Fish Survey: Volitans Lionfish

[DrBDC]

Thought I'd throw my lion pic on the thread. This guy is like a puppy dog you can't pet.

[/url]

[rstruhs]

The following is is a list of questions/topics about this fish species. If you would like to include them in your reply, click on the last icon of this post (Reply with Quote), and remove the [ QUOTE ] [ B ] tag in the beginning and the [/QUOTE][/B] at the end.

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 bought mine from a LFS
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Pick one that is not in the defensive position at the store and is eating something! Also, look for any body leisions and/or fin problems. I would say the ideal size depends on its tankmates. I like to pick a new fish that is still a juvy (Sp?), but not older than an early teen.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Not that I can tell.
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
Not without doing irreparable damage (Surgery)

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Spend about 45 mins acclimating, no more! Put fish in final tank with tankmates after lights out or turn them out for the day. They like to hide until the initial stress of moving them is over.
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Lots and lots of free swimming space! Although they tend to stay in one spot, they will move at night. More space means they can navigate without bumping into rocks and the glass.
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Does not matter, they adapt extremely well.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
I kept mine with a lunar wrasse (About 8" long) and a HumaHuma trigger (About 4" long), my lion got to about 10".
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?
I would love to have at least four lions in a tank, however, my tanks are too small. I would not put two in a tank smaller than 75 gallons.
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
Not at the same time.
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Trigger, wrasse, lion, eel.
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
No problems whatsoever!
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
None were in the tank with it.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
None were in the tank with it.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
It was eating live guppies, I used an eel feeder (Only the tube part) for about a week, then switched to putting a guppy in a net for about a week with thawed krill in the net also, then switched to ghost shrimp and krill, then to krill only in the net. From that point I went to dropping the krill in the tank near the lion. I fed every other day for this whole process.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
See above question.
What’s the diet? Krill and raw sea food from the grocery store.
How much and how often do you feed? About 2 guppys, five krill and a sugar cube size of crab or shrimp or oyster.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Heartily, however, it is a lazy predator and will pass on food that is more than one body length away from the lion.

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)?
Initial size was about 2", he grew to about 6" within 6 mos., then to 10" the next 6 mos.
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?
I had him in a 55 gallon tank. I think as long as they are under 12" the standard 55 gallon tank is ok. A 75 would be better.
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
I did not notice any pattern or color changes due to age.
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I kept him for a little over 2 yrs. He died because he went blind. I really need to find out what supplements he needed.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
I do not know.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
He got popeye once, I treated it with Melafix as directed.

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, as his health declined, his colors faded.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Sedentary fish that is not shy.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Not territorial or aggressive with tankmates. Pretty much ignores tankmates.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
No
How does this fish sleep?
In the defensive position, (head down)
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Do not know.
How does this fish interact with human?
He knows and recognizes the feeder and will come to a "feeding station" at any time.
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Once they have died, you will find you miss them a lot.

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Did not have a mated pair.
Any information of spawning in captivity?
Only what is available on the net.

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
I believe they can tolerate fairly poor water quality.
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
True.
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
Definitely
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
True
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
Not true
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Not true.
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
No, feeding and care needed to not get invenomated is important. Venomous fish should not be kept by children or careless adults.
Any other recommendations/comments?
Since they are a predator, they are more intelligent than most other fish. Treat them accordingly. They will try to avoid hurting you if you treat them with respect.

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!

