Fish Survey: Volitans Lionfish

[Chandler044]

I've had mine for one and a half years. He is quite large, and very personable. Good appetite and disposition, lions are very good fish to have if you want a showpiece for your tank, and dont mind not having the ability of having small fishes.

 

[camaro03]

I would only reccomend them for a peaceful community tank with large fish as they are not aggressive fish and can easily be harrased. Feed live then wean to frozen they do not like much current as they are lazy and like little resitance when swimming

 

[pmemo]

I fed frozen shrimps.

 

[CrazyLionfish]

ELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? No/No
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 chose a medium sized one - about 3 inches - and one that was eating well.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? I think they all differ in color and the intensity of the color
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? I think the males have horns and teh females don't, making mine a female

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? I acclimated it him teh newb way, adding some water from teh tank into the bag every 10 min for 1.5 hours
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? No
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? Depends on other inhabitants

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? Queen Angel, Maroon Clown, Undulated Trigger, Picasso Trigger, Yellow Tang. FO Tank
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? No
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? no
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you? Maroon Clown, Yellow Tang, Picasso Trigger, Lionfish, Undulated, Queen
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? no
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)? no
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? don't think so, think it was mostly the triggers

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? took freeze dried krill the first day
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? --
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet? mysis shrimp, freeze dried krill, frozen krill, frozen squid
How much and how often do you feed? once a day
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) - lunges at it and inhales it

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)? 3 inches to begin. Almost 13 inches now. About 1.5 years
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? 75 gallons, but mine is too big for it now, either getting a larger tank, or giving him to someone responsable nearby
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? Colors have varied from dark red to light red
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? 1.5 years - still have her
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? not sure

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? Ick - UV steralizer - worked well

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? not really
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? mostly just hovers, not shy
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? only aggresive when the trigger trys to steal his krill
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? no
How does this fish sleep? with his head down, used to sleep vertically, but now hes too big
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? --
How does this fish interact with human? always watching me,
Any other interesting observation of this fish? her eyes always follow me

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? no
Any information of spawning in captivity? no

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species - Love this fish, one of my favorite, always get great reactions over her.
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2 or 3
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
Would you recommend this fish to beginners? depends on tank size and what they want to keep, but if they are prepared, yes
Any other recommendations/comments? not really

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!

 

[onereefnotenuf]

i have had my voltans for over a year and the only thing that i have seen it eat was a bi color dottyback. it stalks the liverock looking for something. i think it eats shrimp or crabs out of the rock but it will not eat anything frozen or thawed that i try. i even tied silversides to fishing line and dangled them in front of its face and it still didn't eat. i knew that goldfish are bad for them but it was either live fish or a dead lion so i have started feeding guppys. i was told by my lfs that they have less fat and more protien than goldfish and the lionfish loves them. if there are any sources for live silversides i am sure they would work.
my fish is in a 125 reef with a kole tang, sailfin tang, flame angel and a flamehawkfish.

 

[cwschoon]

get a small tank w. mollies, salt water and feed them good marine food. Not ideal but better than what you are doing now

 

[reefboyjim]

I have a 8 inch long volitan lion fish that I have had for about a year and a half. fin span is about 8-9 inches across. i baught her at about 3 inches long. I feed her every other day 3 pieces of krill and once a month live feeder fish. She is kept in a 150 gallon tank with a 2 1/2 foost snowflake moray eel and an 8 inch burr puffer. She has the most beautiful coloration. She is like fire red with some orange white and a little tint of blue(I think it's from the light though) but any way she's gorgious. when I upload pics I'll post them.

 

[cwschoon]

Hey onereefnotenuf...just noticed your address. I lived in Mississauga until sept. 2001. I was the CDN/NY Tetra rep for 4 yrs and before that, was w. a co. called Tropic Aquaria. I called on all the stores in Ontario and Western NY. Where do you shop?
Craig.

 

[cwschoon]

Sorry...my brain read Hamilton, ONTARIO.

 

[onereefnotenuf]

when i read your first post i was totally confused, i was trying to remember living someplace i have never been! i am the one thats braindead!

 

[adamprice271]

Re: survey

Re: survey

The following is is a list of questions/topics about this fish species. If you would like to include them in your reply, click on the last icon of this post (Reply with Quote), and remove the [ QUOTE ] [ B ] tag in the beginning and the

at the end.

SELECTION
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 from the LFS.

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 work there and had him eating withing 2 days of getting him in at the shop. Very healthy, so I took him home.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
I don't think so.
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?

Not that I am aware of

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
No. Float for 15 mins, then add some tank water to the bag every 5 mins for 30 mins.
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?

Get him feeding asap.
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
FOWLR...Yellow tang, bursa trigger, naso tang, coral beauty, keyhole angel.
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?
No
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
No
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Add the lion at any time, just don't have anything smaller than him or it will be food.
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Yes, my volitan ate a maroon clownfish that was barely smaller than his head.
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
NA
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
No...the trigger ate the hermits.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Live ghost shrimp that were kept in a seperate tank gutloaded with marine pellets and shrimp pellets.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
I didn't feed him for 2 days and I would drop freeze dried krill in. when my trigger went for it, the lion ate it and has loved it ever since. He also eats large peices of formula 1 flake.
What’s the diet?
Ghost shrimp(gutloaded), freeze dried krill, and flake food.
How much and how often do you feed?
2 freeze dried krill a day. 8-10 ghost shrimp every 4 days (trigger eats em too.)
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Ambush predator. anytime I put something in there for him(fits inhis mouth) he eats it.

