New Black Volitan Lion...what to do?

[joez]

I just got this guy and the store sold me some silversides for feeding. What else can I feed him and how should I feed him the silversides which isn't live? Getting live food is no problem, but tedious to go after every few days. I can figure this on my own, but the more information I gather, the better off both the fish and I will be! Thanks guys.

 

[joez]

I move in about 6 months to go to college and I'll have a 125gal setup there. Currently he is in a 37 and is about 3-4" long (I'm really bad at estimating lengths...).
I got him today, and while at the store to make sure he was eating they gave him two ghost shrimp. I tried to feed him a silverside, but the silverside is almost as long as he is! I need a little advice on this. Heh...funny thing is that I have a huge hermit crab (half the size of the lion!) and he at the silverside instead.

 

[sebae0]

yes he will grow fast, now i did put mine in a 135gal to start, he was about 6" a year later about 14". mine loves fresh shrimp and scallops and just about anything else. i dont know if this is wrong but, iknow fw fedders are not good, and i have read that you cannot introduce a fw pathogen into a salt water tank? correct me if im wrong.

 

[melbournefl]

I don't think it's a FW pathogen that's the problem. From what I've read, the biggest problem in using FW feeder fish is the high fat content. Not good for SW fish, not a part of their natural diet.
Just my .02 of course
Later,
Paul

 

[joez]

what about the use of bait fish from the local fishing store? Will bait shrimp and bait fish be harmful for him? Also, walmart has silversides and squid frozed for MUCH MUCH less than the LFS. Would using these be harmful? I could see how the walmart frozen could be, but if it's live from the bait store, how bad could it be?

 

[kev]

From what I understand, you could feed a lionfish live saltwater feeders for its entire life. But everytime you add those baitfish, your risking adding a SW pathogen to a SW tank. That can be done too I might add... lol

 

[joez]

what about raising my own SW feeders in a seperate smaller tank? could this be done? and if so, what type of fish should I use?

 

[joez]

Well he died. My water checks out. I think he couldn't handle the stress because i bought him the day after the store got him in...too much moving. He refused to eat the silversides and the pet shop was closed so I couldn't try any ghost shrimp to give him...I hope he didn't starve and death result from that...but it had only been 2 days w/o food...
this isn't cool at all...I hope atleast I get a refund because I don't think it's my fault. The shop checked my water, too...said pH was a little low but he'd be fine and sold me some pH buffer to increase it...I hadn't added it yet but he said it'd be fine!
I'm kinda mad because I really liked this fish.

 

[sebae0]

sorry to hear he didnt make it, but i dont think he starved to death. these fish can go a long time before starving, what i usually do before i buy a fish is watch it for atleast a week and make sure its eating. if someone buys it before me no big deal then their taking the chance of getting a bad fish.

 

[joez]

Yeah...I know now I should have. It just seemed so cool to get the fish that I started my whole tank for. I had a one week hold on him...too bad I get ahead of myself...
Maybe it's for the best because I don't think I'm ready for him (not that I can't take care of him, but that I want other things and should wait for my 125gal). Now I have a snowflake eel and a jawfish. I'm happy. The guy at the store took good care of me.