dwarf fuzzy lion

antwon

Member
just wanted to let all of you know that i'll be getting a new baby dwarf fuzzy lionfish this weekend. I hope all goes well cuz i know that they are hard to feed
but i'll just have to see about that
oh and one more thing would any of you recommend feeding the baby live ghost shrimp or frozen because i dont want him growing up eating live food for the sake of any other fish i may get( plus the price)
-thanks
 
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saxman

Guest
fuzzies are about as EZ to feed as they come. many will simply feed from the water column (thawed mysis and BS+ are great foods). if yours is a bit reluctant, it will certainly jump on live ghosties (gut-load them with a good-quality marine flake food). condition the fish with live food for about a month, then begin weaning it onto dead foods (small bits of shrimp, fish, scallops, squid, etc.). get small amounts of these foods from the grocery store's seafood counter or fish market...the food is better an cheaper than at the LFS.
DON'T
give your fish krill or carp (goldfish, rosy reds). small guppies and mollies are OK in the short term, but ghosties are better.
HTH
 

antwon

Member
ghost shrimp are freshwater shrimp right? when you say gut load them you just feed them a lot im not really experienced in feeding anything live food
 
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saxman

Guest
when you say gut load them you just feed them a lot im not really experienced in feeding anything live food
you don't gut load the lion...you gut load the ghost shrimp. feed them a good-quality marine flake food to boost their nutritional profile.
like i said, try your lion on dead food first, many fuzzies will simply accept it right off the bat. thaw and rinse some mysis and drop a bit into the tank. since lions are crepuscular hunters, i'd start off with only actinics during feeding time if your tank is set up with them.
 

prime311

Active Member
You don't really need to gutload ghost shrimp. The golden rule for any and all fish is variety. Just don't feed freshwater fish to a SW fish since there's nothing to gain in doing so(unless you just enjoy seeing your SW fish eat live fish). For new fish I prefer to start small and work my way up. So brine and mysis shrimp thawed and then blown towards the lion using a baster, and working up to krill, worms, ghost shrimp, and chunks of larger meats if they don't go for the smaller stuff.
 

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by prime311
http:///forum/post/3281140
You don't really need to gutload ghost shrimp. The golden rule for any and all fish is variety. Just don't feed freshwater fish to a SW fish since there's nothing to gain in doing so(unless you just enjoy seeing your SW fish eat live fish). For new fish I prefer to start small and work my way up. So brine and mysis shrimp thawed and then blown towards the lion using a baster, and working up to krill, worms, ghost shrimp, and chunks of larger meats if they don't go for the smaller stuff.
I think some FW live foods are just fine ( not goldfish & kin), short-term. The biggest problem with FW feeder fish is fatty build-up and that takes time.
BTW: I believe the best , and largest selling brand of mysis shrimp come from FW. There may be more healthy SW fish raised on this stuff than any other staple food. Also, much of the spirulina algae we feed is a FW product.
 

prime311

Active Member
FW invertebrates(like ghost shrimp) are ok afaik because they don't have the fat problem of fw fish.
 

cranberry

Active Member
I definitely gut load ghost shrimp. There's nothing to loose, but lots to gain. Especially if they are not trained to frozen and are primarily eating just shrimp at first, you can mix up the prepared food you feed the shrimp to give a more varied diet.
You have to feed the shrimp at any rate... you can't just let them starve in a holding tank without food. They will have little nutritional value after awhile.
This is how I convert mine... Converting Tips
I still feed out ghost shrimp to those that are converted. I gutload them, freeze them with full bellies and hand out the the vitamin packed carcasses to everyone.
 

srfisher17

Active Member
Originally Posted by prime311
http:///forum/post/3281658
FW invertebrates(like ghost shrimp) are ok afaik because they don't have the fat problem of fw fish.
True; I thought this was turning into another "don't feed SW fish anything but SW foods" thread.
Also, I sure agree with Cranberry, getting good marine food & vitamins into the ghost shrimp has always been the way to go, IMO. Like brine shrimp loaded with spirulina; a good way to get algae into fish that don't really like the prepared stuff.
 

prime311

Active Member
I can totally see doing that if you can't get your fish to eat anything else yet, but that is extra work and cost and IMO the preferred method would be to get them on a variety of foods since it will save you the headache. But to be fair this is coming from the perspective of someone who spends a lot of time redesigning their tank to have as little regular maintenance possible :)
 
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saxman

Guest
tossing live feeders into a holding tank with a bubbler or small power filter and feeding them flake food, spirulina, etc. is really very little trouble. we feel the extra effort is worth it, and it shows in our fish. also, consider the conditions many feeders are kept in at the LFS...typically, not the best, for sure.
of course, once the fish are weaned, they get a healthy mixed diet of fresh and fresh/frozen seafood instead of live fare, and THAT we agree on. ;)
 
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mandolihn

Guest
I actually just picked up a dwarf fuzzy myself yesterday. what my LFS told me is that once they are on frozen food, u don't want to switch them over if you have concerns about them eating any of your livestock. always do small pieces of food rather than large ones so larger animals don't look like food. fingers crossed it works... I know I'M taking a risk
 
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saxman

Guest
it doesn't matter whether your fish is on live or is weaned...if the fish/crustacean can be eaten (is small enuff), it is just a matter of time before it becomes a meal. granted, a well-fed lion is less likely to try out its tankmates, but lions are best fed about 3x a week, and it's best not to stuff them. just a slight bulge in the belly is perfect.
 
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mandolihn

Guest
Yup, he goes back to the LFS tomorrow! He ate my peppermint the first night, nothing the second night, and then started going after my scarlet tonight. When he eyeballed my blenny, that was the last straw. Out he went!
 

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mandolihn
http:///forum/post/3284917
what my LFS told me is that once they are on frozen food, u don't want to switch them over if you have concerns about them eating any of your livestock. always do small pieces of food rather than large ones so larger animals don't look like food. fingers crossed it works...
o_O
I would question everything that pops out of their mouth after that hokey pokey story.
 
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