volatin vs. radiata lionfish

spider2928

New Member
I am torn between getting a volatin or radiata lionfish. I prefer the looks and the size of the radiata but when I saw the two at my local fish store I noticed the radiata laying on a rock being very boring while the volatin was swimming around and being much more interesting. Do radiata lionfish normally just hide around in rocks and dont swim around the tank?
 

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by spider2928
I am torn between getting a volatin or radiata lionfish. I prefer the looks and the size of the radiata but when I saw the two at my local fish store I noticed the radiata laying on a rock being very boring while the volatin was swimming around and being much more interesting. Do radiata lionfish normally just hide around in rocks and dont swim around the tank?
Most Lions hide durring the day. They come out to eat or to swim durring the evening. Did you ask how long they were at the lfs?
 

jenni620

Member
if you have the space, get a volitan!! i love mine!! he is adorable, and he stays out all the time. he likes to perch on stuff, but when i walk up to the tank, he swims up to the front of the glass to "greet" me. lol he is probably just begging for food. very cute!
 

hammerhed7

Active Member
radiata's will eventually swim around with the lights on, in my experince they are not as active as the volitan though.
 

jon321

Member
Volitans are MUCH quicker to acclimate to captivity compared to Radiata lions. Radiatas tend to be very shy in the beginning, especially if small. In 6 months there will be no difference in activity between a volitans and radiata lion in my experience. If you have never kept a lionfish before the volitans may be a better choice as they are nearly indestructable and often eat frozen from the get-go. Radiatas are more sensitive to water conditions and can be tricky to train onto frozen foods.
Jon
 
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