Best way to get a lion to eat?
- Thread starter skate020
- Start date
jam1e
Active Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3199945
Don't feed dried krill, it has been linked with lockjaw and nutritional issues
Sorry for the bad advice, I didn't realize. Thanks for correcting me and thanks for the knowledge.
http:///forum/post/3199945
Don't feed dried krill, it has been linked with lockjaw and nutritional issues
Sorry for the bad advice, I didn't realize. Thanks for correcting me and thanks for the knowledge.
cranberry
Active Member
The hypothesis was presented some years back but I still haven't come across any official results. But some very valid researchers are doing the research such has Dr Noga and Dr Stoskopf (et al).
There's enough data available on the hobbyist level to discontinue it's use until more information is known.
I'll go sniff around again and see what I come up with. My last few inquires turned up nothing but I figure one of these days I'll hit gold.
There's enough data available on the hobbyist level to discontinue it's use until more information is known.
I'll go sniff around again and see what I come up with. My last few inquires turned up nothing but I figure one of these days I'll hit gold.
J
jstdv8
Guest
there is a video on youtube with a guy taking his lion out of the tank and force feeding it chopped fish parts because it had lockjaw. they stated on there that it got the lockjaw from eating just dried krill. I only feed mine krill every now and again for additional nutrients that might not be present in the silversides
slammy16
Member
In my limited experience with lions this is what i did and it has worked so far. I have a Antennata which is about 3 inces long. He at frozen mysis at the store so i bought him. When i got him home i could not get him to eat silver sides or krill... was getting worried and frustrated, everyone i talked to said you need to strave him and make him hungry so he eats anything.... Well i tried for 2 weeks to get him to eat silversides and krill and he wouldnt eat, i got worried about the fish so i bought some live ghost shrimp fed them some food and put them in the tank 1 at a time and he gobbled them up. So after this i would try to feed but, if he wouldnt i would buy the ghost shrimp after 2 weeks would go by and then he would eat. Eventually he started to eat the frozen food i would put in the tank .. i use a bread tie that i took the paper off of and it works fine. Now my fish is small and could prabably go 2 weeks so if the fish is larger i wouldnt wait this long. good luck.
skate020
Member
also im going to try the silverside tail thing tomorrow, so could you run through with me how exactly i should go along with it?
i turned my powerhead off cos i had way to much flow it there for a lion, the powerhead i have would be enough for a 90g i reckon.
and mines in a 25g lol,
but anyways yeh, how do i go about this? do i just slide on the dead fish or do i need to te a knot in it?
i turned my powerhead off cos i had way to much flow it there for a lion, the powerhead i have would be enough for a 90g i reckon.
and mines in a 25g lol,
but anyways yeh, how do i go about this? do i just slide on the dead fish or do i need to te a knot in it?
calbert0
Member
I used a clear zip tie. I would just slide the tip of the zip tie into the tail end of the fish (zip tie would enter with the point going towards the head of the silverside).
This way when i put the silverside into the tank i would be able to wiggle it back and forth and get the actual movement of a living fish. The lion would approach the silverside and I would slowly pull the silverside back (as if it was trying to escape). This would trigger a feeding response in the lion and he would snap the silverside off of the zip tie.
This way when i put the silverside into the tank i would be able to wiggle it back and forth and get the actual movement of a living fish. The lion would approach the silverside and I would slowly pull the silverside back (as if it was trying to escape). This would trigger a feeding response in the lion and he would snap the silverside off of the zip tie.
J
jstdv8
Guest
skate,
If you dont have them allready get a pair of feeder tongs. usually about 9" or so I found mine in the lizard section. they look like a huge pair of tweezers. they are thin on the end so they arent intimidating to the fish.
You probably don't want to jsut drop the fish in the tank because if he doesnt eat it then you have to get it back out off the bottom or you will start to have phosphate problems. plus the wiggling is achieved with the use of the tongs/tweezers.
you've got him to eat one so he knows how good it tastes, should be pretty much downhill from there.
he will become more and more comfortable with you. I feed mine by hand sometimes. Not reccomending that, just saying. after a while he won't run from you.
If you dont have them allready get a pair of feeder tongs. usually about 9" or so I found mine in the lizard section. they look like a huge pair of tweezers. they are thin on the end so they arent intimidating to the fish.
