Fuzzy Dwarf Lion

[thejiro]

I just picked up a baby fuzzy dwarf lion. One of my favourites I was wondering if anyone had any good tips for getting him off of live food and eating prepared and frozen foods.

Thanks

Ken

 

[mflamb]

I've had 2 lions, a red in my aggressive and a dwarf in a reef. Take a 1/4" dowel rod and carve a narrow tip on one end. Spear whatever live food you are using and the lion will eat the live off the spear as long as it is still moving. When the lion responds quickly to the speared live food, then change the food to a piece of fresh coctail shrimp. When the lion starts taking the coctail shrimp easily, just throw the shrimp in with out the spear. When the lion readily takes the shrimp try other foods. At this point I would start soaking the shrimp in liquid vitamins.

 

[thejiro]

cool thanks for the help. that is what i have read on other threads about weaning lions to prepared foods. One more question what brand of marine vitamins would you suggest.

Thanks
Ken

 

[mflamb]

I always used American Marine Selcon.

 

[Gimplar]

mflamb's way is the best, but i've gotten my sphex lion to eat freeze dried krill and i hand feed him lol!. My trick was using garlic and selcon on every feeding. i had to feed him live ghost shrimp for the first week or so, but with my experience with lions, they start to get the idea and affiliate the smell of the garlic and selcon with feeding time.

 

[mflamb]

Gimplar...That's a new one for me, but it sounds much easier.

 

[thejiro]

cool thanx for the tip also one more thing.... what is the best way to get your lion to eat the gost shrimp.... let them out in the tank and swim around....or put the lion and shrimp in a "feeder basket"

Thanks
Ken

 

[Gimplar]

when i put ghost shrimp in, my lions immediately took to them. They should automatically want to eat the little guys, if not, theres something wrong with your lion lol! but ghost shrimp will live in saltwater for a few hours or so.

 

[playa0069u]

they will live in there forever if you acclimate them, I catch them in the gulf all the time.

 

[thejiro]

thats what i thought i just got my lion yesterday after a feeding so itll be a day or 2 b4 i get more shrimps to feed im

Ken

 

[mflamb]

I fed everyday.

 

[thejiro]

yeah I should but I dont hav a lil holding tank set up for the ghosts yet and the only store that sells them is like 25-35 mins away depending on traffic once I get my holding tank set up my lion will get them....but I m also trying to wean my lion to frozen prepared foods so im using garlic and selcon everytime I feed and I'm going to be getting some silversides to try that.

Ken