Blackfoot Lion

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This girl is looking good, from what I can tell it is a female. She's grown from 3 to 4.5" in 5 months. The most active lion I have ever had, very social.

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Beautiful! I had one years ago that ate pellets and thrived until I made a boneheaded mistake treating some flatworms. Where did you find this one? I never see them for sale.

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I had been asking about one for years to no avail. None of the lfs ever saw them on their list. A new lfs opened up and the owner decided to offer his customers hand picked special order items. He would travel to the wholesalers in socal a couple times a month. One time he sent me a pic of this one, She wasn't even marked at the wholesaler. The wholesaler said he just keeps items like this for his special customers and don't even list them. So if you have a lfs looking for one, have them specifically ask about it with a wholesaler. Since learning this it's how I got my purple rhinopias frondosa, I had an lfs ask for one, it wasn't even listed on their list. I'm looking for a pink/lavender eshmeyeri rhinopias now.
 

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She is gorgeous and obviously doing well for you, congrats! What do you keep the temperature at?
 
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75, I started her out at 72.3. Alot of what I have read about these guys doesn't seem to fit. I use to get the same info about temp with fu manchu's because people couldn't keep them alive. My old fu lives a tank that gets 80.6 in the summer for over 7 years now.

I've found these guys are similar to most of the small lions these days. They all come in with issues, she was very banged up when I got her, and took me a bit to get her clear of internal parasites. There was also a question of bacterial issues, which again seems to be very common with the other small lions. My instincts tell me it's because of all the meds that people throw at these guys in the beginning that shortens their life.

Every small lion I have had to medicate with repeated doses of antibiotics have only lived a year to to 1.5, not even 2 years. One lion that I left questionable bacterial issues to run it's course is a zebra I've had for over 6 years. I am concerned that the treatments I've already subjected her to do may have a chance to be detrimental.

I also read these guys were even less active than the other lions, which most people describe as sedentary. This is the most active lion I have ever had, i can barely even get a pic of the brilliant blue, because any time I come up to tank, she's in my face. Only time will tell, as the summer approaches the tank will be at 76.

I also feed a live diet which I have found many people abandoned. This seems to be a common thread with the demise of the fu manchu's as well. 1.5" growth in 5 months doesn't seem to line of with other reports either. I have never found any research from anyone that ever kept more than one. So it's a bit difficult when all the research is from one experience. What I consider excessive medication was also common in many reports I read in relationship to their short captive life.
 

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75, I started her out at 72.3. Alot of what I have read about these guys doesn't seem to fit. I use to get the same info about temp with fu manchu's because people couldn't keep them alive. My old fu lives a tank that gets 80.6 in the summer for over 7 years now.

I've found these guys are similar to most of the small lions these days. They all come in with issues, she was very banged up when I got her, and took me a bit to get her clear of internal parasites. There was also a question of bacterial issues, which again seems to be very common with the other small lions. My instincts tell me it's because of all the meds that people throw at these guys in the beginning that shortens their life.

Every small lion I have had to medicate with repeated doses of antibiotics have only lived a year to to 1.5, not even 2 years. One lion that I left questionable bacterial issues to run it's course is a zebra I've had for over 6 years. I am concerned that the treatments I've already subjected her to do may have a chance to be detrimental.

I also read these guys were even less active than the other lions, which most people describe as sedentary. This is the most active lion I have ever had, i can barely even get a pic of the brilliant blue, because any time I come up to tank, she's in my face. Only time will tell, as the summer approaches the tank will be at 76.

I also feed a live diet which I have found many people abandoned. This seems to be a common thread with the demise of the fu manchu's as well. 1.5" growth in 5 months doesn't seem to line of with other reports either. I have never found any research from anyone that ever kept more than one. So it's a bit difficult when all the research is from one experience. What I consider excessive medication was also common in many reports I read in relationship to their short captive life.

