I just bought a 125 gallon tank in which I plan on doing the works with. I find myself in a situation though. I have always wanted an eel and a lion fish. I plan on hand feeding my eel once a day though. It has recently been brought to my attention that lion fish can be quite nasty, I've been wondering how "nasty" they can be. So has anyone really had problems with their lion fish coming to their hands while feeding/cleaning their tanks? If so, are there ways I can get around they're spine's so I may be able to have both in my tank?
A lion fish an Eel and my hand
- Thread starter mfrisby2
- Start date
AdidaKev
New member
First of all,
[welcome]
When cleaning a tank containing a lion, just be as cautious as possible. I've worked in an LFS for almost 3 years and have had my hands in tanks containing lions dozens of times, but have yet to be stung (knock on wood!). They won't usually approach your hand as you clean.
[welcome]
When cleaning a tank containing a lion, just be as cautious as possible. I've worked in an LFS for almost 3 years and have had my hands in tanks containing lions dozens of times, but have yet to be stung (knock on wood!). They won't usually approach your hand as you clean.
Randall_James
Premium Member
Many eels only need fed weekly or even biweekly (hand feeding is foolhardy for many species).
Research carefully on this purchase and make sure your tank is "escape proofed" first. I never met a sorry LionFish owner (well except one that touched the thing)
Research carefully on this purchase and make sure your tank is "escape proofed" first. I never met a sorry LionFish owner (well except one that touched the thing)
Please don't rely on luck to avoid lionfish stings. They are potentially deadly. Their spines contain a rather potent neurotoxin which in sufficient doses can shut down your nervous system and kill you. Some eels are quite poisonous, but I don't know how many if any of those are sold in the aquarium business. I'd suggest getting a nice pair of feeding tongs. You can buy them for much less than a hospital bill from just about anywhere that sells aquarium supplies. I read a story just a month or two ago on this very website about a guy who did very nearly die from sticking his hand in his tank with a lion fish. He'd done it plenty of times before, but that time the lionfish decided he just wasn't in the mood and sent 5 spines into his arm. If his girlfriend hadn't been there to rush him to the hospital (he was totally incapacitated within seconds), he wouldn't have been around to write the story.
facewedgie
New member
TOTALLY INCAPACITATED withing SECONDS??? c'mon now...
1SickReefer
New member
anything is possible with an allergic reaction.
ppl can die if stung by a common bee with in minutes, why not a lion fish?
ppl can die if stung by a common bee with in minutes, why not a lion fish?
facewedgie
New member
it takes more than a few seconds before you even feel much pain, let alone have the venom take much affect. if he was allergic to bee stings, etc. then maybe i will buy the totally incapacitated bit (extreme allergic reaction), but NOT in seconds....i have never been stung, but have been around others on a few occasions who have, even seen the effects of a foxface sting, which ive been told is much more painful. never had to rush anyone to hospital, etc.
Well, I'm getting contridicting stories here. I've been told I can get mesh gloves also to wear while feeding the eels. I just dont want to live feed my eels cause thats how fish that I do not want eaten begin to dissapear. So I take it that the Lion fish do in fact have a tenacious side to them and should be watched. Any body know about neopream gloves or things like such that I could place in my tank without contaminating the water that would also withstand an unexspected Lion fish assualt?
Randall_James
Premium Member
As I happen to work with immunologically challenged individuals and those with venom allergies, anaphylactic shock can occur in moments on a sensitive person and it is not pretty, the panic in their eyes when their throat slams shut is unnerving at best. We have never tested for LionFish allergy but hey who knows right?
If this is your first Eel, I might suggest an easy hardy species (SnowFlake perhaps) rather than something you are likely to fail at (blue ribbon, garden eel etc).
Hand feeding ANY venomous animal strikes me as not so bright for most, never mind mr jim does it, if it ever backfires on him I would suppose it will be the last time he does it.
Get a feeding stick and do you and your fish a favor. Besides you could introduce a pathogen yourself by feeding by hand. Just another one of those "Who knows" things.
Encouraging hand feeding of dangerous or venomous animals is irresponsible
If this is your first Eel, I might suggest an easy hardy species (SnowFlake perhaps) rather than something you are likely to fail at (blue ribbon, garden eel etc).
Hand feeding ANY venomous animal strikes me as not so bright for most, never mind mr jim does it, if it ever backfires on him I would suppose it will be the last time he does it.
Get a feeding stick and do you and your fish a favor. Besides you could introduce a pathogen yourself by feeding by hand. Just another one of those "Who knows" things.
Encouraging hand feeding of dangerous or venomous animals is irresponsible
Perhaps the guy was particularly sensitive to the venom and reacted much more violently than a normal person would. The point is, a lionfish sting is a bit more potent than a bee's. How often and under what circumstances is a sting fatal? I really don't know, but it can and has happened. I, personally, wouldn't stick an unprotected hand into a lionfish tank any more than I would into a a hive of bees. Of course, people do both, so I guess if you're going to, just realize the risks and be very careful.
kraze3
New member
if you have an eel in with other fish, wether fed live foods or not, you run the risk that if a fish swims by and hes hungry then bye bye fish. eels have horrible vision and use there sense of smell to hunt. Ive had a snowflake for a year or so now, he eats alot of shrimp straight fromt he supermarket so he isntl live fed and never has been. He did eat one fish on me but only one, a small dottyback.
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