I hope you guys are not sick of my stories. I know that they are little depressing and I'm sorry that if you are affected by it. It has been helping me but if it offends anyone, I will stop.
I was about to post this story yesterday but I was so depressed yesterday, I couldn't muster up the courage to do so.
Here it goes.
I got into the hobby while I was in college and believe it or not, as soon as my tank was settled, one of my first fish was a dwarf lion.
Why you might ask.
Well, I was always fascinated by angler fish and lion fish and their ways of hunting their pray. I used to be mesmerized when ever they came on the animal planet or other nature channels. (Come on, I don't think I'm the only one that was fascinated by them) I loved him and fed him well and he was very happy and active until he ate my cleaner shrimp. (again no researching in the early days and damn pet store employees telling me that it will be ok to put them together that the shrimp will "clean" him.)
Well the shrimp was bit big and he choked and he died. Even when I forced the shrimp out of his mouth, he didn't make it.
Fast forward about little less then ten years. (don't feel like doing math in the morning lol)
I'm now settled, out of college and having my own family.
So I start myself a predator tank.
Reasons are as follows.
1.) They are relatively very hardy so I can't possibly mess this up if I gave some effort.
2.) Less maintenance (according to the pet store at least again, I was a fool)
3.) Very cool looking
4.) Bad arse chomping down live meals.
I used to gut load the ghost shrimps for my baby panther grouper,2 triggers, wrasse. (tangs ate something else)
My son never took notice of the shrimps and was never really interested, I was thinking to add some cool exotic fish then it hit me while watching the movie Deuce Bigalow.
I
NEEDED a volitan lionfish!!!!!!!!!!
I ran to the store with my son and wife in hand and checked out all the cool fish and then came to the lionfish tank.
They had all sorts over there and I could see my son was getting really into it, so that made me happy.
He's little below one and him interacting with the fish has always put a smile in my face and made me realize how good this hobby is for all ages.
I picked out a lionfish after I was told again by the employee that triggers and lionfish will co exist without any problems. (Fool me thrice, shame on me I know)
I picked out lot of goldfish as a feeder. My son takes liking to these fish, I think it was shiny colors that attracted his little eyes. On our way back home, he whines in his car seat until we let him hold the bag containing the goldfish. (To me it didn't matter if they died or not because they were going to die regardless in couple of days.) (also very bad idea given by the employees again. You would think I would have learned by now right? WRONG)
I came home, acclimated the lionfish, set up a small bucket full of ro and acclimate the lot of goldfish and put a power head and a air stone in there to aerate the water.
After couple of hours of acclimating and him pouncing around the goldfish bucket. (Had to pry him off of it because he was trying to go into the bucket)
In went the lionfish. My son was like "ahhhhh" and was pointing at the newest addition.
Lionfish is swimming around, settling in and looking magnificent while all the other fish are startled and move away from it. I immediately crown him as a king and crown jewel of my predator tank and my wife laughs at this idea.
About 30 mins of watching him, I feel that it's time to feed the king. Like I said earlier, I was always fascinated by the way they hunt their prey and swallow them whole and I was eager to show it off to my wife and my son to be impressed. I take out the goldfish on the net and bring it towards the tank. Lionfish looking at the fish and the net, (I'm guessing that's how fed them at the store) came close to the top and started to beg for food. My son, staring at the goldfish, was saying "ahh!!!" while pointing at it. (He was less then one, please excuse the lack of actual words) I drop the goldfish in and as soon as it hit the water, lionfish swallows him whole.
My son actually jumped. He didn't know what had happened, he saw a fish then he didn't. He was confused at the sudden movement of the lionfish and the disappearing act of the goldfish. I laughed and grabbed another gold fish. My son once again pointed and was excited. (kids are so easy to amuse at this stage of their life) Lion is swimming in circles in the top, anticipating for the meal to come. By this time, my panther grouper gets the gist of it and joins the lion. I drop the fish, lion fends off the panther with his fins and swallows him whole after chasing the goldfish down to the bottom of the tank where my son was leaning against the tank. My son saw what happened now. No mistake about where about the fish because lionfish had little bit of the hind fin sticking out of his lips.
My son looks at me and makes this face.
(This wasn't for that instance but he made the same face)
Then he cried. To my surprise, he didn't like goldfish disappearing into lionfish's mouth. In fact, he LOVED the goldfish. (Should have connected the dots when I was at the fish store, car and the house) My wife was very fascinated though.
After a while, I started to buy ghost shrimps again and load them up because it didn't bother my son.
Now what had happened to my lionfish? My crown jewel and king of my tank?
Well huma trigger nipped the fins until he couldn't take it any more and two triggers devoured him. Just like that... (took about 3 months from purchase date)
Very sad and I had learned my lesson not to trust anyone in the fish store.
Flushed him down the toilet for the royal water burial and my son waved to him saying "BAAAAAI" when I said "bye, lionfish."
Lesson to be learned here.
1.) Don't show your young children how aggressive meat eating fish eat.
2.) Don't listen to the fish store employees. (Always take any advice with grain of salt and always search search search)
3.) Triggers and lions don't mix well.
4.) Goldfish are bad for the lions. Any fish actually.
Thanks for reading again and have a good one guys.
