Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish

Jeann1

Jeann1

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Witbank - Mpumalanga
Hi!

I bought my first 2 fish this weekend, a Spotted Hawkfish and a Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish.

The hawkfish is happy as hell and swims around, or should I say swim and chills around the whole tank.

The dwarf lion is kinda shy, sits on a rock and moves every now and then. Now I know that he was eating at the LFS I bought him from, they suggested I feed him Lance Fish.

I got some, but he has not eaten a bit since vryday when I got him. I dont know if he does his swimming thing after lights out maybe, but everywhere I read it says to get them to eat is difficult.

He still looks nice and fat though, and seems very relaxed - should I be worried at all ?
 
mmm not the easiest of fish to be your fish fish ... You do know that there is no chance in you keeping shrimps as these 2 will slurp them up in no time!
 
Jeann1 said:
everywhere I read it says to get them to eat is difficult.
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Read before you buy, its a good idea and wont put u in the predicament u currently in.
I would love 1 as well but the feeding part is a bit difficult. hatch brine shrimp and u should b efine until u can get him eating prepared
 
if his chilling and looks good then his ok, they are quiet shy when first introducened into the tank, but once they get use to it, they swim around, all you need is time and pop in the food like normal..
 
Long nose hawk fish are know for jumping out of the tank so make sure that you have a hood on the tank :)
 
Leave some dried frozen shrimp on water surface, he's eyes will spot them and will go for it, if he likes it you will be fine, if not then you have to try some small baby mollies with the dried shrimp.

good luck
 
i have some frozen muscles(the type you buy in a bag from the supermarkets) that i cut up into 5-8mm size cubes and drop those into tank for my lions, they take a couple days to warm up to the idea of eating non-live meals.
Remove any food not eaten, as i have found they don't eat food that isn'y freshly dropped in the tank.
One of my lions ate some flakes today, but i think it made a mistake cause he saw all the other fish chowing down and probably assumed that it was muscles.
The also seam to prefer the muscles to cocktail shrimps and calamari.
Good luck.
 
Guys wanting these types of fish must let me know as there are so many where I dive that I'm getting sick of seeing them! Going down tomorrow if anyone wants! Free of charge just pay delivery fee's to wherever you are!
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Jeann1 I also have a few Lions and not one of mine takes dead food unless you trick them. I catch Glassies for them most of the time and then I also have a tank breeding guppies. If you want them to take dead food you have to get their attention by making some noise at the surface while moving the food around just below the surface. You will see when they go into the 'Hunting' mode, at this time I move the bait around a bit slower and let it go when they are close. Keep on trying until they take food, once they start they become eating machines and will eat until you'd get worried their bellies are going to pop.
 
I had a super tiny one I got from my LFS, I saw it for about 20min after putting it in and since than has just vanished. It was only about the size on my index finger.o I got another, just slightly larger then my hand so not too big. I wanted it to much my bi-color Angel because my alternate was to strip my tank to get to the angel. Stil no dice on that so I got a load of feeder fish but when I got home it had chomped one of my shrimp - let's say I was seriously p'ed...OK, my bad, didn't feed it for a week so I should have expected that.

Long story short, I keep an additional talk with feeders in an pop one in each time he starts eying out the other shrimp. 3 weeks and he isn't really showing interest int he shrim and they all seem to live happy together. I had to sadly strip my tank to remove the angel after all, but the Lion is feeding well but only responds to live food. He goes to the other food when feeding the other fish but only because he is a pig and wants an easy meal out of the other fish...
 
Thank You for everyones replies!

I tried the Ocean Nutrician Super Brine Shrimp the LFS said they were eating - Nothing! I tried a Live feeder guppie, Nothing! I tried frozen Lance Fish - Nothing! I tried Marine Mix - Nothing!

I am really starting to get worried.. I will have to make some sort of a plan, otherwise this dude/dudett isnt going to make it and I'am going to be very :( ..

Any other suggestions?

Water Params are all in check, did tests last night again to make sure , Water Temp is 25.5 .. was thinking maybe something was off, but the Hawkfish is really happy, I also have a Short Spine Black Urchin, and even he is happy as can be..

I really dont know what to do here.. :(
 
ziyaadb said:
hatch brine shrimp and u should b efine until u can get him eating prepared
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:whistling:

Will be a pain to do but u gota do it.
Jeann1 said:
the LFS said they were eating
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Dude NEVER belive what the LFS says in regards to livestock. See it with your own eyes. I ALWAYS ask the LFS to feed the fish in the tank so that i can see them eating. If the LFS does not want to feed the tank then u need to buy else where.
 
Your tank is large so the chances of live brine drifting past the lion are rather slim. You could try keepig it in a smaller compartment in your tank (like those guppy breeding nets things).The smaller space will make target feeding easier.
Only reintrroduce the lion into the tank once its eating properly and taking prepared food.
 
Hey everyone. I also got the same Lion from the same LFS. I have the same problem. I got mine a day before Jeann1. Mine is in a tank with clowns, tangs, blennies, shrimps and crabs.

Mine isn't even trying to go for the blennies, because they literally swim right past him, as if their mocking the lion...NOTHING!!!

Also do not know what to do anymore, as me and Jeann1 both did the same to get them eating.

Mine is in a 100L tank.
 
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ziyaadb said:
:whistling:

Will be a pain to do but u gota do it.

Dude NEVER belive what the LFS says in regards to livestock. See it with your own eyes. I ALWAYS ask the LFS to feed the fish in the tank so that i can see them eating. If the LFS does not want to feed the tank then u need to buy else where.
Click to expand...

I tried the live brine yesterday evening - i basically flooded the tank with live brine shrimp, the other fish went on a feeding freanzy, but the lion ignored the brine.. I even tried "harrasing him" a little bit so that he would swim around and see the brine shrimp - nothing...

Its been 3/4 weeks now...

Think I have to take it back to the LFS , safest option at this time ???

Bonzai's Lion is also still not eating, same symtoms

Any other ideas?
 
I even tried "harrasing him" a little bit so that he would swim around and see the brine shrimp
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a harrassed fish is not going to think about eating.

Does the lionfish peck at pods?
 
Lionfish have very slow metabolisms, so yes it might just not be hungry (but I doubt that...all the lions i have kept ate like pigs)

Dwarfs are notorious for being difficult to get feeding and they tend to hide away making it more difficult.

Two options IMHO:

1. Take it back, they can teach it to feed prepared foods.

2. As 459b said, get a smaller container and put inside the tank, easier to control their feeding response but will take some time. Try putting the lance fish on a sosatie skewer and wiggling it in front of him. Also soaking the bait in a bit of garlic water seems to elicit feeding response. You might have to try different foods ie calamri , whitefish , mussel etc untill you find the right one
 
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459b said:
a harrassed fish is not going to think about eating.

Does the lionfish peck at pods?
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He does dart forward every now and then, but not whilst swimming, he does this when hanging around..



FransSny said:
Lionfish have very slow metabolisms, so yes it might just not be hungry (but I doubt that...all the lions i have kept ate like pigs)

Dwarfs are notorious for being difficult to get feeding and they tend to hide away making it more difficult.

Two options IMHO:

1. Take it back, they can teach it to feed prepared foods.

2. As 459b said, get a smaller container and put inside the tank, easier to control their feeding response but will take some time. Try putting the lance fish on a sosatie skewer and wiggling it in front of him. Also soaking the bait in a bit of garlic water seems to elicit feeding response. You might have to try different foods ie calamri , whitefish , mussel etc untill you find the right one
Click to expand...

OK, I will try this and see what he does then, Hopefully it will work .. FransSny, how long can they go without eating ?
 
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