Fuzzy Dwarf Lion Fish Noob. Help PLease.

frogeer · 08/02/2010, 01:53 AM

i just got a new fuzzy dwarf lion fish. he hasnt eaten since the day i bought him (2 days ago or less?) and im worried that he might be starving. right now hes swimming at the top of my tank. does that mean that hes hungry? i tried feeding him some frozen squid. at first he went for it and i guess it was too big so i took it out, cut it up, and he never went for it again. later during the day i tried feeding it some frozen silver fish and he still wouldnt eat. i know hes suppose to eat live food but will it really starve itself to death if it doesnt get it? is he not eating cuz hes not adjusted to its new home yet? what should i do? im new to the reef so please take it easy on the flaming and try to help me out as much as possible ya? thanks

greece86 · 08/02/2010, 03:44 AM

Try ghost (glass) shrimp. With my first aquarium I had the same problem. He eventually died. My tank was not matured long enough.

Jeff · 08/02/2010, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greece86

Try ghost (glass) shrimp.

Chris27 · 08/02/2010, 06:27 AM

What was it eating at the store? If it's accustomed to eating live food, then you will have to go that route until you get it trained up to eat frozen prepared food.

cindre2000 · 08/02/2010, 07:16 AM

Feed it live glass shrimp/ghost shrimp for the first week or two until it adapts to aquarium life. Once acclimated you can start trying to switch it over to frozen. Pretty much you have to let it get hungry enough to try eating frozen. And it really helps when you have other fish that eat frozen already.

KeMo · 08/02/2010, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cindre2000

Feed it live glass shrimp/ghost shrimp for the first week or two until it adapts to aquarium life. Once acclimated you can start trying to switch it over to frozen. Pretty much you have to let it get hungry enough to try eating frozen. And it really helps when you have other fish that eat frozen already.

Flame_Angel · 08/02/2010, 09:40 AM

Feeding reflex on these fished is based heavily on movement if they've not been trained onto frozen foodstuffs. You might see some success taking silversides or some other frozen food and impaling it on a long sliver of acrylic or other clear plastic so you can move it about in a tantalizing manner. I've done this with great success in the past for all sorts of predatory fish that wouldn't eat frozen.

*edit*

What I did was I took a length of 1/8" rigid airline tubing and whittled the end down so I had a small fork at the end ( W ), and jammed the food in between the tines to hold it. Worked like a charm.

Pufferpunk · 08/02/2010, 09:45 AM

Be sure to feed the shrimp (gut-load) with something (flakes will do) or when the fish eats it, there won't be any nutrition in there.

tasha6 · 08/02/2010, 01:12 PM

Patience is required to get these guys to eat. 2 days is nothing to be concerned about unless it is really thin. I agree with the others when they say gut loaded ghost shrimp. Feed just enough to keep the fuzzy healthy.

The fuzzy we currently have took 6 months before she would eat frozen all the time. Clam was the first thing that she would take regularly.

It will eventually come around. Good Luck!!

chimmike · 08/02/2010, 01:45 PM

what size tank?

GilRoman74 · 08/02/2010, 02:00 PM

Feeder fish here. Good Luck!

frogeer · 08/02/2010, 03:54 PM

Thanks people. Yea i just bought it some ghost shrimp and gave it like 3 or 4. I froze the 4th one and dropped it in hope that it could transition him from moving food to not moving food? It wasnt even moving yet he ate it without hesitation. Seeing that, i tried dropping in a pinch of silver fish again. He looked at it and swam away. Can someone mind explaining me why? I guess its gonna be hard trying to deceive this lil guy huh?

Pufferpunk · 08/02/2010, 05:52 PM

Try these methods:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/...g-your-puffer/
Works with any fish used to eating live foods.

