Q About Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish

[euphoria]

I got a few questions about the fuzzy dwarf lionfish and your response will be appreciated
1) LFS told me they are reefsafe, and so far I haven't seen mine pick at anything. This site says they are not reefsafe. If anyone has had experience w/ this fish, please let me know if I should keep it in my reeftank or return it back?
2) Mine always hangs upside down near some rocks and for 2 days since I've gotten it, it hasn't come out to eat. What's the deal?
Thanks

 

[moraym]

What are you trying to feed it?
Was it eating before it left the store, if so, what?
Getting dwarf lions to eat can be tricky at times, but easily doable with some different methods.

 

[aidos]

lions are reef safe as they will not pick at/ eat any of ur corals, sponges ect and that is why ur LFS told u they are reef safe, which is true.
the reason this site has stated they are not reef safe is due to the fact that reef tanks usually have small fish such as gobies and invert, like ur shrimp, and ur lion with feed of off these tank mates.
as long as all ur fish are around the same size as the lion u should be ok.

 

[moraym]

as long as all ur fish are around the same size as the lion u should be ok.
Exactly, as long as the lion can't get it's mouth around it (or close, they misjudge once in a while ) then the fish is large enough to keep with the dwarf lion.

 

[euphoria]

thanks for the replies guys. My other tank inhabitants are bigger than my lionfish, so I guess I"m safe there.
I didn't watch the LFS feed the fish before buying it, so I can't tell. I"ll keep an eye and see if it starts eating soon. I heard they are nocturnal, so maybe they won't come out eating when I feed them w/ the lights on ???
It also likes to perch kinda upside down or sideways on rocks and not move much.

 

[moraym]

Dwarf lions love to perch on things, they're lazy. That's completely normal behavior.

 

[chandler04]

The way it is acting is normal, they like to hang on rocks. BUT, they dont tend to eat frozen foods, they prefer live. Given the fact that they are hunters, they like to see food that looks and smells like their prey. Stuff like live feeder guppies/tetras/ mollies are good, but you would need some pretty small mollies for a fuzzy dwarf. Also, Live ghost shrimp is a healthier alternative, and that way you can ween it into frozen foods, like frozen shrimp. Get it used to you feeding it the ghost shrimp, so wen it knows that you are its food source, then start adding in a live shrimp, then like a frozen shrimp, and soon it might even snap at anything that falls into the water that smells and resembles food. Thats how mine worked out. Post a pic of yers though. Here is my female, reddish (not the brownish colored) very cute lil fishy.

 

[chandler04]

One more, her "hang out" spot. LOL, she was chasing her food upside down in the tank, literally. It was the funniest thing. They are very funny fish to watch. Sometimes they ride the current and just let themselves get tossed around. They are quite lazy.

 

[moraym]

live feeder guppies/tetras/ mollies
It is not good to use tetras or mollies. And FYI never, ever use feeder goldfish.
Find some live ghost shrimp first, and if you have to, go with guppies as your fresh feeder.

 

[euphoria]

See my option was to get it used to regular frozen food I feed my other fish, cuz I'm sure the LFS fed it frozen food and not live food. Plus I wouldn't want to buy separate food for this one fish If I can start him off w/ frozen, that's good, although there's nothing like watching them chase and eat live food (upside down) heheheh.
I'll post a pic of mine as soon as I can find him in the tank. He's got these very bluish eyes, it's kinda EVIL
By the way, have any of you gotten bitten by these? Does it hurt?

 

[moraym]

Dwarf lions can sometimes be finicky to start feeding at first, especially if you're trying to feed them something that they will not recognize by instinct as food - such as thawed frozen foods. You'll only need to feed live for one week, feed nothing for one week, and then the lion should be willing to eat thawed food from a feeding stick. So you'll only have to buy separate food for one week. Also, all of my LFSs feed their in-stock lions guppies, so check with your local store where you bought him to see (a) if he was feeding and (b) what he was eating. It isn't a matter of convenience, the lion will not just start accepting frozen foods without a weaning period, it is a matter of survival really. He will become a little more stressed as he goes longer without food and as you mess in the tank with frozen foods. Trust me, feed live, even guppies, for one week. Get the lion full, then don't feed for a week solid, and then he should be willing to take thawed krill or silversides, this worked for all six of my dwarf lions, and they were all started out eating guppies at the LFS.
They dont bite you, they sting you with their spines. The dwarf lions and V lions will sting yes, quite a bit. If you're ever stung, run your sting under the hottest water you can stand for like 5-10 minutes. The volitan lion can, and i say CAN be fatal to people with heart conditions, the pain of a sting raises your blood pressue and could induce cardiac arrest if you have a weak heart, but this never really happens. Worst thing would most likely be a bad reaction and a possible morphine drip. Don't worry, just watch your hands.

 

[euphoria]

Thanks, that was some great info. I'll call the LFS and see what he was being fed and try that method.
By the way, when he eats the live fish, is there a mess in the tank and can the presence of parts of the live fish cause big nitrate spikes and such?

 

[moraym]

A lion will always increase your wastes in the tank, but there should not be a huge spike. There won't be any leftover parts, lions dont bite through the feeders, they swallow them whole. Just watch your tank parameters and do consistent water changes.

 

[euphoria]

alright, I"m gonna go buy some now Thanks

 

[chandler04]

Mollies are a safer alternative than most feeders. Especially for bigger lions, but maybe not for dwarfies. Ghost shrimp is still better...

 

[euphoria]

I fed him 2 guppies but he didn't really chase them. He went after them and then gave up. I think it's cuz he's a lazy ass. So I kinda forced the guppies to go his way and he finally swallowed one It was awesome.
So am I supposed to keep doing this or will he eventually catch the guppies and eat them? How many small guppies/day should I feed?
And another q: Do I buy guppies in large amounts and feed one or two a day, or do I have to take a trip to the LFS every day to buy a daily feeding ?

 

[chandler04]

Buy like a dozen at a time and keep em in a glass bowl. Dont keep this up for too long, cuz u still want the lil guy on frozen food. The guppies will stay alive in a glass bowl, even w/o food, for a couple of days. Yes, lions are VERY lazy at times, but in a good way.