Bought a healthy looking small to med blk volitan last week, took it home, fed it some ghost shrimp, which it took right away. It hid, never came out and was dead last Friday. Tank perimiters are great and the other few fish in the tank are fine. Any ideas? Cyanide perhaps? I am no amature and am at a loss as to why this fish died. This tank has been set up since September with good water movement, lots of live rock, etc.
Fish Survey: Volitans Lionfish
- Thread starter Seafan
- Start date
dhoch
New member
SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish?
No
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS?
Eating and swiming and active at the store.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?
I have a blind picasso tringer, White Cheek Tang, Snowflake Eel, Salon's Fairy Wrasse, Blue Damsel, Flame Angel, Cleaner Shrimp, Red Banded Shrimp, Snails and Hermits
Is it a reef or FO tank?
FOWLR
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Someone in the tank ate a blennie. It was either the Lion (most likely) or the Eel.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Not yet
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
I started out on guppies...(about 1 or 2 days) but he was hungry enough that at feeding time he came to the top and I just droped in frozen food (thawed) and he would wolf it down.
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
He eats a variety of frozen foods
How much and how often do you feed?
once a day. About 1 frozen cube.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached?
Started out at about 2-2.5" and is now 5-6" (over a 2 year period)
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
He is in a 125 gal.
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
I wouldn't go smaller than 110
How long have you kept this fish?
2 years
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes... he ocassionally "sulks" changes body color to a deeper red and won't move much.
How active is this fish?
Very for a Lion. He swims a fair amount lazily around the tank.
Is this fish shy?
Nope
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
He's a little bit territorial. He has on ocassion gotten close to other fish and I've noticed his bottom fins twitching (he did this when the eel was first placed in the tank). I think it was his way of setting pecking order. Other than that he really just trys to avoid the other fish.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
Nope.
How does this fish sleep?
He hangs on rocks usually pointing straight down.
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Nope
How does this fish interact with human?
He is very dog like when it comes to food and feeding time. He will rise to the top of the tank and wait for me to drop food in.
Dave
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish?
No
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS?
Eating and swiming and active at the store.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?
I have a blind picasso tringer, White Cheek Tang, Snowflake Eel, Salon's Fairy Wrasse, Blue Damsel, Flame Angel, Cleaner Shrimp, Red Banded Shrimp, Snails and Hermits
Is it a reef or FO tank?
FOWLR
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Someone in the tank ate a blennie. It was either the Lion (most likely) or the Eel.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Not yet
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
I started out on guppies...(about 1 or 2 days) but he was hungry enough that at feeding time he came to the top and I just droped in frozen food (thawed) and he would wolf it down.
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
He eats a variety of frozen foods
How much and how often do you feed?
once a day. About 1 frozen cube.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached?
Started out at about 2-2.5" and is now 5-6" (over a 2 year period)
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
He is in a 125 gal.
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
I wouldn't go smaller than 110
How long have you kept this fish?
2 years
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes... he ocassionally "sulks" changes body color to a deeper red and won't move much.
How active is this fish?
Very for a Lion. He swims a fair amount lazily around the tank.
Is this fish shy?
Nope
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
He's a little bit territorial. He has on ocassion gotten close to other fish and I've noticed his bottom fins twitching (he did this when the eel was first placed in the tank). I think it was his way of setting pecking order. Other than that he really just trys to avoid the other fish.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
Nope.
How does this fish sleep?
He hangs on rocks usually pointing straight down.
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Nope
How does this fish interact with human?
He is very dog like when it comes to food and feeding time. He will rise to the top of the tank and wait for me to drop food in.
Dave
35gallonhex
New member
do one for puffers
ACIDRAIN
New member
I have kept Fu-Manchu, Antenia, Fuzzy Dwarfs, Zebra, Radiata, and Volitans both red and black, over the last 25 years. I have even caught my own scorpion fish and kept them as well. Currently I have only two lions, Leo and another not named.
Some pics of Leo, he is almost 16 inches long, and is over 10 years old.
You can see in this pic, his little friend haging out on the back of the tank. He to is a Volitan, but only about 6 inches long.
Close up of his head
Swimming around the tank.
Here you can see him and get an idea of his size. He lives in a 300 gal tank, 7 feet long. You can also see in the bottom left corner, his tankmate, a 32 inch male Califonia Horn Shark.
Some pics of Leo, he is almost 16 inches long, and is over 10 years old.
You can see in this pic, his little friend haging out on the back of the tank. He to is a Volitan, but only about 6 inches long.
Close up of his head
Swimming around the tank.
Here you can see him and get an idea of his size. He lives in a 300 gal tank, 7 feet long. You can also see in the bottom left corner, his tankmate, a 32 inch male Califonia Horn Shark.
