With that small amount of LR, how are you biofiltering your tank? The best thing to do right now is ditch the damsel and bump up your LR content with more CURED LR. Fus feel more comfy with places to hide, even if they don't use them, and the additional LR will bump up your biofiltration. IMHO, that damsel will only become aggressive or be a hindrance in getting the lion to eat, and even more of a PITA once you start the weaning process. Once you start trying to wean the fish, keep the food chunks no larger than the size of the fish's eye, and it will be less intimidated and more likely to strike at the food.
The following is an excerpt from the text of our upcoming lionfish care article:
Dendrochirus biocellatus (Fu Manchu Lionfish, Two-spot Lionfish)
Maximum Size: 5”-6” total length (TL)
Natural Habitat: Occurs on and around reefs in the Indo-Pacific: Mauritius, Reunion, Maldives and Sri Lanka to the Society Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Scott Reef. Depth: 1 to about 40 meters.
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons
This little lionfish is one of the most striking dwarf lions in appearance as well as one of the hardest to keep. The “base color” of this species is red/orange with dark, almost black mottled stripes and specks on its body with white highlights on its face, mandibular extensions, and fins. These mandibular appengages resemble a “mustache”, and have given rise to this fish’s most common name “Fu Manchu”. The second dorsal fin is adorned with two “eyespots” (ocellae), which give this fish its species name: biocellatus, which means “two eyes”. It should be noted however, that some specimens do indeed have a third ocellus on this fin (we jokingly refer to these specimens as “triocellatus” around our house). Their pectoral fins are smoothly rounded and resemble a Fandango dancer’s fans, with only the lower few ray tips forming a serrated edge. All in all, the “fu” is a very handsome fish.
You’re probably already wondering why the Fu Manchu is considered a bit tough to keep. There are a few reasons: First, these fish tend to be poor shippers, so acquiring a healthy specimen is of utmost importance. Secondly, they are shy, especially at first, and can be rather difficult to wean onto prepared foods. To that end, it is important for this fish to have plenty of rockwork with caves and overhangs to shelter in until it is acclimated to its surroundings. In my experience, the fact that cryptic fish have places to hide will actually make them more adventurous simply because they know that have a “safe house” handy if needed.
Finally, the “fu” is a fairly weak swimmer, preferring to scurry and crutch along the substrate and rockwork. This results in this species being a poor competitor for food when kept with aggressive feeders. This brings us to the subject of feeding your charge. Fu Manchus are about as cautious and deliberate as they come, and this extends to their feeding habits. Their natural food consists of shrimp and other small crustaceans, so saltwater or freshwater ghost shrimp (gutloaded of course) are the first food of choice for your fish. Once you get your fish accustomed to feeding, you can begin the weaning process, which can sometimes take two or three months for a “stubborn” fish, or it may never happen at all. Once your fish is weaned, it will usually become a “typical” lionfish and will accept many different foods from a feeding stick or even the water column.
While we’re discussing the feeding habits of D. biocellatus, we would like to mention their fascinating and bizarre hunting behavior. Once a prey item is sighted, the fish will creep up and begin to shake its head from side-to-side while it flares its opercula. Once it is within striking range of its prey, the lionfish will begin to rhythmically twitch its dorsal spines back-and-forth while vibrating the lower pectoral rays to confuse the food item. Finally, the lion strikes and sucks its hapless prey into its mouth a la Hoover.
One final note regarding the Fu Manchu is that it is probably the most intolerant of conspecifics of any of the lionfish species. Even in larger setups, these fish will seek each other out and fight. It is conjectured that a M-F pair may not fight, however, unlike D. brachypterus, D. biocellatus is not sexually dimorphic/dichromic, thus it is impossible to discern the sex of this species.
