radiata success stories?

[achillesheel]

looking to set up a tank, between 60 and 95g cube, specifically for a radiata lion and maybe a dwarf lion or two. Im looking for any suggestions on what to look for when i go to actually pick one up. I know to look for an eating one but what should they be eating? if they are eating silversides should i be good? any sizes too big or too small? anything else?

as for the tank, it will be a part of a larger system but what kind of flow would be good. Im thinking a mp20 along with the main return on a sea swirl. the system currently is way over skimmed with a water volume of ~150g moderately stocked with a vertex alpha 250 so that won't be a problem. 175w halide, nothing major.

just looking for advice, suggestions, especially any success stories.

thank you

 

[RappaKNOTZ]

Look and make sure they have good (no faded color) and make sure they are eating either krill or silversides or one who havent been fed things like goldfish or rosey minows, ghost shrimp and guppies are fine but not long term really, weaning a lion onto frozen krill and silversides isnt hard but if the fish shop hasnt you will need too, which I use something like a straw cause its clear and trick the lion into thinking its alive and may have to.starve the lion a few days to trick it, but if your lion is stubborn buy some ghost shrimp or mollies and feed them aome good marine flakes or pellets to before throwing them in for the lion but be patien and remember they hunt in the wild at dusk to dawn

 

[sacremon]

What I observed in getting mine onto frozen food was that unlike a volitans, who wants to take food head on, the radiata wanted to take it side on. I found this curious, till I reasoned it out. Volitans are piscivores. They eat a fish head on because the dorsal fin will collapse in such a way that the hard rays won't be in the way. Radiata are crustacean eaters. The front of a crustacean has all the sharp parts (pincers and whatnot), so they look to get it from the side where there is less chance of being hurt.

I would avoid any radiata under 2". Below a certain size, they are just too likely to have been damaged in some way during shipping. Mine is a much more cautious, deliberate eater than my volitans, who is growing by leaps and bounds faster than my radiata. I have to screen off the radiata from the most aggressive eater in the tank, a 7" Naso tang, and sometimes he takes enough time studying his food that the zebra moray starts getting interested.

 

[achillesheel]

great guys thank you. any others?

 

[namxas]

If you haven't read it, give Frank Marini's excellent article on LIONFISH CARE a read.

Frank also has a super book out called Lionfishes and Other Scorpionfishes, which is a must-have IMHO (less than $10 on Amazon.com).

Finally, Tools of the Trade: Equipment & Techniques to Convert your Fish onto Frozen. is a good article on weaning and feeding your lionfish.

Digest that info and hit us back with any specifics. There are a few pretty experienced lion keepers here and we'd be happy to help you out.

The biggest part of being successful with P. radiata is finding a healthy specimen, as these fish tend to be rather poor shippers. I wouldn't worry about whether the fish is weaned or not, but it should be alert and should be eating unless it's new at the LFS (lions often need a few days to settle in).

HTH

 

[achillesheel]

just bought the book yesterday, have had the article bookmarked for a long while.

i have been doing some reading and was wondering... what are the signs/ symptoms of various bacterial issues? not sure what to look out for. when the top spines appear to be lacking flesh at the very tip, is this a bad sign or is this normal?

thanks again

 

[joe22883]

I've had mine for about 6 months. It took to silversides quickly and is a pig now. I dont spoil them with ghost shrimp so they are not picky. Starving them for a few days can trigger them to try new foods. I also have 2 fu's that eat anything put in the tanks. I've given the radiata 2 big treats since I got him, a small chromis and a hitchhiker crab.
Old pic...

Fu's are still my fav lionfish, imo more personality and cool hunting behavior. A dwarf may be overly aggessive for food for a shy new radiata.

 

[namxas]

just bought the book yesterday, have had the article bookmarked for a long while.

i have been doing some reading and was wondering... what are the signs/ symptoms of various bacterial issues? not sure what to look out for. when the top spines appear to be lacking flesh at the very tip, is this a bad sign or is this normal?

thanks again

Altho it can be a bacterial issue, it's usually a handling issue. There is a sheath (integumen) around the spines, and what you're seeing are the tips of the spines. When the fish are caught/netted, the sheath can be pushed back so the spine tips protrude.

If it's a handling issue, the sheaths will simply grow back up the shafts of the spines. If it's bacterial, it will seem more like the sheath is "rotting off" and it will likely be shot with red streaks near the affected areas.

This gives you a window into how the lion's venom delivery system works: the victim is punctured, the sheath is pushed down around the spine, which in turn, presses on the venom gland at the base of the spine. This pressure causes the venom to travel up a groove in the spine and into the wound.