ACIDRAIN
New member
OK, for some reason the pics loaded as links and not pics, and they only work if you cut and past. So, I will try this again linked to another site that has worked in the past, just pics not as good quality.
This is the only pic I have on both sites at this time. For the other pics, please copy and paste to your brouser.
Here is a pic of Leo's tank mate, the California Horn Shark
A few pics of one of my favorite lions that I lost a couple of years back. I had him for about 6-7 years;
This is the only pic I have on both sites at this time. For the other pics, please copy and paste to your brouser.
Here is a pic of Leo's tank mate, the California Horn Shark
A few pics of one of my favorite lions that I lost a couple of years back. I had him for about 6-7 years;
ACIDRAIN
New member
Well, some died many years ago, before they discovered gold fish were no good for them, and actually were what was killing them. But since then, they have died what I suspect as natural deaths. They mostly all ate up till they died. I did lose a couple to long power outages where I used to live. The one in the pic however, died of a dislocated upper jaw. They all get tiger shrimp for food. His last time he dislocated his upper jaw, and was never able to eat again. He tried for almost 5 weeks to eat, but he could not get anything in his mouth. I tried to re-set it (very dangerous, and painful), but as soon as he went to eat again, it would dislocated and he could not pick up the food.
ACIDRAIN
New member
Lions will eat anything they can catch in their mouths. They will usually leave other live fish alone, as long as you keep them fed well. IMO the best tank mates for lions, are those they cannot fit into their mouths. So, IMO to answer your question, yes they will eat cleaner wrasses.
the real fishman
BoomBoomClown
hey guys, ive bin keeping all sorts of lionfish for a long time, i cant be bothered to write all the aswers but if u got any questions about this lionfish or any please ask, ill be glad to help
the real fishman
BoomBoomClown
thats a very nice fish uv got febeast, i have 3 lionfish at the moment, one in the 30gallon tank thats a zebra lion and is the newest, about 3" long i got it 3 days ago, anothe in the 100gallon tank and thats a volitan and its about6" long i got it a year1/2 ago. and the third is a antennata lion and it about 4" long in my 120gallon tank i got dat a year1/2 ago as well>
SELECTION
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Bought mine at the LFS, the obvious tip would be is, if he looks healthy he probably is, the ideal size I think is when they are small
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Dont know yet
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
nope
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
keep them away from inverts and crustacians and try to keep tankmates that are bigger than its mouth
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
none
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
doesnt matter
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
a diamond back goby and a square anthiast
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
N/A
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
not yet
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
not yet
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
I dont have any yet
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
gave him live guppies for the first day then decided not to afterwords after I heard they are harmfull to the fish so I gave him live ghost shrimp instead
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
I slowly introduced brine shrimp
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
brine shrimp and live ghost shrimp
How much and how often do you feed?
a cube of brine shrimp and maybe one or two ghost shrimp as a treat
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
stalker
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
mine is only 2-3' currently
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
currently housed in a 36 gallon bow tank
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
at least 29 gallons for a full grown adult
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
dont know yet
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
2 weeks
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
n/a
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
n/a
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
n/a
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
pretty active and the fish is not shy
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
he's fairly comfortable with his current tankmates
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
nope
How does this fish sleep?
vertically or upside down
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
n/a
How does this fish interact with human?
he swims up the tank if he's hungry if not he will just ignore me
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
he seems to like the diamond back goby more than the square anthiast
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?
n/a
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
2
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
I am a beginner myself and find this fish easier to work with then any other marine fish I had, so I would definately recommend it to beginners. (I had 3 clowns die on me for no apparent reason)
Any other recommendations/comments?
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Bought mine at the LFS, the obvious tip would be is, if he looks healthy he probably is, the ideal size I think is when they are small
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Dont know yet
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
nope
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
keep them away from inverts and crustacians and try to keep tankmates that are bigger than its mouth
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
none
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
doesnt matter
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
a diamond back goby and a square anthiast
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
N/A
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
not yet
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
not yet
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
I dont have any yet
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
gave him live guppies for the first day then decided not to afterwords after I heard they are harmfull to the fish so I gave him live ghost shrimp instead
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
I slowly introduced brine shrimp
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
brine shrimp and live ghost shrimp
How much and how often do you feed?
a cube of brine shrimp and maybe one or two ghost shrimp as a treat
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
stalker
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
mine is only 2-3' currently
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
currently housed in a 36 gallon bow tank
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
at least 29 gallons for a full grown adult
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
dont know yet
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
2 weeks
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
n/a
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
n/a
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
n/a
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
pretty active and the fish is not shy
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
he's fairly comfortable with his current tankmates
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
nope
How does this fish sleep?
vertically or upside down
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
n/a
How does this fish interact with human?
he swims up the tank if he's hungry if not he will just ignore me
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
he seems to like the diamond back goby more than the square anthiast
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?
n/a
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
2
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
I am a beginner myself and find this fish easier to work with then any other marine fish I had, so I would definately recommend it to beginners. (I had 3 clowns die on me for no apparent reason)
Any other recommendations/comments?
