baby volitan..........what a good boy!

[justnu]

I have rarely read about those who have a GOOD eater. I brought my baby home 3 wks ago and ate the first thing I put in.
I am surpised (and relieved), now he is eating everything from krill and silversides to mysis shrimp if his tankmates don't get to it soon enough. Not to mention he will eat the Hikari pellets (for the angels and tangs) if he gets a chance too!!
the circulation in the tank must be really good, and makes his food look "alive".
Just wanted to let any future lion owners know, don't get turned off lions from some of the posts you read. They are fantastic!!
My little boy is so handsome, ............and that's compared to my PB and Koran. beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

 

[tcoco]

how big would he get and how aggresive is he

 

[fmarini]

Lionfish are not aggressive, they are totaly whimps.
They are considered agressive fish becuz they are venomous.
An adult volitans lion reach about 12-15" in 1.5 yrs. A large-ish fish.
JustNu-congrats on your baby volitans-glad he's eating. In general, volitan lions are more brave towards different food types and I have never seen a volitans which did not switch over to prepared food. i will agree that baby volitans are good eaters, and will usually eat almost anything.
However this is not always the case for other lion species.I would not deter anyone who has the appropiate setup from getting a lion, IMO they are a great hardy fish, however they are not easy, nor are they difficult, but you have to give them time, and effort.
Also feeding, pellet food and flake food while cute and easy are not sufficient for the lion. ensure you start to feed it small chunks fo SW based foods, like gulf shrimp w/ shell on, octi/squid, clam meat crab meat, silversides, Sw fish flesh. these are all good foods. I also add a drop to 2 of selcon to enrich the foods.
The two biggest problem i see w/ lions is poor nutrition, and worse nutrition. P Volitans are the most crappy water tolerant fish i have ever seen, but if you feed freeze dried krill for a few months these fish develop all kinds of GI problems and stop eating. Mix up the food, give it quiet tankmates, ensure decent water quality, and you'll easily have a 10yr old volitans.
frank