[Spidross]

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? No bought him from my LFS
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get? Just watched him in his tank and checked he was feeding with the LFS
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? Younger ones seem alot brighter and as they develop their colours seem to get deeper
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? Not sure

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? Did normal, fish in tank in its bag for 45 mins then added tanks water at about 10min intervals before releasing him about 40 mins after that with lights off
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? Not that i noticed just the size of their food
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? One of the first in my tank and going strong, not intereted in the others at all

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? FO tank, got dog face puffer, cleaner wrasse (he totally ignores him and always has and his food is the same size), rock beauty, regal tang, snowflake moray eel, picasso trigger, niger trigger, fingerprint toby, emperor angel, maroon clown and a sailfin tang
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? No but in LFS they have 2 Large Volitans together no problems
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? Not a poroblem with others not interested
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? NoDid this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)? Not Applicable
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? Yes Cleaner Shrimp

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? Straight on Frozen Dillie Fish and Silverside No problem at all
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? No Need
What’s the diet? Silverside and river shrimp
How much and how often do you feed? Has 2-3 Silveside a day and live river shrimp once a week
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)Predatory and active

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)? Bought it about 1.5inch long now about 4 inches long (4 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? Will outgrow soon in a 50 Gal tank at mo is very happy but soon more room will be needed
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? Colour has got darker/richer
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? 4 months so far
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? No Idea

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? Ich and i treated with cupramine absolutely fineno problems at all

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? Night time he goes a deeper reddish colour
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? Watches TV I swear! Very active at feeding time and always waits his turn for the food
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? Reacts well with them unless they nip his tail for any reason then he gives chase but never has hurt any of them (The wrasse is the same size as the silverside i feed him and not bothered about him)
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? No
How does this fish sleep? On his side at the top near a powerhead or vertically pointing down by filter
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? No but i don't think i have seen him try
How does this fish interact with human?
Any other interesting observation of this fish? Very attentive at front of tank when people are in the room always at front

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? Not Applicable
Any information of spawning in captivity? No idea

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2
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 i had him as a beginner and gone through all the ups and downs a beginner faces
Any other recommendations/comments? Don't have him with shrimp, treat him to live food once in a while and don't worry if he lays still sometimes after a feed as they will eat themselves stupid if alllowed

[Spidross]

Thought i'd post a couple here of him one at top of tank think's he is being fed!!



This one just chilling waiting for food, the TV isn't on so he can't watch it!!



Here is a short movie with him just before feeding time, you can see all his tank mates and see what he is like

[malkier22]

these lions are absolutely beautiful!

[sierrarazz]

here's my little lion buddy...

[dendro982]

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!
My Webshots page

[kendi]

I have had a black volitan lion for about two years now and he is amazing. But last weekend I was messing around in my tank and he was feeling aggressive and stung me. I spent the next three days in the E.R. getting IV antibiotics. If I hadn't received the treatment I could have lost my arm. The medical profession does not know much about the treatment of the venom from this fish. Be careful.

[aZnDooDe]

hey guys im new at this i was wondering if i can keep a lionfsh in a 40gallon tank because i search the internet alot to see if i can take care of a lionfish. i saw this guy that had 2 voltain in a 29gallon tank they wre about 8 inches long. so plaese write back

[Spidross]

Hi

yeah have infact got 2 lionfish now in the same tank, absolutely fine and dandy together. Mine is a 50 gallon tank, i know that they will grow quite large but both seem very happy and feeding well. I do intend to graduate in a few months to a bigger tank but they are both just fine in my tank ( the elder one is about 9 inches the younger about 3 inches0
hope his helps

[aZnDooDe]

so i can put a black voltain in a 40gallon RIGHT????
thanks for the information i needed that and can you send me a picture

[aZnDooDe]

so i can put a black voltain in a 40gallon RIGHT????
thanks for the information i needed that and can you send me a picture

[DrBDC]

That will work for about 6-9 months.

[aZnDooDe]

can i put something different like the fucha mucha lion and dwarf. which is more recomend a dwarf or voltain???

[cwschoon]

Kendi...did you soak your hand in hot water to disperse the venom? My dwarf jumped a few weeks ago and he ate everything, really easy to keep. Been thinking of a Black Volitan but I only have a 60 gal.

[cwschoon]

Kendi...I just noticed how many fish you have in that 55!!