Chandler044
New member
Ive had mine for about 8 months, he has grown quite well although stopped growing as much lately. There are some pcis of him him in my photo gallery, i dunno how to upload the pics yet.
anothermineral
New member
Folks,
I think my lion has gone blind.
I've had him for ~1 year in a tank all his own. He has been a voracious eater. I've been feeding him krill, clams, and the occasional live feeder fish. H20 parameters are perfect. He shows no signs of physical stress and is one of the best specimens I've ever seen.
On Father's day, he decided to go on a hunger strike. I originally thought he might have lockjaw, as I didn't notice him yawn for several days, however, this was not the case.
Then I realized the following:
The tank is located at the end of a hallway. Any time anyone entered the hallway, the fish would immediately get excited thinking is was going to be fed, and rise to the top of the tank. It always amazed me that he/she could see motion ~15 feet away. This has stopped completely.
The reason I think the fish has gone blind is I've been able to get him to feed, but it is a tiresome job to do it. It involves placing a piece of krill on the end of a skewer and constantly presenting is in front of the fish until its fear level subsides and it decides to lunge forward and eat it. The fish rarely leaves the bottom of the tank and appears to be walking very tentatively with its front fins like we would do if locked in a room without any lights on, sort of feeling his way around the bottom.
The fish can still hear / smell; however it does not respond to any visual stimuli I present it with. The fish's eyes are clear. There doesn't appear to have been any trauma to the fish. As I said above, it's all by itself in the tank.
I've observed the fish at detail for several hours over the last week to try and formulate a different theory, however, it appears that he's blind as a bat. The only other change I've observed is the fish's coloration has deepened substantially, which I feel is due to stress.
Thought I'd share my observations with the group as an FYI and for any comments regarding my blind theory.
-Mineral
I think my lion has gone blind.
I've had him for ~1 year in a tank all his own. He has been a voracious eater. I've been feeding him krill, clams, and the occasional live feeder fish. H20 parameters are perfect. He shows no signs of physical stress and is one of the best specimens I've ever seen.
On Father's day, he decided to go on a hunger strike. I originally thought he might have lockjaw, as I didn't notice him yawn for several days, however, this was not the case.
Then I realized the following:
The tank is located at the end of a hallway. Any time anyone entered the hallway, the fish would immediately get excited thinking is was going to be fed, and rise to the top of the tank. It always amazed me that he/she could see motion ~15 feet away. This has stopped completely.
The reason I think the fish has gone blind is I've been able to get him to feed, but it is a tiresome job to do it. It involves placing a piece of krill on the end of a skewer and constantly presenting is in front of the fish until its fear level subsides and it decides to lunge forward and eat it. The fish rarely leaves the bottom of the tank and appears to be walking very tentatively with its front fins like we would do if locked in a room without any lights on, sort of feeling his way around the bottom.
The fish can still hear / smell; however it does not respond to any visual stimuli I present it with. The fish's eyes are clear. There doesn't appear to have been any trauma to the fish. As I said above, it's all by itself in the tank.
I've observed the fish at detail for several hours over the last week to try and formulate a different theory, however, it appears that he's blind as a bat. The only other change I've observed is the fish's coloration has deepened substantially, which I feel is due to stress.
Thought I'd share my observations with the group as an FYI and for any comments regarding my blind theory.
-Mineral
angelfishlover
New member
Heres a bad picture of simba.
angelfishlover
New member
SELECTION
1.Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I got mine at PETCO. As far as I know it's wild caught
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I just picked one that was eating and free of any disese
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
The pectoral fins have a smaller ratio to body size as they age
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
As far as I know there is no way to tel a male and female apart
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Acclimate slowly. It can be sensitive to extreme changes in water chemistry
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Just make sure to have some live food ready cause they usually take some time to accept prepared food
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Doesen't really matter. Should be the smallest fish in the tank cause they eat smaller fish
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
FO tank. Mines with a california stingray and a snowflake eel
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
I would keep one per tank unless you have a huge tank in the 400-500 gallon range cause they get kinda big
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
Never tried it
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
I would add this fish to a mature tank cause they put on a high bio-load
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
It's killed a pinktail trigger that once bumped into it. It almost killed a picasso trigger.
