No Luck with Zebra Lionfish

[His Coral Highness]

I’m planning on having a zebra lionfish as my last fish addition to my 75 gallon tank but I’m really having no luck with them. I ordered two online and had them die within the week. My parameters are good, all other fish and corals are healthy and growing. Is this common? I’m on the fence about ordering for a third time, because you still have to pay shipping. Are there any tips for getting them past that initial period?

 

[lion king]

YES, I believe that you have read some of my threads, lions have a very high mortality rate, the dwarf and medium ones especially. There are some things you have no control of, like their rough handling and exposure to chemicals like copper or being caught using cyanide. I hear there's a new method catching storm, a shock method is being used now, you gotta love humans. The stress of the final transport puts them over the edge. Here are the things you do have control over.

Acclimating lionfish

These are the things we can do to give us a higher percentage of success, when 1st acquiring a lionfish. I strongly suggest an observation/qt tank. You want to test the sg in the transport bag and if using an observation tank, adjust the tank's salinity to match. Matching temperature as well...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[His Coral Highness]

I’ve been ordering from Live Aquaria. I’m wondering if it would be better to just wait until a LFS has one in stock, but I’d have no clue when that would be. I figured it was the collection/shipping stress, especially if they are just briefly stopping at a warehouse on their way from the Philippines/Indonesia. Even though they have the 7 day guarantee, you still have to pay like $50 in shipping again each time you use it

 

[KrisReef]

Buy local, two strikes on mail order is not acceptable . You want a healthy fish from the start and they have failed miserably.

 

[lion king]

Ask your lfs to order one for you, either pick it up in the shipping bag or have it wait in the lfs for at least a few days. If your lfs runs copper or you have to prepay, pick it up in the bag. Zebra"s are available often and a lfs should have one available at their suppliers, it just may not be a fish they bring in regularly.

Liveaquaria has about a zero with me.