Dwarf Fuzzy Lion Fish

[mtway]

I HAD two lions fish in my 100 gal. tank. I got a dwarf fuzzy three days after I got a dwarf lion fish. I had to remove some rock and was freaking out about removing the rock with a MIA lion fish about. I finished with the rock and did not find the fish. After the rock was back in the tank one of the condis started turning inside out and out of the condi comes the skeleton of my lion fish. He had not eat a bite since i put him in the tank but he was active after dark.

I know the LFS was feeding them live fresh water feeders. I know this is not right , but i tried to feed him those as well. No dice he just would not eat. I figured he finally died of starvation and was snagged by the anemone. The fuzzy lion will not eat either. I have tried bamboo, garlic, wiggle the silverside and not wiggle. I have put the silverside on the bamboo in the rock and will see if it is gone in the morning.

If this does not work, is there anything else I can try. I love the look of the lion fish in the tank and dont want to lose the fuzzy as well.

Any help or advise is welcome.

Thanks!

[billsreef]

Fuzzies usually adopt pretty quickly. That said, it's often worth giving them live feeders to start. Once they acclimate to your role as the food bringer, it gets real easy to switch them dead foods.

[mtway]

Thanks for the reply Bill. The fuzzy came out today when I added 80 pounds of live rock so I tried to feed him when he plucked something off the rock. I tried the feeder fish and he turned away and started to hide. I tried a thawed silver side and he refused again. I think he is eating my peppermint shrimp at night.

While I got you. We found a stow away on the rock we got today. I have no idea what it is and I can't get a good picture of it either. This is what i know about it. It is covered in coraline algae it has four "tubes" the tube has hole in them but nothing that comes out of it. It moves with the current and retracts when I shine a light on it.

I will try to get a good picture of it and post it later.

[SarahE]

There are a few types of tube snails you might have picked up. You may have four of them on a piece of rock. Google "vermitid snails" and see if what you have looks like any of the pictures.

[SarahE]

Also, I hope your fuzzy dwarf works out. I've always wanted one but haven't worked up to a tank that big yet.

[billsreef]

Originally Posted by mtway

I think he is eating my peppermint shrimp at night.

I"d be surprised if he isn't

With the tubes, vermitids is a good possibility. Couple of other possibilities too. If you can get some pics, that might help narrow things down.

[mtway]

I have attached 3 photos. One is one i took while the rock was in the tank. The second is one that the rock was outside of the tank, and the third highlights the critter with the color splash iphone app. the thing is hard to tell from the rock. I got the nerve to touch it while it was out of the tank ans water came out of one of the tubes each time i touched it. I looked at the pictures from the google search and it looks nothing like it.

[mtway]

I found my 100 gal with wet\dry filter and overflow box. 30 pounds of rock on craigslist for a very decent price. Worth a look on your area. I have managed to add over $1000.00 of other stuff - protein skimmer, T-5 HO lights- new over flow box - hang on back refugium - wave maker fans - new sump pump, that is still too small for the water movement i need.

[thebanker]

I see what you're seeing. It looks like it could be a type of sea squirt, (tunicate). I can't say for sure, but from what you've described, it has a siphon tube that squirts when you apply pressure. Sounds like a tunicate to me.

[mtway]

If it is a Tunicate should I let it stay in the tank? Will it give me problems when it reproduces?

[billsreef]

If it feels hard and rock like, it's a bivalve of some kind. If it's a bit squishy and leathery feeling, it's a tunicate. Either way, it's a perfectly safe and common hitchhiker that you can leave alone

[mtway]

Thanks for the help everybody!

[mtway]

The fuzzy finally ate this afternoon, we were able to get some ghost shrimp at a LFS 3 hours away. I was able to find a Mandarin Dragonette. It does eat frozen food and it did eat yesterday. Do I need to feed it again today and if so how is the best way to feed just him?

[billsreef]

The fuzzy will do fine being fed a solid meal (i.e. stuffed his face) every couple of days. Mandarins need to be fed daily, and do best when there is a decent population of pods in the tank to graze on during the day.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by mtway

The fuzzy finally ate this afternoon, we were able to get some ghost shrimp at a LFS 3 hours away. I was able to find a Mandarin Dragonette. It does eat frozen food and it did eat yesterday. Do I need to feed it again today and if so how is the best way to feed just him?

Best by far with sufficient copepods. Otherwise feed 3-4 times daily.