Lionfish issues

[sal16cal1]

I bought a lion fish from a local pet store where he was trained to eat large pellets. He would spit up krill litterally. All of a sudden he stopped eating doesn’t swim as much. Then today I go buy Ghost shrimp and he eats his dinner. What’s the deal? He was already trained to eat non live food

His skin has been darker and he scratched himself. I treated with prazi it’s not flukes

 

[TX_REEF]

If you had a choice between dry oats or freshly cooked fillet mignon, which would you prefer? Of course he'll still prefer live food, most fish do! He'll likely need some time to adjust to new environment, I'd offer both together and then wean over to heavier on the pellets. It's still good to offer him live food occasionally, perhaps frozen shrimp as well

 

[sal16cal1]

I bought a lion fish from a local pet store where he was trained to eat large pellets. He would spit up krill litterally. All of a sudden he stopped eating doesn’t swim as much. Then today I go buy Ghost shrimp and he eats his dinner. What’s the deal? He was already trained to eat non live food

His skin has been darker and he scratched himself. I treated with prazi it’s not flukes

If you had a choice between dry oats or freshly cooked fillet mignon, which would you prefer? Of course he'll still prefer live food, most fish do! He'll likely need some time to adjust to new environment, I'd offer both together and then wean over to heavier on the pellets. It's still good to offer him live food occasionally, perhaps frozen shrimp as well

He had never eaten a ghost shrimp in his life. He was litterally weaned on pellets that’s all he ate. So he’s been eating pellets for at least a month or two. That’s was all his nuitrition. One day he just spit it up and hasn’t looked at it since.

 

[sal16cal1]

He had never eaten a ghost shrimp in his life. He was litterally weaned on pellets that’s all he ate. So he’s been eating pellets for at least a month or two. That’s was all his nuitrition. One day he just spit it up and hasn’t looked at it since.

 

[TX_REEF]

I'm not arguing with you, I believe you. I'm just saying they'll always prefer live food if offered.

 

[sal16cal1]

I'm not arguing with you, I believe you. I'm just saying they'll always prefer live food if offered.

Sorry I appreciate any input

 

[sal16cal1]

I'm not arguing with you, I believe you. I'm just saying they'll always prefer live food if offered.

Sorry I appreciate any input

I honestly don’t think the fish is sick

 

[TX_REEF]

I don't think so either. It's completely normal for fish to be picky eaters when placed in a new environment, just give him time . Is that a quarantine tank?

 

[sal16cal1]

I don't think so either. It's completely normal for fish to be picky eaters when placed in a new environment, just give him time . Is that a quarantine tank?

Ya I think I’m going to put him back in the main soon. Hopefully Nothing wrong with him and he will eat non live again

 

[rhitee93]

I don't have a lionfish, but have been reading up on their care for several months as I'd like to get one soon. (I also stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night)

I think you will find that most if not all of the people who are truly successful with them feed human quality sea food at a minimum. Wild caught salmon from the fish counter seems to be one food that is nearly universally seen as good. However, the general acceptance seems to be that variety is important so a single food isn't going to work out well for the fish.

There are a few notable people on this forum with considerable lionfish experience that make the case live food is important to include in their diet as well.

I've never seen anyone claim that pellet's alone are good for their long-term success.

Check out the pinned threads in the predatory fish forum. There is a lot of info there.

 

[sal16cal1]

I don't have a lionfish, but have been reading up on their care for several months as I'd like to get one soon. (I also stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night)

I think you will find that most if not all of the people who are truly successful with them feed human quality sea food at a minimum. Wild caught salmon from the fish counter seems to be one food that is nearly universally seen as good. However, the general acceptance seems to be that variety is important so a single food isn't going to work out well for the fish.

There are a few notable people on this forum with considerable lionfish experience that make the case live food is important to include in their diet as well.

I've never seen anyone claim that pellet's alone are good for their long-term success.

Check out the pinned threads in the predatory fish forum. There is a lot of info there.

I agree. I just got him.