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Never tried it but I would only try if you have a very effecient skimmer like an Aqua C or a Euro-Reef
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Never tried but I wouldn't cause they are very effecient predators
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Feed live food for one day then starved it for a week then tried prepared foods
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
It only took live food at first. Then I starved it for a week and it took silversides and krill then.
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
Silversides and krill
How much and how often do you feed?
I feed 4 pieces of krill daily and a couple silversides every other day.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Ambush predators. They eat what will fit in there mouths.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached?
It's about 7" at the moment
How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
It grows kinda slow. Its only grew about 1/2 an inch in 5 months.
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
55 at the moment. 180 in a few months.
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
I would say 75 on its own but 125 or bigger with other fish
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
I got this fish at about 6 1/2" so I dont really know
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I've had my lion for about 5 months so I don't really know.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
I've heard of them living about 12 years. The biggest I've heard of them getting is about 15"
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Never got sick. This species is very sensitive to copper though.
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
It lightens in color if water quality gets bad
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Swims but very slowly. This fish is not shy at all and is always out.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish?
Very peaceful fish but will eat tankmates if there small enough
How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Prett mutch diesent care. I havd a brave picasso trigger that loved to swim through its fins
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
No. Probably not active enough
How does this fish sleep?
Turns dark and stays sideways or up-side-down
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean?
Tried a cleaner wrasse and it ended up as lunch.
If so which cleaner and how often?
Never accepts any cleaners. Just eats them
How does this fish interact with human?
Lots of personality. Will come to the front and follow me if he's hungry
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Very beutiful fish and wonderful to keep. They are true pets
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Just one in my tank. Like I stated above one per tank unless in the 400-500 range or bigger
Any information of spawning in captivity?
Never heard of spawnings in captivity
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
3-Will refuse to eat if there are terribly high nitrates.
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Prabably. You just need to have some live foods on hand.
Any other recommendations/comments?
Be careful of its venomous spines while doing maintnence. If you get stung soak the effected area in water as hot as you can stand for about 20-30 minutes.
1.Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I got mine at PETCO. As far as I know it's wild caught
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I just picked one that was eating and free of any disese
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
The pectoral fins have a smaller ratio to body size as they age
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
As far as I know there is no way to tel a male and female apart
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Acclimate slowly. It can be sensitive to extreme changes in water chemistry
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Just make sure to have some live food ready cause they usually take some time to accept prepared food
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Doesen't really matter. Should be the smallest fish in the tank cause they eat smaller fish
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
FO tank. Mines with a california stingray and a snowflake eel
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
I would keep one per tank unless you have a huge tank in the 400-500 gallon range cause they get kinda big
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
Never tried it
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
I would add this fish to a mature tank cause they put on a high bio-load
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
It's killed a pinktail trigger that once bumped into it. It almost killed a picasso trigger.
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Never tried it but I would only try if you have a very effecient skimmer like an Aqua C or a Euro-Reef
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Never tried but I wouldn't cause they are very effecient predators
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Feed live food for one day then starved it for a week then tried prepared foods
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
It only took live food at first. Then I starved it for a week and it took silversides and krill then.
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet?
Silversides and krill
How much and how often do you feed?
I feed 4 pieces of krill daily and a couple silversides every other day.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Ambush predators. They eat what will fit in there mouths.
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached?
It's about 7" at the moment
How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
It grows kinda slow. Its only grew about 1/2 an inch in 5 months.
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)?
55 at the moment. 180 in a few months.
What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
I would say 75 on its own but 125 or bigger with other fish
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
I got this fish at about 6 1/2" so I dont really know
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I've had my lion for about 5 months so I don't really know.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
I've heard of them living about 12 years. The biggest I've heard of them getting is about 15"
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Never got sick. This species is very sensitive to copper though.
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
It lightens in color if water quality gets bad
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Swims but very slowly. This fish is not shy at all and is always out.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish?
Very peaceful fish but will eat tankmates if there small enough
How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Prett mutch diesent care. I havd a brave picasso trigger that loved to swim through its fins
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
No. Probably not active enough
How does this fish sleep?
Turns dark and stays sideways or up-side-down
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean?
Tried a cleaner wrasse and it ended up as lunch.
If so which cleaner and how often?
Never accepts any cleaners. Just eats them
How does this fish interact with human?
Lots of personality. Will come to the front and follow me if he's hungry
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Very beutiful fish and wonderful to keep. They are true pets
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Just one in my tank. Like I stated above one per tank unless in the 400-500 range or bigger
Any information of spawning in captivity?
Never heard of spawnings in captivity
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
3-Will refuse to eat if there are terribly high nitrates.
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Prabably. You just need to have some live foods on hand.
Any other recommendations/comments?
Be careful of its venomous spines while doing maintnence. If you get stung soak the effected area in water as hot as you can stand for about 20-30 minutes.