[DrBDC]

Probably the wrong thread to see what kind of lion people like since this is a thread on Volitans. You really need a 90+ gallon tank asap for these fast growing fish. The others I have no idea because I haven't researched them.

[AggieC]

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?

Eyes clear, stripes colorful, hungry (they will always eat) and alert. 3-4".

Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?

No.

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?

They like places to perch and places to hide, especially from bright light.

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?

Doesn't matter. Doesn't seem territorial.

What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?

polyp, mushroom, clam, polyp, mushroom, Tangs, Angels, crabs, lobsters. Hippo tang tries to nip at it. Lion seems to get along with everybody.

Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?

Had Radiata Lion. Volitans stared at it inches away but did not touch it. Unfortunately, it was very delicate is in fish heaven.

Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?

No.

Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?

No.

Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?

I'm not sure. I do have a rather large red crab missing but it was around for a long time and he never bothered it before. I still have another one. The 7" lobster might have gotten to it also.

How did you get this fish to eat at first?

Feeder guppies and ghost shrimp for first two weeks.

If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?

Did not feed him for three or four days. Then started with krill on end of chopstick waving it back and forth in water. He snapped it up. I almost (almost) kissed him.

What’s the diet?

Krill and silversides soaked in garlic. Occasional ghost shrimp for the thrill of the chase.

How much and how often do you feed?

Main meal once every three days, eats till belly gets roundish bulge. Occasional snack in between.

How does this fish eat?

He's active predator but slow and other fish get there fast.

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)?

Got him at about 8" three months ago. He is about 10" now.

What size tank did this fish live in?

He lives in an 85 Gal.

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?

three months, my favorite fish.

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?

I've read 15" if you feed them well. They will also live long if you don't overfeed them and don't feed them freshwater guppies or other fatty, non-nutrient food.

What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?

healthy so far.

Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?

loses color if ill or water quality bad but very tolerant and hardy.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?

Sloooooooooow motion, but very alert and quick to come to the surface for food.

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?

Not territorial but does not like to be bothered either.

How does this fish sleep?

Upside down, sideways, nose down, however he pleases.

How does this fish interact with human?

Really fun fish. Mine swims to the top of the tank and sticks his nose out, spitting water at me. He's a glutton. He follows me when I walk around the tank. He did sting me once (my fault) which was REALLY PAINFUL.

Any other interesting observation of this fish?

Everything is interesting about this fish. He floats then suddenly zips at a prey. Look for him and find him upside down in a corner.

How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?

2

Would you recommend this fish to beginners?

No. 1. Must wean off live food, get variety of foods and then use feeding stick. 2. Be prepared to get larger tank as lion grows if necessary 3. Know what fish are compatible. 4. Added concern of being venomous (ouch!)

[Von_Rahvin]

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
nope didn't mail order and not that i know of on the captive bred
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?

i got a very small one that was actively interested in what was happening around it and was a very active eater.

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?

same way i did all my other fish
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?

feeding them. i fed mine live food. why? because what's the point of having a lion fish if you can't watch him hunt. He got fed many different species of fish and schrimps, usually what was left over bait from a days fishing.


COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
hung out fine with grouper, DID not like eels.


Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
yep. if he could fit it in his mouth it was dead.


Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
yep. hungery little cuss

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
live brine shrimp and sargasso shrimp

If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
didn't want to
What’s the diet?
at the end, live shrimp, mullet, small drums, damsels

How much and how often do you feed?
every 3 days
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)

agressively hunting and killing fish. i would leave a dozen or so shrimp in the tank at any given time so he could munch when he was hungery

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)?

when i got him he was 2 inches and at the end close to 14

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?
started in a 20, moved to a 65 and ended in a 135
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
nope
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
5 years, hurricanes power loss.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
never had a problem

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
yep. he hated bob marley and loved U2. also turned bright green at the slightest hint of cleavage
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
very
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
bullyied them
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
nope but he had an enclose hood
How does this fish sleep?
vertical on his rock
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
nope
How does this fish interact with human?
very friendly until you suck your hand in the tank. loved to watch beerpong matches.
Any other interesting observation of this fish?

