FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi, all. I've had my Lionfish for a few weeks, now. Up til 4 days ago he ate just fine; 2-4 feeder golds per day. However, 4 days ago he got double fed by accident and had about 8 feeders that day. He hasnt eaten since. He doesn't display any other odd behavior aside from not eating. There is no rapid breathing and all of the other inhabitants are doing fine. the tank parameters are Ammonmnia, nitrate, nitrites are all at 0. Any ideas? Think he just stuffed himself and is not ready to eat or something else?

Any and all replies will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Leah

you cant feed lionfish feeder goldfish. there like mcdonalds for them.

That's what the LFS had been feeding him and I have been trying to break him from it--using Krill, but since he's used to the live food it's very hard to change that. Think theres a chance he's constipated?


Leah

By the way, what do you reccomend that I try feeding him?

Leah

FW feeder fish are no good for SW fish. They can damage their internal organs.

A good option is anything but live food really, krill, mysis, cocktail shrimp, whatever he will take really. Some people have success putting the food on a little spear or doll rod and move it around the tank, that way the Lionfish will go for it as if its live food. Eventually it will just start accepting the prepared food without the stick.

Also, what type of Lionfish, and what size tank is it in?

It is a Red Volitan Lionfish. It is curretly in a 55 gallon tank, but will soon be moved to a 125 gallon tank. It is appoximately 5 inches (body, not including finnage). It currently has plenty of dark, hinding places. The tank is a corner bowfront and I have set up the lights and rock so that the entire back half of the tank is his. He seems to enjoy it back there. No bright lights to blind him and plenty of cave space. I will try the cocktail shrimp. Does it matter if it is cooked or should I try to get raw shrimp?

Thanks so much for your advice

Leah

Get yourself a small rigid tube from your LFS, the kind used for air. Put a kirll in the end of the tube. Then put the krill in the water and move it around like it's swimming. The lion will check it out and soon take the krill. I started mine off like this and now it feeds by just dropping krill in the tank. I will only feed gold fish as a treat when I'm having a party at my house, more entertainment for us. Get your lion on krill and it will do just fine.

Dan

hi, i had a big problem trying to feed my lion too. he wouldnt accept Anything but live feeders ! so what i ended up doing is starving him for a week or so untill he was really really hungry, & then offerd him frozen whole fish.

if ur lions not used to your hand being near him while feeding, he probably wont take food outa ur hand. just keep trying, as i found feeding by hand was easier than on a stick because i could "wiggle" the food to make it appear to be live.

hope this helps, & i reakon ur lion just ate himself silly & is too full to eat anything for now. just give him acoupla days & he should be hungry again

cheers

Silversides are another thing you can try.

My lion is the same size as yours and he was being fed live ghost shrimp. However he won't eat any form of frozen, oddly enough he will eat freeze dried food from the surface. His favorite is plankton. He will eat from my hand (unfortunately, I don't like being stung) but movement isn't the key with him, I've wiggled all kinds of stuff for him and no go. The big butthead ate my Zebra Dart Goby last week, he was so full he didn't eat for about a week after that, sat on the bottom for two days in a corner, so as far as the over feeding of goldfish goes he's going to be ok just not hungry for a while LOL. I feed my guy live shrimp once a week and otheriwise he eats everyday with the otherfish. If you'd like to see pictures of him he's on my website at www.angelfire.com/az2/Hollandbunnys/index.html

I know my dwarf lionfish is a diff. scenario but he eats the heck out of frozen mysis. And i've recently have him eating frozen cocktail size shrimp.

It's actually kind of funny how i feed him, my wife disapproves greatly. I use one of her long forks from her fondeau set. I stick the end of the shrimp w/ it and dangle it in front of his mouth (with the fork aimed down of course so i don't stick him) But he pulls it right off the fork. I feed my oyster fish the same way w/ the shrimp.

[span class="edited"][Edited by jkalfsbeck 2004-07-09 06:51][/span]

Thanks all of you for the information and advice. I went to the LFS this morning and bought him some frozen mysis shrimp and at the grocery store I picked him up some raw shrimp. The LFS is going to order silver sides for me, they should be there in about a week. I haven't tried feeding, yet. (I try to keep them on a regular schedule as far as feeding times) I will let you guys know what happens with that.

Again, thanks so much. It really relieves the sense of helplessness when you guys are just a post away!

Thanks,

Leah

Try picking up a small can of freeze dried krill. I've seen a lot of lions go nuts over that stuff, and it's not that expensive.



Dan

HE FINALLY ATE!!!!!:%) It seems this guy just likes late night snacks! Tonight we waited for about 2 hours after the lights went out and when he came into open water we fed and.....HE ATE! I'm so thrilled! I/we were so worried about him! Our luck, though, of course it was a goldfish that he ate, but at least he's eating again. We will continue feeding him like this and keep trying to "wean" him from the goldfish. (Please look-over my referring to the fish as "him", I tend to "pick-a-gender" in fish that I can't tell male from female)

Thanks everyone!

Leah