How do you get a lionfish to eat frozen food?

phi delt reefer · #1 08-05-2011, 02:28 PM

get some mollies and slowly aclimate them to our tanks salinty so they become full blown saltwater fish. Then just breed them and feed em to the lion. I dunno how much work that is but i know a couple guys on nano-reef that have successfully introduced mollies into their saltwater tanks.

Gripenfelter · #2 08-05-2011, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phi delt reefer

get some mollies and slowly aclimate them to our tanks salinty so they become full blown saltwater fish. Then just breed them and feed em to the lion. I dunno how much work that is but i know a couple guys on nano-reef that have successfully introduced mollies into their saltwater tanks.

Thing is I'm trying to get this fish off of live food for the sake of my chromis, damsels, cardinals, and clowns lol.

The LFS has a big 12" lionfish that eats flake food and pellets so I know it can be done lol.

mark · #3 08-05-2011, 03:03 PM

don't have a Lionfish but think if I did, still would be worried it would be sucking up the clowns and others even if learned to eat frozen.

Gripenfelter · #4 08-05-2011, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark

don't have a Lionfish but think if I did, still would be worried it would be sucking up the clowns and others even if learned to eat frozen.

Well I don't like the idea of feeding live food because I have young kids and my daughter will be traumatized lol.

But in 4 months time or less I will have a dedicated predator tank for him and some other predators so it won't be an issue.

whatcaneyedo · #5 08-05-2011, 11:27 PM

Try krill and silversides. I had a Volitan for 5 years and those were its favourites. It wouldn't even look at pellets or mysis and rarely ever ate clam or squid.

ReefOcean · #6 08-22-2011, 09:23 PM

I had a fuzzy. When I first got it, I held a skewered krill gently pressed up on it's lips for 40 minutes while watching Seinfeld. It FINALLY grabbed it. It took a time, but pretty soon, the fish would instantly go after the krill. Most of my carnivores have been like this...aside from any triggerfish.

Id say just be persistant, try many times, different times of the day. try dancing the food in the tank, waving it around, shoving it right in the fishes face and holding it there.

Gripenfelter · #7 08-22-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefOcean

I had a fuzzy. When I first got it, I held a skewered krill gently pressed up on it's lips for 40 minutes while watching Seinfeld. It FINALLY grabbed it. It took a time, but pretty soon, the fish would instantly go after the krill. Most of my carnivores have been like this...aside from any triggerfish.

Id say just be persistant, try many times, different times of the day. try dancing the food in the tank, waving it around, shoving it right in the fishes face and holding it there.

He hides behind rocks until about midnight and comes out. Seen him twice this week. I drop silversides and inject mysis shrimp behind the rocks.

No clue if he is eating or not. Been 4 weeks since I visually saw him eating at the pet store.

reefwars · #8 08-22-2011, 09:38 PM

with all the fish in your sig chances are he probably is intimidated to eat with the others ,maybe putting him in a tank by himself untill he eats is an option

feeding a finiky fish is a challenge but feeding one with alot of other fish around just makes it even harder

good luck bud

ReefOcean · #9 08-22-2011, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gripenfelter

He hides behind rocks until about midnight and comes out. Seen him twice this week. I drop silversides and inject mysis shrimp behind the rocks.

No clue if he is eating or not. Been 4 weeks since I visually saw him eating at the pet store.

Id say ignore the mysis. I found no luck in just dropping silversides or krill into the tank. Once it hits the sand, my fish/eels would not touch it.

If it is hiding behind rocks, that might be a new issue all together, out of alll the lionfish I have seen, and the 3 I have owned all of them have pretty much stay perched in the open. When a fish hides in the rocks, it is usually a sign that it is stressed.

You need to get the fish in the open and intice it to eat.

A more drastic approach would be to isolate it, and force feed it until it is weened. i have never had to do this myself, but i have heard people doing it with varying success. The key is to make the fish ciomfortable, and remove distractions and stress.