loved women. and i do mean really. if a hot chick was in the room, he would not pay any attention to anything else


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

3
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
no
Any other recommendations/comments?
love my fish and will get another one when i have a big enough house to have a big enough tank for a pair

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us! [/B]

[jpool3]

my lion died last month. i was crushed. i set up a new 100g and moved all my fish at one time. the next day he was dark in color and would hardly swin around. two days later he moved on to the big ocean in the sky. i had him about 8 months and he tripled in size. in that time i found out better to feed frozen couse if feed live he thought the other fish where ok to it. luckly he only ate a couple damsel. live fish is fun to feed them because the chase is on but be careful that tankmates are bigger than him. my lion would eat from my hands, good thing they dont have teeth

[ram74]

My Lion about 10"

[Billy Rocket]

my lion is a great fish. I've only had one loin, maybe i got lucky but i have had no problems.

-my lion is 6yrs. old

-got him? at LFS
-eats frozen shrimp, scallops, fish, squid, octopus etc..
-i feed 2 times a week
-he gets along well with anything that doesn't fit in his mouth
-he is -/+ 11 in. long, 3in. when i got him
-it REALLY hurts if it stings you. (believe me, i know......OUCH!!!)
-great fish for beginner


Not that I'm an expert, but some pointers for the beginners:

-big tank, this fish will get BIG
-no goldfish
-a large selection of food
-if it fits in its mouth, it will be gone
-don't let it near your hands...OUCH

[boggs32]

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? No and no. I'm not sure about the third part but I'm sure there are.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get? I grabbed the first one I saw. Although mine is very healthy and looks wonderful in my aquarium, I saw one a few weeks later that I LOVED. The colors were amazing. My suggestion: BE PATIENT!

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? Not Sure

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? Not that I'm aware of at this time

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? This has been an easy fish for me to introduce. I drip-acclimated him for about 40 minutes before introducing him to my new 75 gallon aquarium.

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? Try to get him to eat krill or other shrimp. He is a predator and he wants to eat other fish. He will if you let him so don't put anything in the tank that will fit in his mouth... ever.

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? I think it would work either way but I've only experienced introducing him first. He was very territorial. I actually had to capture him so he would quit stalking the other fish as I introduced them. After that, he sulked for a couple of weeks, hiding behind rocks even at night time and completely avoiding the other fish, until I gave him a live meal. He then started acting normal like in the beginning.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? It's beginning to be a reef tank. I currently have a snowflake eel, coral beauty angel, foxface lo, Hawiian tang, blue tang, and a scopas tang.

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?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? No but I did see a tank with at least 15 lionfish. They did not school during the time I saw them, they were all very to themselves.
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you? I actually had a dragon goby already established in the aquarium that was eaten three days after I added the lionfish. After that, I added the Coral Beauty. A few weeks later I added all of the other fish listed except the scopas tang which I added last. The scopas gets a long fine with the other tangs despite being added in much later. I did however change the live rock around somewhat when adding the scopas as well as feeding the lionfish a live feeder.
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? The lion has only eaten the goby at this point.
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)? Not yet. My lion is actually very slow moving unless he is stalking another fish. Even then he only lunges when he is trying to eat. Normally that is out in the open part of my aquarium and not close to the corals. He sometimes hides beside my Fungia and seems to love it.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? I have only bought crabs with a shell. I think he would eat anything without a shell but I have not attempted to cross that bridge yet. He did go after a hermit one day when the tank was still young, but the hermit tucked away and was able to get out of harms way. I haven't seen the lionfish try since.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? I have tried many things but I have only been able to get him to eat live food at this point. I'm going to try live shrimp next and then try krill again.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? I haven't been able to yet.
What’s the diet? Unfortunately, only live freshwater feeder fish at this point but it's still a fairly new aquarium.
How much and how often do you feed? 1 sm-med fish every 2 weeks.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) Predator. He will follow his prey and normally attacks once the fish turns toward him.