 

[lion king]

Unless you were getting special made pellets, pellets are a terrible food; why should one feed aquatic life soy, wheat, and other various grain meal products. He stopped eating the pellets because they were not providing the nutrition he needed, this is very classic lionfish behavior. Lionfish will die prematurely due to a diet high in thiaminese and lacking in other nutritional requirements. He was eating the pellets for survival and if his diet isn't changed, he will die. If you are interested here's a thread with some suggestions for healthy dead foods to feed lionfish.

Lion King's dead food recommendations

I'm a health nut if you haven't noticed, this also translates to my pets. Today I will cover some of the dead foods I feed and why, with some nutritional info that I recall off the top of my head. This is by no means all the foods you can feed, these are just the ones I include in my feedings...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[sal16cal1]

Unless you were getting special made pellets, pellets are a terrible food; why should one feed aquatic life soy, wheat, and other various grain meal products. He stopped eating the pellets because they were not providing the nutrition he needed, this is very classic lionfish behavior. Lionfish will die prematurely due to a diet high in thiaminese and lacking in other nutritional requirements. He was eating the pellets for survival and if his diet isn't changed, he will die. If you are interested here's a thread with some suggestions for healthy dead foods to feed lionfish.

Lion King's dead food recommendations

I'm a health nut if you haven't noticed, this also translates to my pets. Today I will cover some of the dead foods I feed and why, with some nutritional info that I recall off the top of my head. This is by no means all the foods you can feed, these are just the ones I include in my feedings...

www.reef2reef.com

I keep hearing any live food is bad for them. Are anytype of freshwater mollies good for them?

 

[lion king]

I keep hearing any live food is bad for them. Are anytype of freshwater mollies good for them?

What species of lionfish do you have, the dwarf and medium bodied lions may do better and is sometimes necessary to include live foods. The volitans most times will accept a variety of dead foods and will live a long life. Here's a thread on live foods, if you click my name and "find all threads" you find tons of info on lions and other predators.

Live Food

Ghosties, guppies, and mollies, oh my. These are the best, most available, safest, and nutritional choices to feed your predator. If you have a fish you have decided the inclusion of a live in beneficial or even necessary, these are the best options to feed. I can not recommend no other species...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[sal16cal1]

What species of lionfish do you have, the dwarf and medium bodied lions may do better and is sometimes necessary to include live foods. The volitans most times will accept a variety of dead foods and will live a long life. Here's a thread on live foods, if you click my name and "find all threads" you find tons of info on lions and other predators.

Live Food

Ghosties, guppies, and mollies, oh my. These are the best, most available, safest, and nutritional choices to feed your predator. If you have a fish you have decided the inclusion of a live in beneficial or even necessary, these are the best options to feed. I can not recommend no other species...

www.reef2reef.com

Volitan two actually. I just wanted to have some fun with live foods but didn’t know which would be best. But Live foods scare me because it’s not always easy to judge how big a fish he can gulp down. I’ve killed one at least because the fish ate a bigger mollie.

Btw you were right about the pellets! He ate a silverside this morning!

 

[VintageReefer]

It doesn’t matter if he was raised on pellets. The fish has instincts for meaty foods and will prefer them especially after giving them a try

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I have a large volitan lionfish. When I first got it three years ago, I had to start it off with freshwater minnows as it wouldn’t eat dead food. I had a separate tank just for them. After about two to three months I tried silversides split up into smaller chunks. It took to frozen food since. Now it eats silversides (cut up), clams, mussels, and scallops. Basically everything. I let the food soak in vitamins for 10 minutes before feeding. The lion is about a foot long now.

 

[Nano_Man]

Like above have stated its a killing machine Dry pellet or steak you know the answer. It has it naturally built into it to kill live prey. Over time you can change it over to frozen and pellets.

 

[sal16cal1]

I have a large volitan lionfish. When I first got it three years ago, I had to start it off with freshwater minnows as it wouldn’t eat dead food. I had a separate tank just for them. After about two to three months I tried silversides split up into smaller chunks. It took to frozen food since. Now it eats silversides (cut up), clams, mussels, and scallops. Basically everything. I let the food soak in vitamins for 10 minutes before feeding. The lion is about a foot long now.

Vita Chem?

 

[sal16cal1]

It doesn’t matter if he was raised on pellets. The fish has instincts for meaty foods and will prefer them especially after giving them a try

This couldn’t have been more accurate. Lol