New lion
- Thread starter Sonicblast12
- Start date
Sonicblast12
New member
Eating out of my fingers now. Does barrel rolls at the surface when the freezer door is open. I need to get a video of that.
Awesome fish.
Awesome fish.
Sonicblast12
New member
A couple of feeding videos. I guess you need to click to view.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
I don't think you received a direct answer to this question. The answer is, once your fish is weaned and eating a good, varied diet (not just silversides), there's no need to feed it live prey at all. In fact, there's a much higher probability of your lion catching something from the live feeders.
Get your lion eating raw, shell-on table shrimp (cut to approprate size), SW fish flesh (tuna, salmon, snapper, smelt, etc.), squid, scallops, lobster, etc. All of these foods are readily available at your local fish market or grocer's seafood counter, and they're usually cheaper in small amounts than the food at the LFS.
Avoid krill, esp. freeze-dried krill, as a diet high in these foods has been linked to lockjaw in many predatory species, esp. lions.
Personally, I'd make the food pieces about half the size of those silversides. Although lions can swallow large prey, they prefer smaller prey items and it's easier for them to digest them.
HTH
Sonicblast12
New member
All of the rosy reds died, so those are already off the menu. For whatever reason I can't keep freshwater fish alive. My venture into goldfish was a disaster.
It will eat table shrimp as long as it has a silverside shape.
It will eat table shrimp as long as it has a silverside shape.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
Ah...so the weaning is still a WIP. You might consider enriching your silversides every so often, esp. till the fish broadens its taste.
Here's how we do it:
How to Stuff Silversides
Here's how we do it:
How to Stuff Silversides
Sonicblast12
New member
Yes and no. Getting more variety all of the time. Chomped it's way through a cloud of mysis tonight. (That was a surprise, it was actually intended for his little trigger tankmate) Hit or miss on raw shrimp. Ate some clam meat a few days ago. Won't touch squid.
Getting there.
Seems like it's coloration is changing, more of a rust color these days. Something to do with the rust colored diatoms in the QT?
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Sonicblast12
New member
I probably didn't word my question properly. I meant to ask how long I should wait to offer live while still weaning....to avoid starvation of the animal.
Never had any intention of offering live after it's weaned.
samdaman
New member
We don't want this happening in the future :sad2:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1542493
Sonicblast12
New member
Just sharing a QT for a few weeks. It'll be ok.
Sonicblast12
New member
Lion is now eating large pellets. Wasn't expecting that, but I'll take it.
Turns out that brilliant red coloration was probably just stress from acclimation. Has maintained the rust coloration.
When on it's rock perch, shows a dark red/black combination that's really striking. I'll try to get a picture.
Turns out that brilliant red coloration was probably just stress from acclimation. Has maintained the rust coloration.
When on it's rock perch, shows a dark red/black combination that's really striking. I'll try to get a picture.
Sonicblast12
New member
Just snapping updated pictures of all of my fish today, and boy has this lion changed in the few months I've had him. Much much bigger and a totally different coloration.
And here's his tankmate. I'm well aware of the sticky at the top of this forum, but the Lei is too aggressive to be housed with anything near it's size. Already been relocated twice, but doesn't give a 2nd look to the lion. I'm just hoping it's exuberance at feeding time doesn't get it poked, there have been a couple of close calls.
And here's his tankmate. I'm well aware of the sticky at the top of this forum, but the Lei is too aggressive to be housed with anything near it's size. Already been relocated twice, but doesn't give a 2nd look to the lion. I'm just hoping it's exuberance at feeding time doesn't get it poked, there have been a couple of close calls.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
Sa-WEET!!! That volitans is a real looker. There's nothing like an adult volitans for sheer "presence".
FWIW, you're right to worry about the trigger getting skewered...way back before anyone knew better, I kept my first volitans with a picasso, and the trigger got nailed trying to swoop in on the lion. It died within a month.
One thing you might consider is to target feed the lion with a stick. That way the trigger might be less inclined to Bogart the lion's food.
FWIW, you're right to worry about the trigger getting skewered...way back before anyone knew better, I kept my first volitans with a picasso, and the trigger got nailed trying to swoop in on the lion. It died within a month.
One thing you might consider is to target feed the lion with a stick. That way the trigger might be less inclined to Bogart the lion's food.
Sonicblast12
New member
What's interesting is that I can feed the trigger small pellets and the lion doesn't acknowledge their existence. When I increase the pellet size...that's when there are issues. The lion eats 3mm NLS and spirulina disks with gusto. I don't know how common that is, but I feel fortunate. I've actually cut the "meat" down to only once a week or so.
The lion follows my hand everywhere, so I can distract it on one side of the tank and feed the other side.
But when feeding the lion larger pellets it recognizes as food, it has to be done one or two at a time. That's when the trigger starts getting in the way.
Maybe I could pop in the small pellets first and then target feed the lion the larger.
The lion follows my hand everywhere, so I can distract it on one side of the tank and feed the other side.
But when feeding the lion larger pellets it recognizes as food, it has to be done one or two at a time. That's when the trigger starts getting in the way.
Maybe I could pop in the small pellets first and then target feed the lion the larger.
seahorsedreams
New member
I personally wouldn't substitute fresh fish flesh with pellets. They won't be enough to sustain a large carnivore.
It's not an uncommon occurrence though, I've had lions eat medicated pellets.
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Sent from Tapatalk, so please forgive grammar and spelling
It's not an uncommon occurrence though, I've had lions eat medicated pellets.
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Sent from Tapatalk, so please forgive grammar and spelling
Wolverine
Premium Member
Short term that's fine. Long term I'd be worried for the lionfish.
Sonicblast12
New member
Long term the lion won't fit in this tank anyway, still in the 55. They will be separated soon.
Would twice a week be enough? I don't want to overfeed.
Would twice a week be enough? I don't want to overfeed.
namxas
Things With Stings R Us!
We feed our lions and scorps 3x a week (M-W-F), and they do very well on this schedule (I'm "Mr. seahorsedreams", BTW). Just feed till you see a modest "belly bulge", don't stuff the lion.
A healthy P. volitans can go a month without eating easily, but of course, we don't like to see this happen. Lions are binge/fast feeders in the wild, so eating daily isn't an issue like it is with some fish. However, if the lion is TOO hungry, things may start to disappear from the tank.
A healthy P. volitans can go a month without eating easily, but of course, we don't like to see this happen. Lions are binge/fast feeders in the wild, so eating daily isn't an issue like it is with some fish. However, if the lion is TOO hungry, things may start to disappear from the tank.
