Having problems with my lionfish (feeding)

[tennisace]

I've had my dwarf zebra lion for over half a year in a tank with a small dogface puffer (they leave each other alone and actually enjoy one another, no picking fins here). My lionfish will only eat live feeder shrimp ever since I got him. My dogface eats frozen shrimp, yet despite my trying not to feed my lion for several days so that he is forced to eat the frozen, he can go almost a week without feeding. I try to feed him every two to three days with live, but it is difficult to run to the store. Is there any suggestions to make him eat frozen?

 

[psusocr1]

make it look live! works like a charm
just get fishing line and string it through a sliversides eye or head and dangle it around or make it seem liek the silverside is swimmign through the water and he should go for it!!

 

[tennisace]

Originally Posted by psusocr1
make it look live! works like a charm
just get fishing line and string it through a sliversides eye or head and dangle it around or make it seem liek the silverside is swimmign through the water and he should go for it!!
What if he swallows the fishing line? And I'm trying to feed him pieces of frozen shrimp.

 

[aw2x3]

Another option is a supplement called "Garlic Guard", by Kent.
While it's a vitamin supplement, it's also an eating enticer.
I've had a few fish that have refused frozen but after starving them out, for a week or so, and soaking the food in Garlic Guard, they took it right away and ate frozen from that point on.

 

[sharkfood]

Andy, Do you care to mention which fishes these are you done this with and why is it you not have those fish now, for they are dead no thanks to your expertise.
DME

 

[actionjack]

Originally Posted by sharkfood
Andy, Do you care to mention which fishes these are you done this with and why is it you not have those fish now, for they are dead no thanks to your expertise.
DME

Funny how thats his first post

 

[sharkfood]

Funny how thats his first post
Whenever you come to think about it, it really isn`t a funny thing when someone is acting as if he is so much better then he really appears to be. For much data he told on eels were incorrect for like before a week ago he use to say that the jewel moray is the Mexican dragon moray and a while ago he said that the whitespot moray is now the true Mexican dragon moray eel. To were as there be no true such Mexican dragon eel.

DME

 

[psusocr1]

What if he swallows the fishing line? And I'm trying to feed him pieces of frozen shrimp.
whent hey strike they strike quic k and you just pull the string out...yor not tying it to the string just putting it through the food..it works liek a charm!

 

[v-lioness]

TennisAce try the fishing line with silversides or even frozen sand eels, zebras can be tough to wean but a year....... I have to give you credit for having patience with this fish !!!

Have you been using a feeder stick to feed?
Kaye

 

[kpptn]

How I got mine to eat.
1. Feed him/her live by hand from the top of the tank 2 or 3 times.
2. Don't feed him/her for a week.
3. Feed him/her frozen by hand from the top of the tank.
Ever since, mine eats anything.

 

[tennisace]

Originally Posted by V-Lioness
TennisAce try the fishing line with silversides or even frozen sand eels, zebras can be tough to wean but a year....... I have to give you credit for having patience with this fish !!!

Have you been using a feeder stick to feed?
Kaye
I put up with him because he is awsome! He is always coming to me when I'm in front of the tank and he always comes to my hand whenever I'm working in the tank (though it frightens me because I might move my hand into him by accident if not paying attention

).
I have never handfed or stick fed him, only wave my hand and bag at the top of the water and he immediatly comes to the top. Then I dump the bag for him.

 

[v-lioness]

I have never handfed or stick fed him, only wave my hand and bag at the top of the water and he immediatly comes to the top. Then I dump the bag for him.
Have you tried Frozen Silversides (thawed) or frozen sand eels (thawed) in the bag instead of live?
Pick up a feeding prong from your LFS, they cost 1.50 - 2.00 bucks and try the food on that.
Kaye

 

[doink1230]

The live feeders eventually got my whole tank sick, I lost the lion and almost lost my Clown Trigger.
I eventually got another lion, I made sure that to drop the food in front of the filter return so it would blow across the tank. That triggered its feeding/hunting reflex and it would suck down some krill and silversides.
I feed my lionfish mostly Bio-Blend Marine Carnivore Food and brine shrimp now. He loves it, as soon as he see the container his face is out of the water waiting for me to feed him.