You probably don't want to jsut drop the fish in the tank because if he doesnt eat it then you have to get it back out off the bottom or you will start to have phosphate problems. plus the wiggling is achieved with the use of the tongs/tweezers.
you've got him to eat one so he knows how good it tastes, should be pretty much downhill from there.
he will become more and more comfortable with you. I feed mine by hand sometimes. Not reccomending that, just saying. after a while he won't run from you.
skate020
Member
ok, he didnt take to frozen this time, he went for it but as soon as it hit the floor he went off it, so i reckon if i got slim tongs and used them he'd be happy to take frozen, so i put a guppy in and he took it in SECONDS, then i put a platy, and he took that too, i put in another platy aswell and he then left that one, so i think he got a good feeding today
by the end of the week he'll be on frozen! thats my target
by the end of the week he'll be on frozen! thats my target
J
jstdv8
Guest
cool sounds like you're on the right track.
make sure you don't overfeed. After a good meal you only need to feed them every three days or so. They will eat until the food comes out thier gills and kill themselves if you let them.
They just make a big mess with thier poop that your system will have to deal with.
Also, im not sure if its the same for mollies and guppys but I know goldfish feeders are not good for them. fun to watch, but they have no nutients that the saltwater lion requires. I beleive they are also high in some sort of fat or acid that is bad for them. Forgot which it is.
Once you get him on the tong feedings you can give him all sorts of goodies. the silversides, dried krill, fresh uncooked shrimp and oysters.
just don't get into a habit of feeding just krill as it causes lockjaw in lions
keep us posted and how about a pic?
make sure you don't overfeed. After a good meal you only need to feed them every three days or so. They will eat until the food comes out thier gills and kill themselves if you let them.
They just make a big mess with thier poop that your system will have to deal with.
Also, im not sure if its the same for mollies and guppys but I know goldfish feeders are not good for them. fun to watch, but they have no nutients that the saltwater lion requires. I beleive they are also high in some sort of fat or acid that is bad for them. Forgot which it is.
Once you get him on the tong feedings you can give him all sorts of goodies. the silversides, dried krill, fresh uncooked shrimp and oysters.
just don't get into a habit of feeding just krill as it causes lockjaw in lions
keep us posted
and how about a pic?
skate020
Member
yeh goldfish have alot of thiamine in them which is bad for SW fish,
guppys and mollies dont, but arnt really very nutrient beneficial, but there only to start onto frozen, once he's on frozen he'll be gettin selcon and garlic etc.
yeh, i have 2 filters in the tank atm, its a 25g, (QT) and it has 2 50g filters, with a 60g berlin airlift skimmer. so the waste shouldnt be too bad of a problem.
hes only thing in there, yehh corse i'll just take a pic now
and yeh i know im going to feed monday, wednesday and friday, that leave a couple of days between friday and monday for him to digest his food and stuff.
guppys and mollies dont, but arnt really very nutrient beneficial, but there only to start onto frozen, once he's on frozen he'll be gettin selcon and garlic etc.
yeh, i have 2 filters in the tank atm, its a 25g, (QT) and it has 2 50g filters, with a 60g berlin airlift skimmer. so the waste shouldnt be too bad of a problem.
hes only thing in there, yehh corse i'll just take a pic now
and yeh i know im going to feed monday, wednesday and friday, that leave a couple of days between friday and monday for him to digest his food and stuff.
S
saxman
Guest
Originally Posted by skate020
http:///forum/post/3201693
yeh goldfish have alot of thiamine in them which is bad for SW fish, guppys and mollies dont
it's not an excess of Thiamine, it's the enzyme Thiaminase, which INHIBITS the uptake of Thiamine, resulting in nervous system disorders, clamped fins, cessation of feeding, and eventually death. FW livebearer flesh also contain this enzyme, but to a much lesser degree. still, the fatty acids are all wrong for good SW fish nutrition.
as for dried krill, i'd stay away from it totally, especially if you're trying to wean your fish onto healthy foods. the worst thing in the world would be to get your fish hooked on that stuff and have it refuse any other food (they don't call it "fish crack" for nothing).
*back to the land of the lurker*
http:///forum/post/3201693
yeh goldfish have alot of thiamine in them which is bad for SW fish, guppys and mollies dont
it's not an excess of Thiamine, it's the enzyme Thiaminase, which INHIBITS the uptake of Thiamine, resulting in nervous system disorders, clamped fins, cessation of feeding, and eventually death. FW livebearer flesh also contain this enzyme, but to a much lesser degree. still, the fatty acids are all wrong for good SW fish nutrition.
as for dried krill, i'd stay away from it totally, especially if you're trying to wean your fish onto healthy foods. the worst thing in the world would be to get your fish hooked on that stuff and have it refuse any other food (they don't call it "fish crack" for nothing).
*back to the land of the lurker*