New lionfish

Icewing726 · 04/28/2018, 05:55 PM

So I made my own acrylic feeding rod and made a krill look interesting enough to attack. Both days the lionfish took the krill, chewed, and spit it out. I have silversides and a lot of other frozen foods but the silvers look almost as long as the volitan. Break it in half maybe? Suggestions?

Indymann99 · 04/28/2018, 06:06 PM

My 0.02 is NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER feed silversides to ANYTHING... I have had Nems that I have had for YEARS die within the week of feeding silversides... and several fish deaths within a week of having silversides in the tank.

I havent had a Lion sense 1983-87. Back then I fed "feeder" goldfish. about 3-4 per week.

I know these days nobody feeds freshwater goldfish so sorry I cant help more.

I would try ANYTHING other than silversides...

Icewing726 · 04/28/2018, 06:32 PM

I love the diverse experiences in this hobby. You fed goldfish succesfully despite many having them kill their fish.

I am a bit perplexed by your silverside warning though. In my last tank I used those big time and had no issues...

Thank you for your response though, I'll read into it

Crooked Reef · 04/28/2018, 08:49 PM

I’m actually shocked the lion spit out the krill. Most take them like candy and can turn their nose up to anything else after. I have read at some point they were believed to cause lockjaw in lionfish though so it may be for the best. Mine spits out scallops. I can’t get him to eat them for anything, loves shrimp though. Just go to the seafood counter and get raw table shrimp/ same kind you would eat. Cut them up and see if it will take it. Fresh with no preservatives are best. I rinse them in tank water before I cut them up. Cut up one and put it in a ziploc baggie and lay it flat with the shrimp pieces spread out. You can take a bit out at a time and thaw it. You can buy one at a time so you are not wasting money if it doesn’t like it. Mine also likes the Hikari jumbo mysis from the lfs. You can try multiple things from the seafood counter though. Squid, clam, oyster, shrimp, small bits of fish, scallops are just some off the top of my head. The fish may enjoy a variety too. I feed bits of stuff from the seafood counter at my grocery store to my anemones, lionfish and mantis shrimp as well as sometimes shred them and feed to the main tank. A lot of people make their own fish food from all of this.

Icewing726 · 04/28/2018, 09:25 PM

So once upon a time they sold acrylic feeding sticks. I carved 3 from a 6 foot acrylic rod with a dremel and wiggled a silver side piece near him. After a short chase he grabbed it.

Quick note to the first reply, I have had good experience with silver sides which is why I tried it, I am going to read on it though.

Anyway, he spent 5 to 10 minutes doing some shaking and jaw motions on occasion but didn't spit it out. Not sure if thats normal or not. My first one didnt do that.

Any thoughts?

Easy E · 04/28/2018, 10:18 PM

Lionfish can be picky eaters at first, particularly in the size of food they will take. If it's too small, they ignore it. If it's too big they spit it out. Once acclimated, they are a lot less selective. Jumbo mysis is a good suggestion, or you could try chopping the larger krill into smaller pieces.

Sent from my RS988 using Tapatalk

04/28/2018, 05:55 PM	#1
Icewing726 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 248	New lionfish So I made my own acrylic feeding rod and made a krill look interesting enough to attack. Both days the lionfish took the krill, chewed, and spit it out. I have silversides and a lot of other frozen foods but the silvers look almost as long as the volitan. Break it in half maybe? Suggestions?

04/28/2018, 06:06 PM	#2
Indymann99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 2,447	My 0.02 is NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER feed silversides to ANYTHING... I have had Nems that I have had for YEARS die within the week of feeding silversides... and several fish deaths within a week of having silversides in the tank. I havent had a Lion sense 1983-87. Back then I fed "feeder" goldfish. about 3-4 per week. I know these days nobody feeds freshwater goldfish so sorry I cant help more. I would try ANYTHING other than silversides... __________________ 120g DT 100lbs LR / 200 lbs LS, 45g fuge, VectraM1 Return, Herbie drain, 4x RW-8, 2x AI Hydra 26 w AWM, ASM G2, Apex controller, Apex BoB w floats ATO

04/28/2018, 08:49 PM	#4
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	I’m actually shocked the lion spit out the krill. Most take them like candy and can turn their nose up to anything else after. I have read at some point they were believed to cause lockjaw in lionfish though so it may be for the best. Mine spits out scallops. I can’t get him to eat them for anything, loves shrimp though. Just go to the seafood counter and get raw table shrimp/ same kind you would eat. Cut them up and see if it will take it. Fresh with no preservatives are best. I rinse them in tank water before I cut them up. Cut up one and put it in a ziploc baggie and lay it flat with the shrimp pieces spread out. You can take a bit out at a time and thaw it. You can buy one at a time so you are not wasting money if it doesn’t like it. Mine also likes the Hikari jumbo mysis from the lfs. You can try multiple things from the seafood counter though. Squid, clam, oyster, shrimp, small bits of fish, scallops are just some off the top of my head. The fish may enjoy a variety too. I feed bits of stuff from the seafood counter at my grocery store to my anemones, lionfish and mantis shrimp as well as sometimes shred them and feed to the main tank. A lot of people make their own fish food from all of this. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

04/28/2018, 10:18 PM	#6
Easy E Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Iowa Posts: 101	Lionfish can be picky eaters at first, particularly in the size of food they will take. If it's too small, they ignore it. If it's too big they spit it out. Once acclimated, they are a lot less selective. Jumbo mysis is a good suggestion, or you could try chopping the larger krill into smaller pieces. Sent from my RS988 using Tapatalk __________________ “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. ~Mark Twain~” Current Tank Info: 55 gal FOWLR w/15 gal above tank refugium, 10 gal nano FOWLR

04/28/2018, 06:32 PM	#3
Icewing726 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 248	I love the diverse experiences in this hobby. You fed goldfish succesfully despite many having them kill their fish. I am a bit perplexed by your silverside warning though. In my last tank I used those big time and had no issues... Thank you for your response though, I'll read into it

04/28/2018, 09:25 PM	#5
Icewing726 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 248	So once upon a time they sold acrylic feeding sticks. I carved 3 from a 6 foot acrylic rod with a dremel and wiggled a silver side piece near him. After a short chase he grabbed it. Quick note to the first reply, I have had good experience with silver sides which is why I tried it, I am going to read on it though. Anyway, he spent 5 to 10 minutes doing some shaking and jaw motions on occasion but didn't spit it out. Not sure if thats normal or not. My first one didnt do that. Any thoughts?