Live food for Lions?

[danny zubot]

Well, my white line lionfish really hasn't taken to eating in my tank since I bought it 2 weeks ago. I've seen it eat two or three times and tried various techniques such as feeding at night, and a form of nursing I like to call Turkey basting! I would like to try some form of live food, is there a certain type I can feed it that is cost effective and known to work well?
I have fed lions small fresh water fish before but only in a nano tank where the lion was the only fish. I would hate to turn my clowns and wrasses on to live food so I would appriciate any advise about this issue.

[danny zubot]

I just had a thought, perhaps I'm just being paranoid, how often will a 2 inch lion eat and how much? Maybe this behavior is norman.

[EmilyB]

My lions would eat every day.

Some take real special care to get eating. I had a dwarf zebra I fought with for months to switch him from ghost shrimp. It was costing upwards of $30 a month to feed him.

Try some silversides on a thread as Doug suggested in another thread. The idea is you want the lion to think the prey is alive. Once they start, they won't want to stop and you can hand feed them (carefully :eek: ).
Sometimes just feeding in the flow of a powerhead will work.

My dwarf fuzzy took live brine and I just starting mixing in mysis and larger pieces of seafood.

You really don't want to feed them freshwater fish as this inevitably leads to liver disease down the road.

Good luck.

[DEAD_BY_DAWN]

how i got my old lion to feed was to tie (lightly)a thin strip of white fish to a 12" long piece of fishing line ,then then just jig the fish strip up and down infrount of the lion,you can use shrimps etc instead of fish flesh

[danny zubot]

Thanks guys, I will try the fishing method tonight and see what happens. When food slips by him in the current he does persue it for a while but looses interest once the food falls to the bottom. This is more work than I expected, but I'm willing to put forth the effort because I want to keep the little guy.

[danny zubot]

Well its been about a month since I bought my lion fish and he still doesn't eat! I talked to Danny at Wai's yesterday and he told me that it must be surviving on copopods. That must explain why my manderine is getting thinner. :mad:
I will try live food today, most likely small mollies. If he won't eat I'll have to get rid of it. I've started to notice aggresion towards him from my female ocelaris clown, perhaps the poor guy is too stressed to eat? :confused:

[Aquattro]

The lion is surviving on pods? I don't think so.... :rolleyes:

[danny zubot]

Hmmmmm, loosing my faith in Dannt at Wais :mad:

[EmilyB]

Feeder guppies look "slightly" more like silversides and might make a transition easier later. Feed the feeder fish with some good quality marine food before feeding them to the lion.

[Quinn]

Hmmmmm, loosing my faith in Dannt at Wais :mad:

I like the way you used faith there. A requisite for any sort of exchange at that store.

[danny zubot]

I tried feeding it couple of small molies yesterday with no luck, I think this lion wouls be better suited in a solitary environment. My clowns and anemones thanked me for the tasty snack. He is for sale now if anyone is willing to try. :cry:

[Quinn]

Out of interest, did you wave the food around in front of him, make it appear "live"?

[danny zubot]

I tried, but it seemed to spark the intrest of my clowns more than him.

[Cap'n]

What would you like for him? I'm willing to give it a try. Have a good rough and tumble fish-only just waiting for a guy like this.

Please bear in mind the condition and likely future of this fish when deciding on a cost / trade.

[danny zubot]

Wow, I didn't think I'd get so much of a response, from the various forums on this issue. Cpt Cleverer Spoke up first and then Deb. (according to the time of posting)
In the buy/sell forum I suggested a trade for frags or fish, or
$25. (paid $40 at Wai's)
Just let me know what you think.

[Cap'n]

After hearing that the clowns were too much activity and competition for the lion I have decided that my tank is not the place for him. If Deb has a quiet setting for this guy than she should take him.
Thanks Danny, and good luck Deb.

[danny zubot]

Who would have thought that clowns were intimidating to lions? :lol:

[Quinn]

If it were a female maroon or saddleback, I wouldn't be too suprised. :mrgreen: Remember, they are after all damsels.