Acclimating lionfish

[lion king]

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. Most suppliers/lfs will run sg at around 1.020, I've tested as low as 1.017. If you rise the sg more than .002 without an extended acclimation, you will greatly decrease your chances of success. Lions do not like severe changes or frequent changes in water chemistry. If you are getting one from your lfs, I like them to be there at least a week. If you are ordering one from your lfs, pick them up in the shipping bag. You will want one acclimation rather than two within a short period of time.

Once acclimated immediately offer live ghost shrimp, or live guppies. Many times a new lion will only respond to live food, another reason for an observation tank. 9/10 a healthy lion will immediately eat live ghosties or guppies. The other 1/10 healthy lion will eat them within a very short time. If they have not responded to a live food offering with 24hrs, immediately treat with general cure or fritz paracleanse. They do come in with internal parasites frequently, and refusing food is a tell. They also come in with flukes, so watch for cloudy eyes and swimming at the surface. Prazi pro is more effective on flukes. Another reason for an observation tank.

if they are going directly in a reef, then this will be more of a challenge. Going from an sg of 1.020 or lower, to 1.025 is a stretch and dangerous on it's own. I woud recommend taking as long as 2 hours, and checking tyhat the sg is close before releasing. The thing about the suppliers and lfs running lower sg, this holds parasites and other diseases at bay, once risen, the issues will explode. Once in a reef especially with other fish, getting them live food may be more challenging. If there's a need for treatment, you will be limited to using prazi pro. Prazi pro alone may not be effective on some forms of internal parasites.

These are the things we have control of, some things we can't control. Cyanide has made a strong comeback, and if they were collected with cyanide, there's nothing you can do, and they'll die pretty quickly. If there's some underlying condition that is triggered by shipping stress, then there's little you can do. If you are prepared for a lion refusing food and treat immediately, you will have a better chance. Ifg you see the cloudy eyes or other signs of flukes, and treat immediately, you will have a better chance. And be sure to match the sg.

 

[Big G]

For those trying a Lionfish for the first time, any particular type and area collected from that have been more readily acclimated?

 

[lion king]

For those trying a Lionfish for the first time, any particular type and area collected from that have been more readily acclimated?

If you have a large enough tank and appropriate tank mates, volitans all the way. Volitans will acclimate better in all regard. They also readily accept dead foods and most importantly will accept a variety of necessary foods that will ensure a long captive life. For the dwarf species, the fuzzy is the best but still a 50/50 endeavor. While the fuzzy will be more agreeable to accept dead foods, the real issue is providing the right foods and maintaining a low thiaminese diet. The zebra would be next and the fu being the biggest challenge.. The medium bodied lions seem to be a mixed bag, all being challenging, I have no online sources to offer and can't even speak to wholesale sources your lfs may use. If you can find a source that doesn't run copper and has established the lion in their system and they are eating; that's the best you can do. Some online dealers are what I call "jobbers", they do not have the fish in their own system, they may not even have their own system, They take your order and go to the wholesaler and pick them up, this is a hit and miss operation, depending if your "jobber" has a good eye because the fish is moved through without any time for a real health analysis.

I really do recommend waiting a week to purchase a lion from a lfs, please don't worry about losing the fish to another, if you jump on it right away, the chances of it dying is very high. If you see a lion and they have no visible signs and otherwise look healthy, even if not eating, may be worth a risk. Look around the tank for what may appear as shredded white plastic, this is stringy poo from internal parasites. If you have an observation tank with a supply of live ghost shrimp, and are ready with general cure if necessary then you are ready to take the risk. As far as eating goes, many lions will have a restart and will need live foods after a move anyway, and what they are feeding will not be a diet or method that will last long. If the lfs is not offering live foods, ghost shrimp or guppies, not dying diseased fish they want to get rid of; a dwarf or medium bodied may not eating be anyway. These fish could be perfectly healthy, just not offered the right foods, live foods.

I started caring for lions as a rescue when I saw how many lfs let these guys starve or passed them onto hobbyist that really didn't know to care for them. I initially gave them a live diet, and while keeping some for myself, I homed many lions in the first few years of my endeavor.

