Lion and Domino

[jeffy1833]

I have a 3 inch Lion and a Domino Damsel that seem to be like best buds. The Domino act like a clown fish and treats the Lion like an anenome. Is this normal? The Lion doesn't seem upset about this, he will lower his dorsel fins when the Domino rubs against him. Any thoughts on this?

 

[psusocr1]

my thought is that lion will eat that domino within 2 months!

 

[jeffy1833]

That maybe what happened to the smaller Dominio that was in the tank!

 

[xdave]

The domino will get too big, and be a difficult shape to swallow.

 

[surfinusa]

dominos do get big but if its a volitan lion the lion will be bigger than the domino damsel in a couple months and bye bye damsel

 

[fishnerd]

I have found that lions can distinguish between tank mates and food sources. If they coexist for more than a few months, they will probably be fine indefinately.

 

[jon321]

Ive never had a lion eat a damsel....my theory is they are too damn fast.
Jon

 

[psusocr1]

then your lion IMO isnt healthy .. if you ever saw a healthy lion swim or if he has enough room to go into a "speed" burst they can most defiantly catch a damsel.. ALSO speed doesnt matter as lionfish are a stocking predator.. they study the damsels, no where they swim, sleep what cave they exit in the mroning ans then just stay still and wat.. stalking the prey until they consume it! ive saw this first hand on numerous occasions with my lionfish

 

[superh]

I got my fuzzy dwarf a damsel as a treat one time. I must have sat there 30 minutes watching him stalk it but the damsel was a little faster than the lion and she couldn't catch it. Eventually the lion figured out where the damsels safety zone was and just camped out on the LR over there. About 2 days later there was a huge bulge in the lion's belly.

 

[superh]

Also, it sounds like the damsel is too big for the lion at this point, and if your lion is a fuzzy it may never get big enough to eat the damsel.

 

[xdave]

Natural behaviors and captive behaviors aren't necessarily the same thing, especially in the confines of a standard size home aquarium. You need to consider their actual behavior in the environment they're in, not what they would normally do in general. The domino snuggling up to the lion who then lowers his dorsal spines is the indicator of the relationship the 2 have established in their present environment, and IMO, this will continue. Do not feed the lion live fish though, you will be teaching him that behavior and he may become exited and "accidentally" eat the domino as well.

 

[the j.o.p.]

i keep a damsel with my mantis shrimp. they like to hang with each other.

 

[superh]

Originally Posted by xDave
Natural behaviors and captive behaviors aren't necessarily the same thing, especially in the confines of a standard size home aquarium. You need to consider their actual behavior in the environment they're in, not what they would normally do in general. The domino snuggling up to the lion who then lowers his dorsal spines is the indicator of the relationship the 2 have established in their present environment, and IMO, this will continue. Do not feed the lion live fish though, you will be teaching him that behavior and he may become exited and "accidentally" eat the domino as well.
although this is true, i'm willing to bet the damsel is simply too big for the lion to eat at this point...the same reason my CB shrimp made it so long (almost a year now) yet my cleaner shrimp lasted about 3 weeks god rest his soul

 

[3tanks]

I Have Had My Lionfish (7 Ins) For Over A Year Now With 3 Damsels (1 In), But When I First Put The Lionfish In The Tank There Were 4 Damsels. Guess The Other 3 Got Smart.

 

[psusocr1]

no damselw ill lats long with a lion IMO