# Lionfish



## EquineSoul7294

Just wanted to show off my new lion, now named Sting, lol.


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## BabyGirl77

That is a nice lionfish.


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## EquineSoul7294

Thanks. I'm getting a great kick out of him. He seems to like to people watch. He's so mellow, and loves to inhale his minnows whole, lol.


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## BabyGirl77

You're welcome. That is funny. That makes me think that they love people.


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## e048

Wait is he in your 45?

Also don't feed him minnows, feeding freshwater fish to saltwater fish leads to a whole bunch of health issues down the road

Beautiful fish though


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## big b

It's ok to feed saltwater fish freshwater fish like minnows if they refuse to eat when you first get them though. 
Are you gonna feed him all live foods or try to get him to eat dry foods?


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## EquineSoul7294

Well, we are planning on switching to silversides/krill/grocery store seafood/etc. The LFS just said to try to use minnows & ghost shrimp to entice him to eat as he adjusts to the new home. 
*In a perfect world*, I was wanting to keep him more on live foods so he can hunt some (just feels a bit more natural to me). But I guess it will depend on him (and the availability of nutritious live food). It'd probably be easy to switch him over to frozen, though, he took a dead shrimp from my feeding tongs today like it was nothing. He's already figured out what the tongs mean, as it's the only way I introduce his food. 
Yes, he is in my 45 temporarily. I'm expecting my 75 will finally be cycled here soon. Basically treating it as a quarantine period. It sounds small, I know, but he is also quite small. If you don't count the spines, his body isn't much bigger than my clownfish. The picture is deceiving in the size. I'm not planning on growing him out in that tank.
I'm probably confusing everyone with all the tank plans I mention and then changing them a hundred times, too, lol. I'm bad about that. But I do the best I can to take care of my fish properly. I've been researching and planning for the lion for months now. Just trying to follow LFS advice for his "adjustment period." He is doing really well so far.


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## e048

What species of lionfish is it? 

Actually feeding freshwater fish to saltwater fish causes many issues I don't want to get into it right now but I could. When I had some predatory sw fish (toad fish, angler, lionfish) I would feed them salt water grass shrimp, damsels, etc.

If he's taking frozen I would do that 90% of the time and give him live food as a treat or when friends are over to watch him eat

Unless it's a radiata or dwarf lionfish a 75 is too small for it


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## e048

http://www.saltcorner.com/Articles/Showarticle.php?articleID=70


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## TheOldSalt

Freshwater cyprinid fish have an enzyme in them that blocks vitamin absorbtion, so don't feed a steady diet of them to a lionfish. It takes a few years, but yes, Lions will outgrow a 75 eventually. You have plenty of time before ever having to worry about that.


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## EquineSoul7294

He will (at some point) end up in my 135gallon. But he is going to have a layover in the 75 (which is finishing up its initial cycle) until he starts to outgrow it. I know it may not make sense to everyone, but I work in stages with larger fish. It has always worked well for me because each set-up gives me more practice, experience, and time to get to know my fish and what they might need in their next tank to make them happier. It's a journey for both of us.
As far as the minnows, like I said, it was never a permanent idea, just to entice him to eat during his adjustment to the tank. He is already taking a dead minnow now, so I am trying a thawed silverside at his next feeding on Friday. I think he will adjust well to frozen if I go slowly. He's kind of a pig. 
I just wanted to clear up a couple things, because there's nothing that bothers me more than having people think I'm not taking proper care of my fish, or that I don't have a proper plan in place before I get them. As that's not exactly true, lol. Even though I'm always learning, I never buy a new fish without lots of research and plenty of planning. 
The 135 for my lion and 600 gallon for my silver arowana are both already fully planned projects (with a lot of the supplies already bought and sitting in storage) coming up within the next 1-2 years.


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## big b

600 gallons, eh? that's gonna be a monster. Just 400 gallons shy of the big 1,000 gallons.


