FW Lionfish eating problem

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Ok then, What sould I do to help it not to be stressed? I'm keeping the tank always dark as possible. It has no tank mates other than feeders. I'm increasing salinity once per week, I'll stop when it reaches 1.015 sg. It had fungal infection on one of the gills when it was in fw which I thought to be a reason for not eating but it completely healed.

Also, I wonder how long it can survive without eating, sure I'nt know how much time it spent at the dealer but I have it for about 1,5 month. And it's stomach always seems to be full even I thought if it shallowed a stone or something and that can be a reason for not eating bu it pooped the 2 guppies which it ate 2 weeks ago so I think it's digestive system is working normal...
 
Daeorn;1923398; said:
Its not hard to imagine it not eating for a month if its been stressed.

Usually the more fish in their environment, the more reclusive they can get.

However, I'd try getting frozen prawn/krill/silver sides. Also, something that should help - garlic guard. Soak/thaw the frozen food in the garlic guard, then offer it to the stone fish/lion fish using long tongs, or straight airline tubing.

He SHOULD take it.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. Be patient and wiggle it around a bit... It will be better to get it onto the silversides or whatever you choose anyway. Don't over crowd its tank. Does he have substrate etc to bury into?
 
As substrat all the bottom covered by middle size rocks, it has a fake cave at one corner, a large plastic plant in the middle of the tank also a little bare bottom space in the opposite corner of the cave where filters stay. İt stays either in the cave or at the bare corner. The tank is a 20 galloon cube, filtered by a 200 gph canister and a sponge filter.
 
Yeah I think your main problem is that there's just entirely too many fish in that tank.

You've got like 50 fish in a 20gal. An 8" lionfish should be able to easily take a 2-3" prey item.

Also, I'd just to be safe - get your water tested - and just let us know how the parameters read.
 
js97;1935924; said:
Maybe try sand substrate? will be hard now, but they like to burrow.
Click to expand...
If you start to really struggle, some finer substrate may definately help to allow it to feel more secure, as they are ambush predators that like to bury themselves.
 
Since my last post nothing changed, it doesnt eat larger feeders, only fry. To be honest I hate sand substrate, all my tanks have bare bottom, several rocks, plastic cave and fake plants. Also I was planning to put crushed coral as substrate which will make the water hard. But I also hate light colored substrate. At the moment I have some high quality black substrate made of 2-3 mm diameter of black stones. Do you suggest me removing stones and putting black substrate or putting black substrate under the rocks, or should go with crushed coral?

I removed half of the feeders by giving them to my elc. cat, bichirs, eels...:)
Cant test the water at the moment, I have no tests left and cant buy new ones for some time, they are very expensive in here.
Also sorry for bad english, I'm not speaking or writing in english for a long time.
 
Even with more rocks and stuff to hide in/around, he'll be ok.

Doesn't HAVE to burrow, would be fine in a barebottom or gravel bottom if he has rocks to hide in or around.
 
Hi, I still didnt see my fw lion eat but one or two of the feeders are missing. I'nt know if the lion eat them or they died somewhere and rot... Also I bought another fw lion, 4" size. I'm keeping it in the same tank but in a 2 gal. fry cage. I didnt see it eating too but I'm adding feeders to the cage every day and they are missing every night :) it's eating well. I'm planning to exchange my bigger one with another 4 incher.
But if I notice the big one eating, I wont change it.
So is it possible for it to stay without eating for more than 2 months or it is eating but only I'm not aware of it?
Also I think abot removing the rocks from the bottom, they make cleaning very hard, I'll leave only artifical caves and plastic plants, it it wise?
 
Yeah it's always better to get a smaller one, they can be taught to eat better than most wild caught old specimens in my experience.

I had a 3" one that would eat anything, but eventually got starved because the other fish were to quick to eat its meals.

My 8" really only eats small fish, earthworms and sometimes silver sides and prawn/krill.

If you get em small, do your best to get them to eat meaty pelleted foods, like sinking carnivore pellets, shrimp pellets and other small meaty frozen foods.
Having to only feed them live feeders can potentially lead to problems later on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom