanLioness · #24 01/17/2006, 02:39 PM

Very nice rw, that is really starting to grow......

Kaye

jelwyoming · #25 01/17/2006, 09:07 PM

I will try the shrimp and stick method. I have had it work already with my angler. My problem is finding shrimp out here in the sticks. Our LFS has the minnows but very few shrimp. I bought the couple that he had just to get "Her" (thanks piscess77) going on food after I received her. She is taking the minnows a couple of times a week now. Any ideas on where to get some shrimp without paying 30.00 for overnight shipping?
I tried silversides and sand eels this morning, but she wasn't hungry enough; took 2 minnows tonight.
I was really suprised by the red color too! Yours is looking great too rwhhunt!
Volitanlioness, thanks for your comments as well.
I cannot believe I have a 1.5" blue damsel in there with the lion and an angler and it has survived for 6 months so far!
Piscess77, how does the color vary between sexes on the antennated lions?