Haag13 · 08/02/2010, 06:03 PM

You can't expect to get him from live to frozen in one feeding. It can take months! Like others have said, start with ghost or marine feeder shrimp. If you feed him 3 or 4 every third or fourth day he should be fine. Do this for a week or two and then substitute one live one with a frozen one. When this is successful for a week or two then substitute another. Repeat until he is only eating frozen shrimp. This can take a month or more but is usually successful. You can also try the feeding stick method in which you present the stick with the live shrimp everytime he eats so that he associates that stick with feeding and then put a frozen shrimp on the end of the stick and wiggle it until he takes it. This can take some time too but these methods have both been successful for a lot of people including me. Goodluck and welcome to RC!!

Grebex11 · 08/02/2010, 06:30 PM

Start with ghost shrimp, or marine feeder. Also you can start with rosie red minnows. They are not good enough for him long run... but you need him to eat something until he accepts frozen food.

frogeer · 08/02/2010, 09:23 PM

Is it true that if you dip the frozen food into garlic extract, it will appeal more to the lil guy? Can someone fill me in the deal with that? Also, if hes chillin at the top of the tank, does that mean that hes hungry and wants more food? Or just chillin? if so do i just keeping feeding him till he goes back to his lil hiding spot? Thanks everyone so far thats been helping. This is my first fish so please excuse the myriad of questions

AJimmy419 · 08/02/2010, 09:47 PM

Is a 34 gallon too small for this fish?

Flame_Angel · 08/03/2010, 06:33 AM

Yes. Too make comes out of his aft end for me to comfortably recommend him for a tank that size.

Sugar Magnolia · 08/03/2010, 07:32 AM

Lots of info on care and feeding - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/fm/feature/

cindre2000 · 08/03/2010, 08:30 AM

Fish learn to beg/associate you with food. You must hold strong or he will poop your tank to dirtiness. I recommend feeding all such predators 2-3 times a week until they are stuffed (3 times when they are juveniles, 2 times when they are adults).

As for garlic, don't worry about it for this fish. I have not found it to make a difference with Lions.

08/02/2010, 01:53 AM	#1
frogeer Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7	Fuzzy Dwarf Lion Fish Noob. Help PLease. i just got a new fuzzy dwarf lion fish. he hasnt eaten since the day i bought him (2 days ago or less?) and im worried that he might be starving. right now hes swimming at the top of my tank. does that mean that hes hungry? i tried feeding him some frozen squid. at first he went for it and i guess it was too big so i took it out, cut it up, and he never went for it again. later during the day i tried feeding it some frozen silver fish and he still wouldnt eat. i know hes suppose to eat live food but will it really starve itself to death if it doesnt get it? is he not eating cuz hes not adjusted to its new home yet? what should i do? im new to the reef so please take it easy on the flaming and try to help me out as much as possible ya? thanks Last edited by frogeer; 08/02/2010 at 02:00 AM.

08/02/2010, 03:44 AM	#2
greece86 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 77	lion fish Try ghost (glass) shrimp. With my first aquarium I had the same problem. He eventually died. My tank was not matured long enough.

08/02/2010, 01:45 PM	#10
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	what size tank? __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

08/02/2010, 09:47 PM	#17
AJimmy419 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 105	Is a 34 gallon too small for this fish? __________________ 34 Gallon Red Sea Max: - Stock Lights: 2x 55w 50/50 10,000k & Actinic T5 Power compact lamps - Stock Skimmer: Want to get new one that is cheap and dependable. Recommendations?

08/03/2010, 07:32 AM	#19
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	Lots of info on care and feeding - http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/fm/feature/ __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

08/02/2010, 06:27 AM	#4
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	What was it eating at the store? If it's accustomed to eating live food, then you will have to go that route until you get it trained up to eat frozen prepared food.

08/02/2010, 07:16 AM	#5
cindre2000 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 230	Feed it live glass shrimp/ghost shrimp for the first week or two until it adapts to aquarium life. Once acclimated you can start trying to switch it over to frozen. Pretty much you have to let it get hungry enough to try eating frozen. And it really helps when you have other fish that eat frozen already.

