Questions about my new fuzzy dwarf lion!

[lolly1]

Hi everyone!
After 2 months of waiting and watching and waiting and watching some more...I finally got my first fish, Brian the Fuzzy Dwarf Lion!!!! I picked him up yesterday and he seems to be doing quite well...exploring his new environment and perching himself wherever he possibly can.
Now I have some questions about feeding him. The guy at my lfs sold me some freeze dried shrimp and some garlic extract. While I was there, the guy fed him a fresh water feeder fish, but swore up and down that he will eat the freezed dried stuff. Should I trust this?? I fed him one today, but he didn't seem interested. When he gets hungry enough will he eat?? Also: how much should I be feeding him? The freeze dried shrimp are like small salad shrimp. I also picked up a package of frozen seafood with little shellfish and octopus in it. Will this combination be enough nutrition? :help:
Beth ***)

 

[lion_crazz]

Hey Beth, I am very happy to hear that you got your first fish, and I am even happier to hear that it is a little fuzzy. These guys are fantastic, and I am sure you will be happy with him. I saw the pics you posted, and he looks very healthy.
I would also recommend using vitamins such as Zoe, Selcon, and VitaChem in his food to ensure he is getting the most nutritious diet.
You never want to feed any saltwater fish a freshwater fish. This causes fatty liver disease in saltwater fish, and it is actually one of the most common causes of death in lionfish in aquariums. There is 12 times as much fat in freshwater fish as there are in a lionfish's natural diet.
If he does not take the frozen, I would recommend going out and getting live ghost shrimp to feed your lion. When you get the ghost shrimp home, put them in a small tank or bucket and gutload the ghost shrimp with the frozen food you have for your lion. This way, your lion is happy and eating by getting live food, plus, he is also getting the frozen food into his system.
This is the best way to go to wean him onto frozen food. Don't let anyone tell you that you can feed them guppies, rosies, goldfish, etc. They are very wrong.

 

[lolly1]

Thank you Lion Crazz, that sounds like great advice.
Last I checked the freeze dried shrimp I put in the tank was no longer floating around and no where to be found. Though I didn't see him eat it, I did see him "stalking" it a bit. I'm crossing my fingers he took it! I will look into getting some live ghost shrimp if I don't actually see him eating soon and I will also take your advice in getting some vitamin suppliments.
One more question: How much to I feed him? I don't want to starve or stuff him!
Thanks again!
Beth ***)

 

[lion_crazz]

Fuzzies usually have a way of telling you when they are full. I feed mine every other day, and when she is done, she swims down to the bottom of the tank. Usually, when I give her prawn, mysis shrimp, krill, squidd, etc., she will eat about 5-8 and then be done. Since yours is so much smaller than mine, 2-4 will probably be plenty.
I have had mine for about 2 and a half years, and even sometimes now, mine will get a little finicky at times and only eat live food. This is why I have a 2.5 gallon tank set-up just to keep gut-loaded ghost shrimp in. At all times, there is 50-60 gut-loaded ghost shrimp in there just in case I need them.

 

[lolly1]

Ok, sounds good. I will consider setting up a small tank for ghost shrimp. Thanks!
Beth ***)

 

[madman33]

Also remeber that it offen takes a lion a while to get used to its enviroment and therefore may not eat anything for awhile. Mine personally wouldnt eat for about 1 week after i put him in and now he is a little pig lol...its recomended that you feed your lion at least once a week but no more than every other day according to Robert Fenner(i think thats his name at least lol)

 

[jam1e]

yes Madman ... Robert M. Fenner is his name .. and yes .. I would follow LionCrazz's advice and feed him every other day .. even if he still looks hungry

 

[madman33]

Thought that was his name lol havent gotten that book out in a good while lol thanx 4 the verification lol

 

[lolly1]

I thought maybe he needed some time to get used to his new home before he decided to eat! Thanks for the help!
Beth ***)

 

[dmitry]

I think frozen foods, like krill or prongs or silversides - as opposed to freeze-dried - might be more attractive to a Lion. I'm fairly new to keeping a Lion myself, and was lucky that they were actually weaned to frozen foods at the store. (BTW, I wouldn't necessarily believe the guy at the store...) My Lion ate frozen foods the second day in my tank. What I've observed is that they tend to be instinctive eaters. They see something floating by that will fit into their mouth - and they grab it. I've tried dangling food in front of my Mombasa Lion and he ignored it. But I dropped it somewhere near him, but out of his sight, and watched the current carry the food. When the Lion caught sight of it - he pounced.
Also, I've been soaking prongs and krill in garlic extract. I tried soaking it in selcon and my Lion spit out that piece of krill!!

I'm not sure when my Lion is full. I've been told to look for a bulge in his stomach, but the fins are covering that! And he's taken a few pieces of food at a time...and then ignored the rest. I assume he's full...at least I hope he is!

 

[ramsey]

Got a ? and srry to steal the thread but. You guys are talking about ghost shrimp I thought that there freshwater or is there another type of ghost shrimp

 

[lion_crazz]

Ghost shrimp are freshwater, but they can also live in saltwater.
The fat content of ghost shrimp is extremely low. If you gutload a ghost shrimp, they are actually quite nutritious. This is why they are okay to use as saltwater feeders.

 

[ramsey]

O alright thanks

 

[dmitry]

By the way, at first when people talked about "gutloading" ghost shrimp I had no idea what they were talking about! So anybody who may not know what that means: it means feeding your ghost shrimp nutritional food and then feeding that fed shrimp to the Lion. This way the Lion (or another fish like that) is getting some real nutrition.

 

[nimo1969]

lion crazz
about ghost shrimps how many is to much ? I have Selcon how do I use it with ghost shrimps oR I can't ? my fuzzy is about 4-5 inch please help

 

[hot883]

I feed my fuzzy dwarf twice a week. I switch from silversides, krill, and ghost shrimp. Feed one of either and stop. If you see the dwarf's gut bulging or a slight buldge, I have been told that is enough food. More lions are killed by over feeding than anything else.

 

[anthropo]

Originally Posted by Lolly1
Hi everyone!
After 2 months of waiting and watching and waiting and watching some more...I finally got my first fish, Brian the Fuzzy Dwarf Lion!!!! I picked him up yesterday and he seems to be doing quite well...exploring his new environment and perching himself wherever he possibly can.
Now I have some questions about feeding him. The guy at my lfs sold me some freeze dried shrimp and some garlic extract. While I was there, the guy fed him a fresh water feeder fish, but swore up and down that he will eat the freezed dried stuff. Should I trust this?? I fed him one today, but he didn't seem interested. When he gets hungry enough will he eat?? Also: how much should I be feeding him? The freeze dried shrimp are like small salad shrimp. I also picked up a package of frozen seafood with little shellfish and octopus in it. Will this combination be enough nutrition? :help:
Beth ***)
i just got one myself the other day. he's already eating from a feeding stick, but every lion is different.