Help weening a lion

[jester]

I've been trying to ween a Volitan from live to dead. He just has no interest. I have tried not feeding him for a week, enticing him, and the fish on a stick routine. The best he has done is strike the krill, but then spit it out and leave it be. he won't even go near krill now. Any ideas?

 

[kris]

hopefully, someone here or your lfs can verify just how long they can go without feeding--I would wait that long--you know what they say--if they're hungry enough they'll eat anything. (or maybe thats just for kids lol) If he still doesn't eat after the end of that time your stuck with the live food. If no one replies check your lfs before you continue depriving him.
Good Luck

 

[tbone]

Jester I had the same problem mine didn't eat for eight days and I just stuck it out , I was told they won't starve themselves to death and it just takes time and dillagence, I tied a silverside by the tail with thread (loosely the first time he almost ate the string.) and just dangled it making it look live and after a couple of days and him being starving he finally ate tonite, give it a shot and let me know if it works.

 

[mr_wrasse]

Try live ghost shrimp a couple of times. Then thaw out some krill and put it in. I have had several lions and this is how I got them off live.

 

[jester]

i cant try live shrimp. I have a cleaner and a fire in the same tank. they do alright, and have held thier own aganist the lion. I don't want him to think live shrimp are food.

 

[fmarini]

JESTER:
Its going to be hard to prevent "nature" from happening. Lions fish eat shrimp, eating shrimp is preprogramed into their being. The only thing you can hope for it that the lion figures out they are cleaners. I have tried to put cleaner shrimp in my w/ lions....Guess what. slurp.
My hope w/ your lions is that they see the cleaners as cleaners from the day they entered the tank, and hopefully (fingers crossed here) they realize it ain't food.
Give the volitan a couple of month or so, when it starts growing(it should be close to a foot long this time next year), we'll see how long the cleaners last.
Please don't add any more inverts to this tank, your only asking for trouble
my opinion
frank

 

[jester]

The fire shrimp goes on the offensive and attack the lion if he gets to close. The cleaner, well, he just sits under plant leaves. I put the lion in last, so I'm hoping for the best, you know? Like I said I've gone a week witout feeding him and he does'nt event think the shrimp are for him (YET).