 

[Big G]

If you have a large enough tank and appropriate tank mates, volitans all the way. Volitans will acclimate better in all regard. They also readily accept dead foods and most importantly will accept a variety of necessary foods that will ensure a long captive life. For the dwarf species, the fuzzy is the best but still a 50/50 endeavor. While the fuzzy will be more agreeable to accept dead foods, the real issue is providing the right foods and maintaining a low thiaminese diet. The zebra would be next and the fu being the biggest challenge.. The medium bodied lions seem to be a mixed bag, all being challenging, I have no online sources to offer and can't even speak to wholesale sources your lfs may use. If you can find a source that doesn't run copper and has established the lion in their system and they are eating; that's the best you can do. Some online dealers are what I call "jobbers", they do not have the fish in their own system, they may not even have their own system, They take your order and go to the wholesaler and pick them up, this is a hit and miss operation, depending if your "jobber" has a good eye because the fish is moved through without any time for a real health analysis.

I really do recommend waiting a week to purchase a lion from a lfs, please don't worry about losing the fish to another, if you jump on it right away, the chances of it dying is very high. If you see a lion and they have no visible signs and otherwise look healthy, even if not eating, may be worth a risk. Look around the tank for what may appear as shredded white plastic, this is stringy poo from internal parasites. If you have an observation tank with a supply of live ghost shrimp, and are ready with general cure if necessary then you are ready to take the risk. As far as eating goes, many lions will have a restart and will need live foods after a move anyway, and what they are feeding will not be a diet or method that will last long. If the lfs is not offering live foods, ghost shrimp or guppies, not dying diseased fish they want to get rid of; a dwarf or medium bodied may not eating be anyway. These fish could be perfectly healthy, just not offered the right foods, live foods.

I started caring for lions as a rescue when I saw how many lfs let these guys starve or passed them onto hobbyist that really didn't know to care for them. I initially gave them a live diet, and while keeping some for myself, I homed many lions in the first few years of my endeavor.

Excellent info. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for caring for these intriguing fish

 

[Jason Coy]

@lion king I just bought a fu manchu lionfish from a lfs that said they had it for a month or so. They said it was eating and it did gobble a live ghost shrimp when I was there. I put it in a tank with a scorpionfish, from the same place, that was about the same size that was eating frozen tilapia, which I will not be feeding. There is also a skeletor eel in there as well that was eating frozen as well. I have been reading your threads as lions, anglers, and scorpionfish are my favorite types, except maybe sharks.

My question as it relates to acclimation is should the Fu be separated from the others, in order to get use to me feeding it? I did not setup an observation tank as I saw them eating before I got them. All appear to be acting normally as of now. I did not try to feed right away. LFS said they were feeding them everyday to every other day. Although since all are rather small every other day should be okay?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@lion king I just bought a fu manchu lionfish from a lfs that said they had it for a month or so. They said it was eating and it did gobble a live ghost shrimp when I was there. I put it in a tank with a scorpionfish, from the same place, that was about the same size that was eating frozen tilapia, which I will not be feeding. There is also a skeletor eel in there as well that was eating frozen as well. I have been reading your threads as lions, anglers, and scorpionfish are my favorite types, except maybe sharks.

My question as it relates to acclimation is should the Fu be separated from the others, in order to get use to me feeding it? I did not setup an observation tank as I saw them eating before I got them. All appear to be acting normally as of now. I did not try to feed right away. LFS said they were feeding them everyday to every other day. Although since all are rather small every other day should be okay?

Sadly, lion king hasn't posted in a while, but with regards to feeding small lionfish (I'd assume [possibly incorrectly] that once it hits a small to medium size instead of just small would be a good time to start lengthening the times between feedings, but I don't know for sure - sorry):

Every 3 days is a good rule of thumb, a smaller one could go every other day. You'll have to judge by how well they ate on their previous feeding and how active they are. Feed them well on feeding day and as long as you are feeding smaller items they'll stop when they get full.

 

[Jason Coy]

Sadly, lion king hasn't posted in a while, but with regards to feeding small lionfish (I'd assume [possibly incorrectly] that once it hits a small to medium size instead of just small would be a good time to start lengthening the times between feedings, but I don't know for sure - sorry):

Thanks for the update. Maybe he will chime back in one day. It would be good to rack his brain some, especially about tank size. I thought I read all his threads. I will check the above one out.