Wanting to start a Dwarf Lion Fish Tank - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cranberry 

Awwwww... he was such a little guy. Now he's a big fatty.

Do you mean the fish, or your husband? 

Can the dwarf Lions sting you just like the big ones? is it as bad? how worried should I be about them or even a full size one? I'm kinda sort of considering the possability of maybe getting a lion fish but am nervous about getting stung can anybody help me out here?

Yes, all lionfish are venomous.  Besides the dorsal spines, they also have a couple of pelvic and anal spines.  However, lionfish are the least venomous family of all the Scorpaeniformes.  I've been keeping lions and scorps for over 20 years, and haven't been popped yet, so I can't tell you firsthand how it feels, but I'm told it hurts.  Just how much depends on the size of the fish, how deep the spine goes and the duration of the envenomation event.  Just because I'm lazy and don't want to type it again, here's an excerpt from our upcoming lionfish care article:

First aid for a lionfish sting is immersion of the affected area in hot water (110°F - 113°F) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pain subsides. According to Scott Michaels, the application of rapid heat using a hair dryer will also serve the purpose. The reason for applying heat to the wound is because lionfish venom is composed of heat labile proteins, and the heat actually denatures the venom. Please, don't use scalding-hot water, as the resulting burn will likely do more damage than the venom.

Don't worry, unless you happen to be allergic to the venom (if you're allergic to bee stings, you likely are), or you get stung by a stonefish, your life really isn't in danger from the effects of the venom. That being said, you need to guard against secondary infection of the wound as well as make certain that there are no pieces of the spine left in the wound, which can cause infection. A tetanus booster is recommended if it is past due. To that end, you may want to seek professional medical assistance, "just in case".

Don't worry...a lionfish won't attack you.  Their spines are defensive weapons, and most stings occur when the aquarist isn't paying attention to where the fish is or the fish gets spooked.  Fortunately, most lionfish become quite tame and used to their keepers.

HTH

Thanks for the information, I'm still not sure I want one.

You're here researching, and that's a huge thing.  Better to have your facts beforehand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saxman 

You're here researching, and that's a huge thing.  Better to have your facts beforehand.

+1.. I totally agree. It's much better to do all your research and decide not to get livestock then it is to buy livestock without any research. Good job with trying to research as much as you can on the particular piece of livestock that you are thinking of getting.

I'm very interested in getting a dwarf lionfish but I also want to get a snowflake Eel and some type of colorful fish and I've been asking all over the internet, I don't want to put anything in the tank that wont get along with the lionfish so I ask what type of other fish would be good in the tank with a lionfish.