Good observations! I have read many people can’t keep them past a few weeks and I did see temperatures being called into question. So you think prophylactic treating and frozen foods could be to blame not just for blackfoots, but other lions too? What live foods do you feed? I have plans to set up a dwarf lion tank in the future so I’d like to pick your brain lol.
 
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She is gorgeous and obviously doing well for you, congrats! What do you keep the temperature at?

Good observations! I have read many people can’t keep them past a few weeks and I did see temperatures being called into question. So you think prophylactic treating and frozen foods could be to blame not just for blackfoots, but other lions too? What live foods do you feed? I have plans to set up a dwarf lion tank in the future so I’d like to pick your brain lol.

What happens with these guys and other true predatory fish like anglers and scorps, along the way they are being fed diseased and dying fish to keep them alive long enough for you to get them home. You may get lucky with itty bitty ones because they get live brine shrimp or maybe freshwater guppies, but the itty bitty's are a challenge in their own rights. So internal parasites is your first concern. Because these guys are always coming in eating live foods only, treatment is difficult.

I feed ghosties, guppies, and mollies kept in a fresh water tank fed with pellets for gut loading and a enhanced the tank with vitachem. When you 1st get them fatten them up for a couple of days then get to treatment right away. If they are not eating, you likely already have issues, a healthy lion which is likely starving will be ravenous. I've found general cure in the water column to be the most reliable. I prefer prazi pro then metroplex in food, but that requires getting them to eat dead food. General cure may effect their appetite so don't be overly concerned, but the chances for internal parasites are great. So clear the parasites, check for stringy white poo, check around the tank.

They seem to get beaten up for some reason, and because of poor nutrition and stress can also be prone to bacterial infections. be very careful treating this, these guys just don't process meds well. Copper is an absolute nono, even if they survive it is almost a guarantee they will dead in a years time. Feeding live food, keeping good water conditions, and keeping an eye on any questionable bacterial issue is best. Anything more serious your choice of antibiotics would be advised, although I'm not completely sold on any long term consequences, using paraguard could be a good choice.

Maintaining a live food dominant diet, supplementing with whatever dead food they will take has been a successful regime for me. Feeding live also adds to the enrichment of their lives in captivity. You will find them to be more active, vibrant, and live longer.
 
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What happens with these guys and other true predatory fish like anglers and scorps, along the way they are being fed diseased and dying fish to keep them alive long enough for you to get them home. You may get lucky with itty bitty ones because they get live brine shrimp or maybe freshwater guppies, but the itty bitty's are a challenge in their own rights. So internal parasites is your first concern. Because these guys are always coming in eating live foods only, treatment is difficult.

I feed ghosties, guppies, and mollies kept in a fresh water tank fed with pellets for gut loading and a enhanced the tank with vitachem. When you 1st get them fatten them up for a couple of days then get to treatment right away. If they are not eating, you likely already have issues, a healthy lion which is likely starving will be ravenous. I've found general cure in the water column to be the most reliable. I prefer prazi pro then metroplex in food, but that requires getting them to eat dead food. General cure may effect their appetite so don't be overly concerned, but the chances for internal parasites are great. So clear the parasites, check for stringy white poo, check around the tank.

They seem to get beaten up for some reason, and because of poor nutrition and stress can also be prone to bacterial infections. be very careful treating this, these guys just don't process meds well. Copper is an absolute nono, even if they survive it is almost a guarantee they will dead in a years time. Feeding live food and keeping an eye on any questionable bacterial issue is best. Anything more serious your choice of antibiotics would be advised, although I'm not completely sold on any long term consequences, using paraguard could be a good choice.

Maintaining a live food dominant diet, supplementing with whatever dead food they will take has been a successful regime for me. Feeding live also adds to the enrichment of their lives in captivity. You will find them to be more active, vibrant, and live longer.

Awesome, thanks for the advice. I have never kept lions, but it has been something I’ve wanted to do for years. Now that we will have a house with more space I am going for it! I don’t want to hog up your beautiful blackfoots thread anymore then I already have so I’ll step back so the topic can change back to her lol.
 