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? I would say he's 3-4inchs and he's grown little to none in the 2.5 months I've had him.
How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? I have him in a 75 gallon. What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? I'm not sure, I think a 75 gallon is plenty of room. They don't move around much, I think they would be happy with whatever as long as they are given a chance to hunt and hide.

If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? N/A

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? 2.5 months and counting
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? From what I've seen from this survey 20 years )

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? None at this point

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? It seems to but it could be different shades brought out around different corals. I have recently added a large pink Colt to my aquarium and the lion seems to have much more of a red tint than he had before.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? Very active in the night. Kinda hides/remains stationary during the day. He is NOT shy. He is more than curious whether it be your face at the tank or your hand in the tank, he wants to see what's going on.... not always a good thing )

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? He is very calm with his tank mates. He does like to show his aggressiveness off toward his live meals in front of the other fish but he has very rarely chased or lunged after another fish in the tank. He and the Foxface Lo seem to get along the best but he doesn't chase the other fish off or the eel off when they get close... or in the eels case, when he wraps himself around him.

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? No
How does this fish sleep? normally upsidedown or sideways at the top of the tank, under a piece of liverock. I built a nice bridge out of the rock so he is normally under the liverock now.
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? I have not seen that happen.
How does this fish interact with human? He is not afraid of humans by any means but he is also not dominate towards me. He lets me reach in and do whatever I need to and he normally just moves to another spot in the aquarium. Normally he will come over to see what I'm doing if I'm moving something but will go right back to where he was.
Any other interesting observation of this fish? He's very curious when I add new items. He has to be the first to know. He always goes up to a new bag that is tossed into the aquarium. If it's a feeder fish he will sit and wait, sometimes lunging at the fish while still in the bag. If it's a new addition that won't fit in his mouth, he'll go look at it and then go back to whatever he was doing.

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? N/A
Any information of spawning in captivity? None

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 1-3
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! I'm a beginner )
Any other recommendations/comments? I love my Lion!

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us! http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...-08cropped.jpg

Thanks, good luck with the survey! I look forward to seeing the results!

[justinl]

okay i just quickly skimmed through this thread so i apologize if this has already been mentioned.

cmopatability: this is a very peaceful fish. the only reason we can classify it as "aggressive" is the venom. size has already been mentioned. I would be most worried about mean fish and fin nippers like triggers or puffers (although some cases have worked fine).

venom: the venom is not fatal unless you have a reaction. best thing to do is call 911 immediately and let them know what happened. it is protein based so run the stung part under water that is as hot as you can stand without scalding yourself. Application of corticoid creams help to ease the pain.

Volitan lions can get up to 18inches and need at the very least 100 gal. I would give it more. If you want a lion whose minimum is 75gal becasue it stays smaller, then pterois russelli is a great choice. russelli lions are easy to distinguish from true volitans if you know what to look for, but are often mistaken as volitans.

the easiest difference is the banding patterns on the body. volitans have a denser pattern of thin stripes. russelli have bandings of mostly broad stripes (with significantly less thin stripes than volitan).

for example...
ram 74: your lion is a shining example of a beautiful lion. note that the banding is dense with thin stripes.
dr BDC: your pic is that of a clearly stunning russelli lion. note the broad patterning (relative to volitan) on the tail in that pic.

drBDC, I don't mean to put your lion down. I actually generally prefer russelli over volitan because they're pretty much the same but smaller versions of their cousins. gorgeous specimen.

for more info on different species of lion and good pics to compare them...
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php
i think this was referred to but wasn't linked.

[lfduty]

please do not recommend it to beginers or "just try one" unless you are sure you want it. Mine was returned because my tank broke, and I cannot provide suitable accomodation - thankfully he was only 6"