Leo The Lionfish

**Blue_June** · 10-06-2007, 08:46 AM

Well, I Bought A red lionfish (Pterois volitans) Yesterday at my LFS...... But was that a good Idea... Cause Leo.... won't eat the krills that I bought.... All he dose is try to eat my crabs from my clean up crew.... He suck them in his mouth but spilt them back out.... What"s the deal...... I really like Leo and I would like to keep until my tank age....plus he is something to look at while i wait..... But I don't want anything to happen to him..... is there a way to train him to eat other than live food..... I want he to eat the krills I bought.... I know you have to have patience feeding and I do I just need some ideas on training Leo to eat what's really works.......Holla at ya Boi Blue

**Amphibious** · 10-06-2007, 02:35 PM

Hey Blue,

Don't take this personally. You are suffering from the "I gotta have it before I know how to take care of it" syndrome. Research, research, research!!! We preach it here over and over, again and again. Then when you're done researching, come on TR and ask before buying something you know little about. We are here to help you from making mistakes, not just trying to correct a mistake. OK?

Lion fish, 99.9% of the time, require live food in the form of goldfish, shrimp, guppies etc, to start. Once they are feeding regularly then you can let them get hungry and tempt them with things like silver-sides, krill and other dead food items. In the beginning, they respond to movement.

The LFS guy is an idiot in my opinion for selling it to you without telling you he required live food. Now, I'm just being cautious here Blue, you do know they are poisonous, don't you???

Please, next time before you come on and ask, "Well, I Bought A red lionfish (Pterois volitans) Yesterday at my LFS...... But was that a good Idea"(?) Come on and ask, "Well, I'm thinking of buying a xxxfish, what do you all think of that idea"?

That's the best way for us to help keep you out of trouble.

Peace!

Dick

**Blue_June** · 10-06-2007, 04:18 PM

Thanks.... I know Now I put my trust in my LFS..... but thats cool thats how you learn...... what should I do now..... I guess I need to go and get some live food..... but will my clean up crew be safe.....

**CarmieJo** · 10-06-2007, 07:48 PM

I think that if he gets hungry enough he will eat the crabs.

***lReef lKeeper*** · 10-06-2007, 10:36 PM

what store did you get these from Blue ??

BTW ... what part of KY are you from ??

**Blue_June** · 10-06-2007, 10:56 PM

Louisville.........Sandy"s Pet store

**Blue_June** · 10-06-2007, 11:03 PM

Im thinking about buying a trash can and put all my rocks in and take all the fish out..... Caues I really want to keep corals..... not fish.... the only fish i ant to keep is a clown or 2and maybe a goby....... but im tryin to let my tank 1st.... man i wish i knew this would had happen...... What to do.....Should i let my tank age with the fish in there or should i strip it down???

***lReef lKeeper*** · 10-06-2007, 11:15 PM

i only recommend 2 SW stores in this city ... Aquatica Reef and East End Aquatics ... you might also want to check out Louisville Marine Aquarium Society :: Louisville Marine Aquarium Society ... this is a local marine aquarium club that has a lot of great people in it. maybe you could even make it to a meeting or two or three, lol.

but first ... what all is in the tank now ?? how long has the tank been running ??

**Blue_June** · 10-06-2007, 11:27 PM

Just a clean up crew..... Two damsels and the lion fish...... I really like Aquatica Reef I bought all my stuff there... like the skimmer and the live rock powerhead...ect..... but I as out at sandy's and I like that silly a@# saleman talk me into buying those fish..... But my setup been up since june..... I really like this hobby but I really don't know too much.... just alittle.... well tell me more about this Society

***lReef lKeeper*** · 10-06-2007, 11:37 PM

we are a local non profit organization that is here to help educate new hobbyists in the Louisville and southern Indiana area. we have members from Floyds Knobs Indiana to Lexington to Bowling Green Ky. our meetings are held on the 3rd sunday of every month with a turn out of around 20 people per meeting. most of which are very knowledgeable in the hobby. one of our members is even PAID by marine depot to host one of their "expert" forums. click the link above and it will take you to our website, and explain much more.

**Blue_June** · 10-09-2007, 03:49 PM

Well last night... Leo the lionfish ate one of them damsels..... 3 down and one more to go.....Now I hope he can finsh the job... so I can get my tank back......\

***lReef lKeeper*** · 10-09-2007, 03:53 PM

ha ha, i hate DAMNsels !!

**Bernie** · 10-09-2007, 10:11 PM

Sounds like Leo has gotten hungry enough to go hunting for food.

I recently got rid of my lionfish after a couple of years and loved having him... I started mine eating very small live fish, actually guppies or some other small fresh water fish. Once he got big enough to eat the larger mollies I took a silverside and speared it with a clear aquarium tube and waggled it in front of his face. He responded to the movement and started eating silversides. When I got rid of him he was feeding on various cubed meat (like squid, shrimp, etc.) BUT, as a special little treat every once in awhile I would buy a treo of damsels and toss them in the tank.

So Leo is probably going to chase down your damsels, if his mouth is big enough to swallow them, so that will buy you a little time on buying new live food. No need to feed Leo every day, I had great success with every other day, just two or three little fish at a time.

Good luck and keep researching, that is what makes this hobby so much fun.

**Seahorsedreams** · 10-10-2007, 12:18 PM

My guy was the size of a popcorn and I started him off on baby guppies and ghost shrimp. Just kept wiggling frozen in front of him until one day he gave a try and has been a great feeder ever since. But not all fish convert.... yours may never take to frozen. I feed mine Monday, Wednesday and Friday and do this with both the dwarf fuzzy and the volitan.

**Blue_June** · 10-11-2007, 10:12 PM

Thanks.... guys I think Im starting to like Leo..... I hope he catch this last Damsel...... I will try to feed him so little fish.... but I dont know what ghost shrimp is?????

**Seahorsedreams** · 10-12-2007, 01:28 AM

Also called glass shrimp or feeder shrimp. Petsmart usually has the freashwater variety but I use to catch my own marine variety when I lived in good ole Texas.