Lionfish a KiLLeR?

[YankyTexan]

My wife has accused my 4" red violtin (Leo) of killing the 3" picaso trigger. "He had to of stung him with one of his spines, they are poisonous you know!"

Both fish have been peacefully co-existing for 3+ months in our 150 FOWLR. I test the water parameters weekly and tested the water immediately last night upon the discovery, all parameters are in range (salinity, temperature, ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrates). Other fish are a mandarin goby, strawberry basslet, damsel, assorted clean-up crew, and a small porcupine puffer. All remaining fish or showing no signs of stress and are eating heartily. Upon inspecting the trigger no visible punctures marks are visible. No medicating has taken place and nothing new has been added to the tank in weeks aside from the weekly RO/DI 10% water changes.

Has anyone experienced this?

Please help clear Leo's good name.

Thank you in advance for any insight and or information.

 

[Bedrocker]

i am currently waiting to add a dwarf lionfish and picasso to my 75 FOWLR, so I am also interested to hear replys on this one. I know the Volitans are more aggressive, but either way....

How often do you feed, and what do you feed? I've heard more frequent feedings decrease aggression...

Also, 3 months isn't too long - did you add both fish at the same time, or who did you add first. I think the picasso would be considered the lesser of the two and should've been first...however, I've also gotten comments that the trigger would nip at the lionfish fins?

I guess I'd be surprised at aggression in a 150, but nothing is ever a certainty in this hobby. Best of Luck. My wife is currently the one who wants the picasso, and me the lionfish, so I feel the pain!

 

[YankyTexan]

I feed mysis shrimp daily and silversides periodically for variety. Both fish (as well as the puffer) will eat from my hands.
Leo went in 1st with the trigger brought home by my wife several weeks later. I have never witnessed any animosity amoungst the two of them.

I am working on teaching Leo the Lionfish spanglish . . . right now the only words he knows are "come" and "eat" My wife is not the least bit impressed.

Thanks for your reply

 

[GigaFish]

Triggers have been known to kill lions by first biting their spines off to remove thier defenses. I have personally seen a trigger try to bite the spines and kill himself by stabbing himself in the mouth. Just a possibility.

 

[AquaKnight]

I don't think it was the lion either. Lionfish do not actively use their spines as 'weapons.' Strcitly a line of defense. They are posionious, but do not 'release' posion as well.

 

[Von_Rahvin]

i had a loin chase an eel into a corner and sting it a few times.

also had the same lion sting a BSB that was harassing him. once every 2 weeks one of the BSB's eyes would puff out for 3 days and we all knew he had gotten stung. then it would heal up, a week would pass and the bsb woudl go back to harassing the lion when he was sleeping pretty funny to watch.

 

[FMarini]

Unless the trigger has been actively harassing the lion, I seriously doubt the lion did it.
AS mentioned above, Lions use their spines and venom as defensive weapons, but I seen two things happen which could implicate the lion
a) the lion will finally attack a fish that has been actively harassing it, and b)- a fish will impale itself on the lions spines, by accident.

Feel free to read up on lionfish husbandry and keeping (compatibility as well) here--
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/fm/feature/index.php

 

[reeferaddiction]

i have a lion that is about 5" and a picaso trigger that is about 3" and the lion regularly tries to nip at him so far nothing major but now i am worried, oh and i would not keep those smaller fish mandarin goby, strawberry basslet, damsel, in the tank with the lion they will be food eventually lions are amazing predators

 

[treny]

at a LFS I have seen a lion kill a Blue Jaw male trigger.. the trigger had been hit alot by the time we could break it up, soon after the trigger died. You really never know how fish will act..

 

[saltyESQ]

I did read that one of the picasso triggers fav hobby is to kill lionfish. Out of all the triggers, Picasso's are the worst to mix with lions.

 

[IPowderBlueTang]

I have a Picasso trigger with a Volitan Lion for 6 months and they get along and stay on their own side of the tank. The only problen is the Picasso is faster at getting the food than the loin. The Picasso is a pig at eating and messy! They have a few minor squabbles once in awhile. I have notice the Picasso is vicious with feeders if he cant swallow it whole it will tear the fish to pieces in no time. I call him Sycold Sid!

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11774041#post11774041 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltyESQ
I did read that one of the picasso triggers fav hobby is to kill lionfish. Out of all the triggers, Picasso's are the worst to mix with lions.

That's true (of all the Rhinecanthus triggers). I've seen many, many lionfish be picked apart by triggers. I never recommend keeping them together (except the planktonic feeding triggers). I know that some people get away with it, but often the first sign of a problem is a dead lionfish.

Dave

 

[YankyTexan]

Thank you to all who have come to Leo's defense. lol

In response to an early post about keeping the smaller fish with the lion this will be addressed with an upcoming additional tank for the little guys as the lion continues to grow.

Based upon what I am reading here, replacing the former trigger with a clown trigger to join Leo the lion would be fool hardy?

Thank you to all for the interest and input.

 

[Triggerman1964]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11770233#post11770233 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GigaFish
Triggers have been known to kill lions by first biting their spines off to remove thier defenses. I have personally seen a trigger try to bite the spines and kill himself by stabbing himself in the mouth. Just a possibility.

Triggers don't kill that way.They gut other fish from underneath.

 

[matthewscars]

It's the Damsels dude, they're nuts.

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11856866#post11856866 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Triggerman1964
Triggers don't kill that way.They gut other fish from underneath.

I've witnessed them do it this way myself countless times. It's not even a matter of intentionally killing the lionfish. They see that nice tasty fin floating out there, so they take a bite. Killing the lion is more of a side-effect.

Dave

 

[hawkey992]

Lionfish venom is non lethal to a fish as large as a trigger so probs not him

 

[rachenbrazil]

I had a squirell fish ( M. jacobus) which got stung in eye . The fish sulfered a lot , but after 2 weeks recovered without any signs... why it got stung ? Well squirell fish rush for food over lion spines... so the main problem is not the lion...but the squirell fish behavior (which changed ...now he does not jump over lion...so he learned his lesson)...
Maybe your picasso did the same mistake...and his stung was more severe... or it is just a coincidence and he died due another reason like cyanide poisoning....