new lionfish will not eat

[ledford1]

we took some advice here and started feeding them guppies

I'm a bit surprised anyone would suggest a diet of FW fish for a Volitan. I can see doing it short-term when you first get the fish, making sure it is healthy and strong before making the switch to frozen. A long-term diet is just bad advice. I'm sorry you lost your lion.

Volitans are the reason I got into SW. I just love them - awesome creatures.

IME, murph, keeping the lion off of live feeders will reduce aggression in the fish. Still, don't keep any small fish with him. Keeping him well-fed wil also help, but there aren't any guarantees. BTW, what tankmates will he have? Any fish you're concerned about?

I hope your lion is doing well.

Good luck.

 

[murph1083]

i just got him on friday, should I start the switch now or let him get adjusted a little longer. And to start the switch, do i stop feeding him live food all together and sort of force him to eat frozen or is it a half and half kind of thing?

 

[murph1083]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6582149#post6582149 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ledford1
BTW, what tankmates will he have? Any fish you're concerned about?

Theres a damsel fish in there that im consurned about. The lionfish is small as of now and he would have to struggle to eat him but later down the line she might be able to.

 

[Amphiprion]

It is best to include frozen in the majority of its diet. Some live ghost shrimp every now and again (say once a month) is not a problem either--more often is not necessary nor beneficial.

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6583912#post6583912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by murph1083
Theres a damsel fish in there that im consurned about. The lionfish is small as of now and he would have to struggle to eat him but later down the line she might be able to.

I don't think it's a big concern for now. Some people have kept damsels with lions (even big ones) for a while, and for some reason, the lionfish seem to usually leave them alone (don't know if it is because they don't prefer them, or that they are just harder to catch).

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6583912#post6583912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by murph1083
I heard that it is actually better to feed them live foods. I read that its actually good for them since they are Predator fish

You may have heard this as a stimulant to appetite, for lions that are picky eaters initially. They are predator fish, but all can be adapted to (thawed) frozen foods if you are patient. The key is to get one of those feeding sticks (or comparable stick, such as a bamboo bbq skewer) and wiggle the food on the end, mimicking life. The others are right, long term live FW fish feeders are no good for their diet (ghost shrimp are not a bad supplement).