How often should I be feeding my lionfish?

[Lionfish Lair]

Good to know! I had enough people tell me all about how awful it was when I first got my lions that I've avoided it. Since no one understood why, it always seemed a bit questionable to me, but I figured why risk it when there are so many other food options out there! It's crazy how some of these become like forum old wives tales

Yup, it's everywhere and it's one of those things you're never going to shake out fully. A lot of people don't even know where the conversation started and that place doesn't even exist anymore.... well, except in Renee's harddrive. I found a program that went back through cached sites and I got it that way. I'm about to "put out" a guide on Pred Nutrition and there's a whole section on krill.... with dozens of studies to support each statement...

 

[mcarroll]

The dwarf lions at my store won't eat anything frozen.. Each will eat about 3-4 live ghost shrimp and that's about it.

It almost always took training, in my experience. The krill I mentioned are typically very tempting though, so "work" with the feeding prong wasn't too common.

Do you sell yours eating 100% live, or do you train them onto something else like pellets?

(I fed a variety of commercial food once they accepted krill/non-live food...pellets, silversides, krill, squid, clams, etc. All soaked in vitamins and aminos.)

 

[taricha_94]

It almost always took training, in my experience. The krill I mentioned are typically very tempting though, so "work" with the feeding prong wasn't too common.

Do you sell yours eating 100% live, or do you train them onto something else like pellets?

(I fed a variety of commercial food once they accepted krill/non-live food...pellets, silversides, krill, squid, clams, etc. All soaked in vitamins and aminos.)

I haven't been working there for a super long time but the times I've fed them they've only ever eaten live ghosts. I do think I saw one nibbling on a F/T mysis shrimp that snuck over from the tank next to it, but my superiors told me they'll only eat live. I was planning on watching closer to see if they ate any of the frozen food next time I'm working.

 

[Bunnee911]

Would they eat saltwater mollies? They are easy to convert.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You can get feeder guppies there around you? I gotta say, I've never seen them.

Yes, they would eat them, but only for training. They are not a "forever food".

 

[E048]

"Lion-fish are indiscriminate predators that consume more than 70 species of fish and many invertebrate species such as shrimp and crab" (http://www.oceansupport.org/lionfish-information)

 

[Lionfish Lair]

"Lion-fish are indiscriminate predators that consume more than 70 species of fish and many invertebrate species such as shrimp and crab" (http://www.oceansupport.org/lionfish-information)

Is there a suggestion in there for helping the OP feed his FUZZY Lionfish? The saying "Education begins at home" is more pertinent to this conversation than your link. You may want to do a little research before you offer information that's not even relavent to the fish were talking about. We're talking about a Dendrochirus brachypterus.

 

[E048]

Is there a suggestion in there for helping the OP feed his FUZZY Lionfish? The saying "Education begins at home" is more pertinent to this conversation than your link. You may want to do a little research before you offer information that's not even relavent to the fish were talking about. We're talking about a Dendrochirus brachypterus.

As far as I'm concerned it's a species of lionfish... And as far as lionfish go they eat anything small enough to fit in their mouths

The point of the link is to point out that variety is key to keeping a lionfish alive and happy...

 

[Lionfish Lair]

@Nicole33, how's it going over there with the feedings? It doesn't make a difference what he ate in the wild, because that's not where he is now. We have to get the best captive diet into him we can. I even feed fruit for the antioxidants.

 

[Jckisko]

My fuzzy dwarf eats most anything... Frozen krill, PE mysis, Rod's... and begs for more, in competition with the Valentini. Give him some time to get acclimated.

 

[Nicole33]

Just wanted to update y'all! He started eating the night I last commented on this like crazy! he now eats anything and everything willingly

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Most excellent!!

 

[Speedyron]

Ive only fed my lions frozen foods from the begging. krill works fine. I like to buy them as small as i can in the hopes they have never eaten another fish. i do this because i dont want it to become habit. that way they wont eat their tankmates. lions are actually pretty lazy and if well fed will not bother your cleanup crew. I currently have a 12" volitan in my 125gallon reef tank with small clownfish, cleaner shrimp, arrow crabs. he totally ignores everything and eats from a pair of tweezers most every night. chunks of salmon, clams, krill, bay scallops, squid. I like mix it up

 

[Lionfish Lair]

There is zero chance of getting a lion, no matter how small, that has not eaten another fish/shrimp. They need to eat from birth and we don't acquire them that early ever.

 

[Darryl]

3 -4 times a week or every other day
don't get fooled by the IM HUNGRY AND STARVING EYES look.

 

[Speedyron]

y not every night. its worked for the three yrs Ive had this one and i dont feed him much prolly 1/4 the size his mouth. also somtimes he doesnt want to eat

 

[Speedyron]

i said fish not shrimp

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Ok...

There is zero chance of getting a lion, no matter how small, that has not eaten another fish (if that's what they eat). They need to eat from birth and we don't acquire them that early ever.

I added shrimp, because not all lions dine on fish primarily.

People don't feed every night, because they like to stick to their more natural behaviors.

 

[Speedyron]

i would think anything in the sea is oppertunistic eaters and if given the chance eat when its available. I doubt they wait a set number of days in between. also at such a small size are notlikley be eating fish as it would be eating somthing like krill. unless it happened to be dead and floating by or a piece left over from a bigger fish. it is also more likely to dine on small carrion if available. I still dont see what eating every three days resembles a natural behavior

 

[Lionfish Lair]

People do things differently. I believe different, so I do and recommend different.