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)?
I got him when he was 2" body leangth 2.5 months ago and he is now 4-5" body leangth.
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
75 gal. he is being moved to the 135 when he grows a bit more. Minimum size tank I'd say is 55 min. and 100 when full grown.
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I have had mine for about 2.5 months and love him.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
none...very hardy fish!

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
npt that I have seen.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Not very active. He lays on the bottom, or against the side glass(vertical) untill I feed him or untill he goes for a new spot.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
If other fishes are larger than he can eat, he is extremley passive with the other fish. If I do maintenance on the tank, he goes to one spot in the rocks and does not bother me at all.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
no...thank god
How does this fish sleep?
lays around
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
he lets me clean whenver I want (about once a week)
How does this fish interact with human?
When I come to the tank he comes out and up to the top. Never bothers me when maintenance is being done.
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Just beautifil when they get some size on them.

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
3
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
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
not for someone with less than 1 yr of experience, or someone not willing to buy live foods(not feeders but shrimp) untill they get it eating frozen or freezedried.
Any other recommendations/comments?
great fish, nice personality, I get lots of compliments on him.

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us! [/B][/QUOTE]

 

[thorsen]

What tankmates do you have with this fish?

I have had a lion fish for about one month now. I am new to the hobby and have already made my fair share of mistakes. I bought an encyclopedia set on reef fish, which said the lion fish is reef compatible but generally not added to a reef system because they eat desirable shrimp, although they leave other reef items alone. It also said they are tough fish and not generally susceptible to disease. I am in the process of converting my 120 gallon tank from a FO to a reef tank and decided I would rather have the lion fish than the shrimp. I already had one sea hare, two star fish, a lot of crabs and snails, and two damsels and three chromis. My lion fish eats like a glutton and eats almost anything I drop in the tank including algae pellets for the slug and crabs (?). The point of interest I have to contribute is how he has interacted with the assortment of smaller fish. The lion fish is capable of fitting surprisingly large fish in his mouth, but is rather slow. The chromis and damsels would all make good meals for him, but they simply stay out of his way. He has succeeded in catching one chromis and one damsel so far. I witnessed one of these episodes and it was in the early morning when the fish first came out of the rocks he would get them trapped in a corner and nap them. I am looking into adding a moon light lighting system to my tank and I think this might save the small fish. So in short one might be able to add all sorts of small fast bite size fish to a tank with a lion fish as long as there is good hiding places and the lighting is ok. I wouldn't risk real expensive fish right off though before experimenting with some damsels for a month or so.

 

[lost1st manty:(]

my predators are all messing forcious eaters

my predators are all messing forcious eaters

devouring everyhting i put in their tank alls they want to do is eat and i have had to scale back getting to big too fast and too expensive i have a 150 gallon with 4 in panther grouper 3 in trigger (huma) porcupine puffer 3 in 4 in yellow tang 10 in moray snowflake hifin snapper green bird wrasse and a couple *** damsle i cant catch and neither can anyone else for that matter. by far the messiest eaters are puffer and trigger making huge messes needing vacuumed everytime they eat, thus i am introdcuing a spotted goatfish who is in quarantinenow but am worried that the malachite grren which contains formalin will be toxic for him whic i recently read and am not sure if this is true or if it is at what levels, or if it is all removed from skimmer and water changes, good luck :uzi: keep firing away with the thread and posts you will be fine

 

[lost1st manty:(]

be careful with lionfish over feeding too much lighting go blind and of course

be careful with lionfish over feeding too much lighting go blind and of course

getting impaled by one and injected with venom, ive heard of them actually eating until there stomachs exploded so be careful, :eek2: sorry i am only 6 month in hobby my young son got to the computer and clicked 20years thoguht it was a game :eek1:

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

thorsen-do you see any true "schooling" of the chromis in a tank with lionfish?

 

[DrBDC]

Thought I'd throw my lion pic on the thread. This guy is like a puppy dog you can't pet.

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[rstruhs]

Re: survey

Re: survey

The following is is a list of questions/topics about this fish species. If you would like to include them in your reply, click on the last icon of this post (Reply with Quote), and remove the [ QUOTE ] [ B ] tag in the beginning and the [/QUOTE][/B] at the end.

