Troubles with an eel and a lion

[fowlr13]

I finally have a180 gallon tank,it fine except 2 of the fish are giving me problems.My lionfish is not eating,I gave him goldfish last week and he has already eaten two of the damsels,so he's not totally starving. I've tried giving pieces or small silversides,he sometimes flares up as if he wants to eat it,but never does.I'm considering getting shrimp or other foods and try with a kabob stick.Another problem is my eel.He always ends up in the sump and it's a pain getting him out.I'm either going to eel proof my overflow box or trade him in for a bigger/different species(yellow headed moray or a tesselata).But otherwise,I need help on both of these problem fish.

 

[jay0705]

Never feed goldfish. There horrible for sw fish. Try live saltwater feeder shrimp

 

[gkat66]

What kind of lionfish do you have , how long have you had it , what was it eating before?
Jay is correct , saltwater fish should never be fed freshwater fish , it may cause fatty liver disease over time and shorten the life of your sw fish.
You can make a feeding stick out of a clear acrylic rod or any other clear plastic rod or stick , by attaching a short piece of 50# fishing line to the end. If your lion will only eat live , you can start by feeding live ghost shrimp that you have fed a high quality marine flake. You can put a live shrimp on the line without killing it and dangle and dance it near the lion until it strikes. Once you have it feeding well on the shrimp you can try other things like silver sides and table shrimp cut into pieces. The reason we use fishing line is because it is easier to make the food you put on it look alive , and if the fish has a hard strike it my hurt itself on a stick alone and become shy of any food offered this way .
Good luck and keep us posted.
Kat

 

[jay0705]

I should also add u dont want to feed lions every day. Maybe 3 times a wk. So the damsels may have been enough for him at that time.

 

[fowlr13]

He's about 4-5 inches and I've had him for about 2-3 weeks.And where can I get clear plastic/acrylic rods.I 'll maybe try some shrimp pieces or fish filet pieces this weekend.But otherwise,thanks for the advice.

 

[gkat66]

You can find acrylic rods at any home improvement store , I use the rods that came with my window blinds ,, and I know a guy that uses the card holders that come in flower arrangements. The point is it doesn't have to be high tech to work well. We use 50 # test line because it is firm enough to push through most foods but flexible enough to make the food appear bouncy. When you attach it to the rod , use any clear tape and attach at several places so it doesn't come off, and leave about 2 inches hang past the end. When the end becomes rough you can cut it off and retape the line.. Do not tie a knot in the end, the food must be able to slide off easily. You will also be able to target feed the eel with the stick.
Jay is also correct about feeding three days a week , however very young fish can be fed smaller meals more often. Lions can go several days without food especially if they have been over fed. Only feed until there is a slight bulge in the belly, and not every time the fish begs.

Good luck and keep us posted !

Kat

 

[saxman]

You've been given lots of great advice. The stick Kat is describing is what we call a "stealth stick", which we developed to feed our Scorpaeniformes. I'd probably double the amount of "free line" at the end of the stick to about 4" as it will get the stick just a bit further from the fish, altho you can adjust the length to what works for you. Here's a pic to give you an idea:




Feeding a SW fish Cyprinids (goldfish, rosy reds, and other members of the carp family) isn't just about the your fish getting the wrong fatty acids. Carp flesh contains high amounts of the enzyme thiaminase, which causes the pred to become thiamine (vitamin B1) deficient. A thiamine deficiency often results in central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as anorexia (cessation of feeding), clamped fins, seizures, and an early death.

Once a lionfish is established, it really only requires about 4-6 eye-sized pieces of food about 3x a week (we feed M-W-F with weekends off). Food size is important as smaller pieces of food are digested much more easily in fishes with slow metabolisms. BTW, most fishes' stomachs are about the size of their eye, so feeding huge pieces of food or huge meals isn't the best for them.

Here are a couple of articles that should help you:

Feeding and weaning:

http://www.lionfishlair.com/feedingtechniques/toolsofthetrade.shtml

Lionfish Info and Care:

http://www.lionfishlair.com/careguides/lionfish.shtml

HTH

 

[gkat66]

Thanks for chiming in Greg , I knew you would, and as always great advice !

 

[hefner413]

Hey FOWLR13, how's it going? Any luck with the lion eating?

And with your eel escaping, simply putting mesh over your overflow will keep them out. What type of eel is it? My zebra never tried to get out, but my snowflake jumped out on my floor once, but luckily survived.

 

[zoidberg01]

for the el I will reccomend a chainlink eel