proper feeding on a fuzzy dwarf lion.

[jtoz116]

hey,
i just bought a fuzzy dwarf lionfish for my 55 gallon reef. He has been in the tank now for about a day, and has had some baby guppies to eat. The problem is he won't accept any of my frozen foods.(mysis shrimp, prawn, flakes, etc.) I know that a daily feeding of guppies is not good for long terms, but how do I get this guy to start eating frozen foods?

 

[lion_crazz]

Okay, the best way to wean them to frozen food is with live ghost shrimp. You should not find a lion that does not eat ghost shrimp and they are not nearly as bad as guppies.
Here's my method.
Feed him only one ghost shrimp at a time. Once he eats the first, put another into the water. If he does accept and eat them quickly, feed him a few days straight of just putting them into the water and allowing him to grab them quickly. Then, after a few days, begin to feed him every other day. The lion will start to recognize you as the food source and he will periodically swim to the top of the tank when he sees you. When it comes time to feed him, take out one ghost shrimp and instead of just dropping it in the water, hold it between your fingers and make him want the food. Drag it along the surface and make him follow your fingers. After he follows your fingers for a few seconds, release the food and allow him to eat it. Continue to feed him this way for a week. In one week, he should very readily accept frozen silversides this same way without any problem, because he will recognize in his brain that your fingers mean food. Then, after a week or two of doing it with the silversides, feeding him should not be an issue at all.

 

[guineawhop]

first of all they won't eat brineshrimp, mysid shrimp and definitely not flake. when i got mine he would only eat live fish. so i fed him live fish and then whenever he was hungry he would sit towards the top of the tank and wait like a begging dog. he would eat the fish about 5 seconds after i dropped it into the tank because he had to eat it head first. then i got him to eat the fish from my hand. and eventually i am now feeding him krill and silversides from my hand. sometimes i put some crushed flake and stuff it into the silversides so he gets a perfectly round diet.

 

[lion_crazz]

Not to contradict what you are saying, but when my lion was smaller, he would eat the live brine that I put in the tank.
Also, it is not the healthiest thing in the world to be feeding live fish (unless they are saltwaterfish), thus the reason I recommend ghost shrimp. They are not as high in fatty acids.

 

[guineawhop]

i fed mollies to him because at my store that i work at we breed mollies in the back so i would take the ones he could handle. the brineshrimp i was talkin about frozen not live.