View Full Version : V. Lionfish feeding difficulties
I've read most of the posts and know I need to show more patience when trying to wean them off live food. I've had mine for about a week and nothing seems to be working. Other than live ghost shrimp. (He's only eaten once, but was voracious when he was eating.)
Should I give it more time? I'm going to try to feed him crickets later today.
One more thing, I know not to feed goldfish but the store I goto has feeders called "tuffies". What about those to hold him over, until I can find frozen silversides. (major shortage in my area)
thanks all
back to the silversides issue, does everyone else seem to have a hard time finding them?? the local store said they are a seasonal item....??
just wondering?
MonoSebaelover
03-22-2003, 4:41 PM
They shouldn't be seasonal. I'm assuming Tuffies are probably Rosy Reds and they will have the same repricutions that feeding goldfish will. It is better to feed brackish fish or Damsels if you can afford it. Why not just feed him Ghosts till he weans over? I have converted MANY Volitan Lions to Formula One (made by Ocean Nutrition) and all still eat it today as far as I know. Try getting him converted to this because this will be a lot healtier in the long run than Silversides.
JohnMemorialHS
03-22-2003, 11:28 PM
Try all sort of frozen food, silversides, krill, beefheart, and if the lion is smaller, try plankton too. And no, I don't think silversides are seasonal, but many fish stores do not carry them. I only know a few that does.
well he did gulp down about 3 or 4 crickets this morning, I guess its better than nothing...its an ongoing process of weaning them so every 3 days or so I'll try something different.
What process did you use to get him to eat formula one? That would be my ideal food to move towards.
I've made it with crickets so far but the lionfish is showing an increased interest in freeze dried krill. He inspects the heck out of it at the top of the tank but hasn't taken the plunge yet.
OrionGirl
03-25-2003, 2:34 PM
Feed the formula one at the same time as the crickets. Much a bit of the food onto the crickets, so they taste like formula one. The idea is to get the fish to understand that what you are putting in there is food, when it doesn't look, act or smell like what they instinctively know is food. So, feed the same time each day. Use the same routine--ie, if you use a samll glass to defrost your frozen food, get in the habit of filling it from the tank, same spot, each day. Put the food into the tank the same place/manner each day. Soon the fish will learn that what you put in the tank, in that spot, should be eaten.