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I bought mine from a LFS
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Pick one that is not in the defensive position at the store and is eating something! Also, look for any body leisions and/or fin problems. I would say the ideal size depends on its tankmates. I like to pick a new fish that is still a juvy (Sp?), but not older than an early teen.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Not that I can tell.
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
Not without doing irreparable damage (Surgery)

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Spend about 45 mins acclimating, no more! Put fish in final tank with tankmates after lights out or turn them out for the day. They like to hide until the initial stress of moving them is over.
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Lots and lots of free swimming space! Although they tend to stay in one spot, they will move at night. More space means they can navigate without bumping into rocks and the glass.
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
Does not matter, they adapt extremely well.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
I kept mine with a lunar wrasse (About 8" long) and a HumaHuma trigger (About 4" long), my lion got to about 10".
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 love to have at least four lions in a tank, however, my tanks are too small. I would not put two in a tank smaller than 75 gallons.
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
Not at the same time.
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Trigger, wrasse, lion, eel.
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
No problems whatsoever!
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
None were in the tank with it.
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
None were in the tank with it.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
It was eating live guppies, I used an eel feeder (Only the tube part) for about a week, then switched to putting a guppy in a net for about a week with thawed krill in the net also, then switched to ghost shrimp and krill, then to krill only in the net. From that point I went to dropping the krill in the tank near the lion. I fed every other day for this whole process.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
See above question.
What’s the diet? Krill and raw sea food from the grocery store.
How much and how often do you feed? About 2 guppys, five krill and a sugar cube size of crab or shrimp or oyster.
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Heartily, however, it is a lazy predator and will pass on food that is more than one body length away from the lion.

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)?
Initial size was about 2", he grew to about 6" within 6 mos., then to 10" the next 6 mos.
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
I had him in a 55 gallon tank. I think as long as they are under 12" the standard 55 gallon tank is ok. A 75 would be better.
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
I did not notice any pattern or color changes due to age.
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I kept him for a little over 2 yrs. He died because he went blind. I really need to find out what supplements he needed.
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
I do not know.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
He got popeye once, I treated it with Melafix as directed.

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, as his health declined, his colors faded.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Sedentary fish that is not shy.
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Not territorial or aggressive with tankmates. Pretty much ignores tankmates.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
No
How does this fish sleep?
In the defensive position, (head down)
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Do not know.
How does this fish interact with human?
He knows and recognizes the feeder and will come to a "feeding station" at any time.
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Once they have died, you will find you miss them a lot.

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Did not have a mated pair.
Any information of spawning in captivity?
Only what is available on the net.

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
I believe they can tolerate fairly poor water quality.
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
True.
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
Definitely
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
True
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
Not true
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Not true.
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
No, feeding and care needed to not get invenomated is important. Venomous fish should not be kept by children or careless adults.
Any other recommendations/comments?
Since they are a predator, they are more intelligent than most other fish. Treat them accordingly. They will try to avoid hurting you if you treat them with respect.

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!

 

[Spidross]

Re: survey

Re: survey

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? No bought him from my LFS
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get? Just watched him in his tank and checked he was feeding with the LFS
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? Younger ones seem alot brighter and as they develop their colours seem to get deeper
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? Not sure

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? Did normal, fish in tank in its bag for 45 mins then added tanks water at about 10min intervals before releasing him about 40 mins after that with lights off
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? Not that i noticed just the size of their food
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? One of the first in my tank and going strong, not intereted in the others at all

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? FO tank, got dog face puffer, cleaner wrasse (he totally ignores him and always has and his food is the same size), rock beauty, regal tang, snowflake moray eel, picasso trigger, niger trigger, fingerprint toby, emperor angel, maroon clown and a sailfin tang
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? No but in LFS they have 2 Large Volitans together no problems
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? No
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you? Not a poroblem with others not interested
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? NoDid this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)? Not Applicable
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? Yes Cleaner Shrimp

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? Straight on Frozen Dillie Fish and Silverside No problem at all
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? No Need
What’s the diet? Silverside and river shrimp
How much and how often do you feed? Has 2-3 Silveside a day and live river shrimp once a week
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)Predatory and active

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)? Bought it about 1.5inch long now about 4 inches long (4 months)
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? Will outgrow soon in a 50 Gal tank at mo is very happy but soon more room will be needed
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? Colour has got darker/richer
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? 4 months so far
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? No Idea

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? Ich and i treated with cupramine absolutely fineno problems at all

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? Night time he goes a deeper reddish colour
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? Watches TV I swear! Very active at feeding time and always waits his turn for the food
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? Reacts well with them unless they nip his tail for any reason then he gives chase but never has hurt any of them (The wrasse is the same size as the silverside i feed him and not bothered about him)
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? No
How does this fish sleep? On his side at the top near a powerhead or vertically pointing down by filter
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? No but i don't think i have seen him try
How does this fish interact with human?
Any other interesting observation of this fish? Very attentive at front of tank when people are in the room always at front

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? Not Applicable
Any information of spawning in captivity? No idea

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2
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
Would you recommend this fish to beginners? yes i had him as a beginner and gone through all the ups and downs a beginner faces
Any other recommendations/comments? Don't have him with shrimp, treat him to live food once in a while and don't worry if he lays still sometimes after a feed as they will eat themselves stupid if alllowed

 

[Spidross]

Thought i'd post a couple here of him one at top of tank think's he is being fed!!

This one just chilling waiting for food, the TV isn't on so he can't watch it!!

Here is a short movie with him just before feeding time, you can see all his tank mates and see what he is like

 

[malkier22]

these lions are absolutely beautiful!