08/02/2010, 09:40 AM	#7
Flame_Angel Ready For Business Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sutton, NH Posts: 596	Feeding reflex on these fished is based heavily on movement if they've not been trained onto frozen foodstuffs. You might see some success taking silversides or some other frozen food and impaling it on a long sliver of acrylic or other clear plastic so you can move it about in a tantalizing manner. I've done this with great success in the past for all sorts of predatory fish that wouldn't eat frozen. edit What I did was I took a length of 1/8" rigid airline tubing and whittled the end down so I had a small fork at the end ( W ), and jammed the food in between the tines to hold it. Worked like a charm.

08/02/2010, 09:45 AM	#8
Pufferpunk Moved On Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 21,027	Be sure to feed the shrimp (gut-load) with something (flakes will do) or when the fish eats it, there won't be any nutrition in there.

08/02/2010, 01:12 PM	#9
tasha6 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 66	Patience is required to get these guys to eat. 2 days is nothing to be concerned about unless it is really thin. I agree with the others when they say gut loaded ghost shrimp. Feed just enough to keep the fuzzy healthy. The fuzzy we currently have took 6 months before she would eat frozen all the time. Clam was the first thing that she would take regularly. It will eventually come around. Good Luck!!

08/02/2010, 02:00 PM	#11
GilRoman74 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 79	Feeder fish here. Good Luck!

08/02/2010, 03:54 PM	#12
frogeer Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7	Thanks people. Yea i just bought it some ghost shrimp and gave it like 3 or 4. I froze the 4th one and dropped it in hope that it could transition him from moving food to not moving food? It wasnt even moving yet he ate it without hesitation. Seeing that, i tried dropping in a pinch of silver fish again. He looked at it and swam away. Can someone mind explaining me why? I guess its gonna be hard trying to deceive this lil guy huh?

08/02/2010, 05:52 PM	#13
Pufferpunk Moved On Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Franklin Park, IL Posts: 21,027	Try these methods: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/...g-your-puffer/ Works with any fish used to eating live foods.

08/02/2010, 06:03 PM	#14
Haag13 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: coatesville, pa Posts: 61	You can't expect to get him from live to frozen in one feeding. It can take months! Like others have said, start with ghost or marine feeder shrimp. If you feed him 3 or 4 every third or fourth day he should be fine. Do this for a week or two and then substitute one live one with a frozen one. When this is successful for a week or two then substitute another. Repeat until he is only eating frozen shrimp. This can take a month or more but is usually successful. You can also try the feeding stick method in which you present the stick with the live shrimp everytime he eats so that he associates that stick with feeding and then put a frozen shrimp on the end of the stick and wiggle it until he takes it. This can take some time too but these methods have both been successful for a lot of people including me. Goodluck and welcome to RC!!

08/02/2010, 06:30 PM	#15
Grebex11 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 205	Start with ghost shrimp, or marine feeder. Also you can start with rosie red minnows. They are not good enough for him long run... but you need him to eat something until he accepts frozen food.

08/02/2010, 09:23 PM	#16
frogeer Moved On Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7	Is it true that if you dip the frozen food into garlic extract, it will appeal more to the lil guy? Can someone fill me in the deal with that? Also, if hes chillin at the top of the tank, does that mean that hes hungry and wants more food? Or just chillin? if so do i just keeping feeding him till he goes back to his lil hiding spot? Thanks everyone so far thats been helping. This is my first fish so please excuse the myriad of questions

08/03/2010, 06:33 AM	#18
Flame_Angel Ready For Business Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sutton, NH Posts: 596	Yes. Too make comes out of his aft end for me to comfortably recommend him for a tank that size.

08/03/2010, 08:30 AM	#20
cindre2000 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 230	Fish learn to beg/associate you with food. You must hold strong or he will poop your tank to dirtiness. I recommend feeding all such predators 2-3 times a week until they are stuffed (3 times when they are juveniles, 2 times when they are adults). As for garlic, don't worry about it for this fish. I have not found it to make a difference with Lions.

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