help my lion

[wigsmen]

hello im new to this site and to the fish and reef world i have a nano tank with 11 lbs of live rock 3 hermit crabs 4 turbo snails a starry blenny and some other little critters, i also have a 2" dwarf lionfish and im not sure how there are supposed to act but mine seems to be really inactive he just lays against the rock or down on the sand he has eaten 2 feeder guppies and a bit of crill and even a few of the little shrimp looking critters im just wondering if anyone can lead me in the right direction with this fish ive always wanted one i just want him to be ok ask me anything ill do what ever it takes to mak him better

 

[gemmy]

How old is the tank? What size tank? I know you said nano but that can mean 1 gallon or 40 gallons.

 

[pezenfuego]

Yeah, what kind of dwarf is it? How long have you had it? How old is your system? what are your specs. Yes, they are relatively inactive, but let's not dismiss it just yet. Welcome to the forums. I look forward to hearing more about your system.

 

[al&burke]

Dwarf lions are very sedimentary to begin with, does he come out when you walk in the room, I have two fuzzy's, fu, zebra, cockatoo waspfish, and 2 Caribius (sp?). My fuzzies are always begging when I come to the tank. How long have you had him in the tank, he might just be getting used to stuff, he will come around eventually. Try to get some ghost shrimp - the key with lionfish is to get them on frozen food, such as salmon, shrimp, tuna, scallops, clams, etc etc. Krill is ok sometimes but long term it can cause problems. Keep feeding him live 3 or 4 times a week and make sure you don't overfeed they can be piglets. Do yourself a favor and get an acrylic rod 1/4 inch in diameter and tape a piece of 50 lb fishing line, on this you will add your thawed out frozen pieces of fish. My smallest lion is only about an 1-1/2 inches and he grabs onto the frozen like a marlin. Also as PEZ said tell us a bit about your system and parameters. Good luck they are a lot of fun especially at feeding time.

 

[saxman]

What Al and Pez said. I can add that small juvies will sometimes be bold-as-you-please, but they can also be a bit reclusive until they become comfy. Our juvie yellow fuzzy was this way...kinda shy and "slow to the stick", meaning it wasn't an easy "weaner". However, now it's just as happy to see the Food God as all of our other lionfish, and takes off with the line like a game fish.
These articles should help you out a lot...the first is a pretty comprehensive lionfish care guide, and the second is an article on how to wean your fish (there are pix of the "stealth stick" Al mentioned):
http://www.lionfishlair.com/careguides/lionfish.shtml
http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingtechniques/toolsofthetrade.shtml
And please, show us your set up and give us some details about it!