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## e048

That's what they all say lol 

I believe you though nevertheless I would get the appropriate tank right from the get go just to save me the trouble


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## EquineSoul7294

I did actually have the 135g before I bought the lion. I knew it was end-game size, just didn't already have everything I needed to start it up. But I knew my 75 would hold him comfortably enough for some time, so I went ahead.

I like doing it that way, lots of tanks. To me it's fun, as opposed to trouble. I get bored easily, so I LOVE putting new ones together and moving stuff around. It is more money sometimes, but I mostly get my tanks on Craigslist. But my favorite part is that once stock moves to a new tank, I get to put something else cool in the other!
I have 9 tanks in operation right now, with a few smaller ones and the 135g sitting in storage. And always changing. 
Yes, the 600 is going to be a huge project. We thought about doing the full 1,000 but we decided that's just too big for us. In all honesty, by the time we do the 135 salt and the 600 pond, I'm probably going to be done for awhile and just enjoy what I have anyway!
I'm super excited about both, so I'm sure you guys will get to see pictures as soon as they're completed. My husband is very DIY, so there's no telling what the indoor pond will look like! (We have a full finished basement that only houses my home office right now, that's where it's going, lol).


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## e048

I have 5 tanks up and running and it's a lot of work for me lol I'm trying to slowly ease out of the hobby


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## TheTank

EquineSoul7294 said:


> Just wanted to show off my new lion, now named Sting, lol.


That's a good looking fish you got there! Have a pic of the Arowana?
You plan to get any tank mates for either or are you going to house both of them alone?



e048 said:


> I have 5 tanks up and running and it's a lot of work for me lol I'm trying to slowly ease out of the hobby


Ease out?! Not going to try to just down grade first?
I'm just getting back into the hobby, I can't believe I was able to go without for 3 years! Will you be posting any equipment on here if/when you do?


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## e048

i try and part out locally 

if youre in the dallas texas area I can hook you up


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## TheTank

Oh okay. . 
No, I'm in Florida.


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## EquineSoul7294

I have some pics of the arowana (aka Jaws, lol) but no good ones yet, lol. He's kinda hard to get a good one of. 
The arowana is with my big pleco (aka Monstro, 7 inch or so). No plans on any other tankmates for him.
The lion is already by himself. Because of how big they get (he's a volitan) & the predatory nature, I will probably leave him alone. I know there are things they can go with just fine, but I'd rather leave him with all the room. 
Glad you're getting back into the hobby!


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## TheTank

Thanks, me too lol. 
Kinda bummed I gotta move in March though. . So now I'm limited to my 10g and a Betta. Dont wanna move a big set up a month after putting fish in it 

Man that arowana is awesome! 
I like the Monster too lol. I almost bought one few years back but ended up with clown loaches instead. . 

Thanks for sharing the pics!


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## e048

Oh man you're a brave soul to keep an arowana I remember keeping a juvenile in my 150g I was going to grow him out for a friend who owns a restaurant I spent $60 and I had a heavy glass lid with a brick or two on top and he managed to jump out of the tank and break both lids in the process, I still pull some chunks of glass out of sand every once in awhile (glass was tempered)


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## big b

Wow, they are a strong fish then. They remind me of the arapima with them jumping.


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## EquineSoul7294

Yes, the arowana can be strong. So far mine is doing great. I have a screened hood one one side (like a terrarium style) weighed down with potted plants. The other side where the filter is has glass & potted plants. Every now and then I'll hear him bounce off the screened hood, but nothing too intense yet.

UPDATE ON ORIGINAL POST:
My lion is now in the 75 gallon (thought it would never be ready) and ate his first frozen krill yesterday with no problems whatsoever. He knows exactly what the feeding tongs mean, lol. I grabbed some frozen silversides, too, but will not try those until next feeding day.
He is happy, healthy, and very interesting!


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## BabyGirl77

Ooooooooo he is handsome.


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