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I will echo the temp thing. Mine shared a tank with a dwarf fuzzy, and it was kept at 76 degrees no issues. You can see more pics of mine in Frank Marini’s book.
 
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While I think she does look good in pictures, in person, the colors on this lion is just ridiculous. Her body is like a rusty orange black with the fins being a blue black on the top and the iridescent bright blur underneath, and the bright burnt orange on the edges of the fins. While I'm calling her a she at this point, the more mature she gets the more fantastic her coloring becomes. Under certain angles I'm seeing a glittery green gold across the head and face, which is a coloring that I have seen in males.

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I know this is an old thread, but how is she/he doing? Decided to start a predator tank out of my 75G now that my 90G is up and running. I live in Florida so as far as lionfish they are all caught from Florida waters, as they are illegal to import. I was going for a Zebra and Fu Manchu but the only ones the lfs could get were blue fins which I've never heard of before. Researching them it seems the info is all over the place. They hail from colder temps originally,but with mine being florida caught would you think it would be ok to keep temps around 74-76? The tank will house the 2 blue fins my lfs is currently qt'ing for me, a juve ike snowflake eel, a blue spot puffer and (possibly) a kole tang to help with algae control. Any tips you could give would be great.im very excited about them!!
 

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I know this is an old thread, but how is she/he doing? Decided to start a predator tank out of my 75G now that my 90G is up and running. I live in Florida so as far as lionfish they are all caught from Florida waters, as they are illegal to import. I was going for a Zebra and Fu Manchu but the only ones the lfs could get were blue fins which I've never heard of before. Researching them it seems the info is all over the place. They hail from colder temps originally,but with mine being florida caught would you think it would be ok to keep temps around 74-76? The tank will house the 2 blue fins my lfs is currently qt'ing for me, a juve ike snowflake eel, a blue spot puffer and (possibly) a kole tang to help with algae control. Any tips you could give would be great.im very excited about them!!
That should've said snowflake eel. It's late here.:)
 
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I lost her a couple of months ago due to liver failure. I dissected her and found severe liver damage. I had to treat her with several rounds for a very subbotn case of internal parasites. Then antibiotics for a bacterial infection, she came in pretty beat up. You'll read my post that have said to avoid meds at all cost and if you use excessive meds that they will likely never see 2 years.

This was an awesome lion, I'd love to find another one. The cold water thing is off base, read about them and you'll find they come from the same tropical waters as the others. Their care is exactly same. They do bury themselves in the wild, but mine never did, so a deeper sandbed, maybe. Although really I don't find this necessary, in captivity they have no need, in the wild it's for hunting. There are distinct differences in the male and females so having a pair wiuld be cool, the male doesn't really distinguish himsekf until about 5".

Let me know if your lfs ships, I'd live to get another one.
 

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I lost her a couple of months ago due to liver failure. I dissected her and found severe liver damage. I had to treat her with several rounds for a very subbotn case of internal parasites. Then antibiotics for a bacterial infection, she came in pretty beat up. You'll read my post that have said to avoid meds at all cost and if you use excessive meds that they will likely never see 2 years.

This was an awesome lion, I'd love to find another one. The cold water thing is off base, read about them and you'll find they come from the same tropical waters as the others. Their care is exactly same. They do bury themselves in the wild, but mine never did, so a deeper sandbed, maybe. Although really I don't find this necessary, in captivity they have no need, in the wild it's for hunting. There are distinct differences in the male and females so having a pair wiuld be cool, the male doesn't really distinguish himsekf until about 5".

Let me know if your lfs ships, I'd live to get another one.
I believe they ship. It is Big Fish Aquatics in Odessa, FL. All the livestock I have gotten from them is awesome. I was a little bummed at first they couldn't get the species I wanted but now I'm pretty excited about these guys! Thank you for your advice and suggestions. You were my go to! Will post pics when I get them. Thank you!
 

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