Fu Manchu Lionfish- doubly sad

[masterswimmer]

Ok, here's the long and short of it. I picked up a beautiful Fu Manchu Lionfish. I've had it since Monday and he hasn't eaten anything. I'm very distraught about this. I've tried the following foods:

live guppies
frozen mysis (garlic soaked)
frozen blood worms
Marine One pellets (with garlic)
cyclopeeze (trying to spur the feeding action)
frozen daphnia

Nothing. Not even any movement in the tank. Stays under a rock overhang. The only other tank inhabitant is my coral banded shrimp.

Here's the other sad part. In my other tank I have a breeding pair of Ocellaris clowns. They hatch a clutch of eggs every three to four weeks. Well tonight was one of the hatchings. I thought maybe the Fu Manchu would be interested in some live marine fry, even if it was just to trigger a feeding response. I attracted the fry in my 75g tank with a light at the surface. When they surfaced I scooped them up. I got about 30 in total. I put them in the tank with the Fu Manchu.........nothing :sad2:

That's the sad part, now I have a beautiful fish that won't eat. And, I even sacrificed some poor little fry to him (even though he didn't eat them). My coral banded shrimp went to town on them though :irked: .

Here's a pic of the Fu Manchu and then a pic of some of the fry in a dixie cup before they were so ruthlessly sacrificed

PLEASE HELP- Does anyone have any idea how to get this poor fellow to eat?

 

[jhale]

russ, that is sad, I don't know what else you can do.
maybe mike marrone will have some advice.

- j

 

[chazertis]

try feeding with the lights turned off? maybe give it more time? it sounds like you're already doing everything you can. i wholeheartedly commend your efforts.

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks guys. I have fed all the above with the lights on and off. The clownfish fry were actually fed with the lights off only. :sad2:

Mike Marrone, where are you when I need you?

Russ

 

[aaron23]

very beautiful fish.. try stuff without garlic? clam or squid maybe? would have thought the frozen guppies would have worked...

 

[jhale]

Russ, pm mike, he'll get it in the am.

 

[drunktank]

have u tried ghost shrimp?

 

[masterswimmer]

very beautiful fish.. try stuff without garlic? clam or squid maybe? would have thought the frozen guppies would have worked...

I'm going to pick up some squid and clam tomorrow. The guppies were live, not frozen.

I did try all the above without garlic first. Garlic was supposed to be my ace in the hole

Thanks for the advice A.

R

 

[masterswimmer]

Russ, pm mike, he'll get it in the am.

I'll try that right now. Thanks Jon.

have u tried ghost shrimp?

I've been trying to get some. Nobody around here has them :irked: .....including my supplier

R

 

[Psycho graphic]

Russ,
Try Walmart for the Ghost Shrimp. Another board I frequent, a few people there buy them there. I myself have'nt seen any at the Walmarts by me, but it's worth a shot. This is a longshot, how about teaching him by example? Add a fish you know is eating. I have read of people getting clowns to host anemones by taping a picture of other clowns hosting one, so maybe this would work in your situation. It's not uncommon for a Lion not to eat for a couple of weeks, so don't give up hope.

 

[aaron23]

lol oops didnt mean frozen guppies lol haha. Krill is also a possibility. One of them sooner or later will hit.

LOL at post above.... taping a picture of other clowns hosting in one HAHA how bout just remove the clowns put them in a net w/ the anemone AND FORCE EM to house it.

 

[remy109]

You could find the feeder/ghost shrimp at 1000 island in brooklyn. I bought some last week.

 

[marrone]

Russ

As mention Ghost shrimp are probably the best thing to get. I also wouldn't worry if it hasn't eaten since Monday as Lion fish don't need to be feed everyday. Most people, that keep lion fish, feed them only once a week.

It's very common what you're seeing, fish not moving, just hanging around on the bottom, and not eating. That's the biggest problem with Lion fish as some will never take to eating food, whether it's live or frozen.

I would basically just put in some Ghost shrimp, small guppies and any small live food that you can find, they used to sell mollies fries. If the lights are very bright I would lower them. Hopefully the Lion fish will go after one of them.


Outside of having these live food sources in the tank there really isn't anything that you can do. Either the Lion fish is going to eat them or he's going to die from starvation.

 

[heuerfan]

Sorry to hear this Russ, maybe its still acclimating? I had my Male Flame wrasse hide for 7 days and didn't eat anything. I was very worried and thought that it would die. But the 8th day it started to come out and eat mysis.

Hopefully yours will come around, very beautiful fish.

Good luck!

 

[Savager]

Russ,
I heard Fu Manchu lionfish is the hardest lion fish to kept in our aquarium. They are often very shy, they will hide alot. And for my brief experience with my lionfish which I still miss him alot, he loved ghost shrimp. Then again, my lionfish ate anthing and only took a week to weaned him over to frozen food. Your fu manchu may never tough frozen food but you can keep try it.

I think keep try it with live food for now, ghost shrimp and live guppies.

Goodluck.

 

[simike]

beautiful fish, hope you get him to eat but at least you are giving it your best efforts ,... good luck

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks for the encouragement all. I did try Walmart yesterday for ghost shrimp as I've heard they do carry them. The little signs under their tank showed that they do carry them but alas, none were to be found .

My wife is out looking for a couple pieces of squid and a single little neck clam. Maybe one of these foods will work.

Mike, thanks for the semi sit back and relax for just a moment advise. One week of not eating for me would kill me two days into it :biggrin: . I'll continue trying and keep everyone posted.

Russ

 

[coralcrazy]

swimmer belive it or not petsmart sells live ghost shrimps..i hope that helps if u have one near you...and good luck. Lion fish are tricky.

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks CC. Actually I have one about 1/2 hr away. I'll give them a call. Thanks for the heads up.

R

 

[Savager]

Russ,
Fu Manchu will not touch any frozen prepared food in the beginning. And he may not even eat it in the future, but you never know. So don't even try to feed him with prepared food now, it won't work. Best bet is live guppies and live ghost shrimp. Perhaps live brine shrimps to make him comfortable, definately not a long term solution.

My lion fish went crazy when I put ghost shrimp in the tank.