View Full Version : Baby Volitan Lionfish
Kitsune_Gem
02/15/2012, 02:25 PM
So I went in to my LFS today to see if they got any nice looking clowns in.
I was going to get a clown, but instead I came home with a baby Volitan lion fish instead.
And before I get any hate mail for keeping him in an 8 gallon, its just till hes big enough for a bigger tank. As he grows he will get bigger tanks. As you will see hes about the size of my thumb.
Hes already in his new home and chowing down on brine shrimp.
Hes also the only fish in the tank.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1750.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1751.jpg
jarrod13
02/15/2012, 02:46 PM
What a cute little fella! I love them when they're that small. Have you ever kept a lion before?
Don't take this as "hate mail" but just as a heads up these guys grow VERY quickly so I'd start preparing for a new tank, like a 55 or something, he'll probably outgrow that tank within a matter of months. I like doing the same thing, buying tiny fish and raising them, plus you always end up with empty tanks that you have to fill with something ;-)
Kitsune_Gem
02/15/2012, 03:06 PM
Ive got several larger tanks that have been running for a long time. The biggest one he could go into is my friends 250, and hes willing to buy the lion off me when it gets to big for my tanks. The biggest one I have personally is a 65 gallon.
Hes my first lion, Ive wanted one for years, but never found the right one for me. I'm the type of person who will wait years to get a fish. It has to be the right one for me or I wont bother getting it.
SkullV
02/15/2012, 07:08 PM
Very cool!
sponger0
02/16/2012, 11:44 AM
So did you pick up a bigger tank too? Cause everyone says they are getting bigger tanks but never do
rattler_mt
02/16/2012, 12:19 PM
So did you pick up a bigger tank too? Cause everyone says they are getting bigger tanks but never do
re-read his last post, he has several larger tanks already up and running....
sponger0
02/16/2012, 01:12 PM
re-read his last post, he has several larger tanks already up and running....
My bad...thought that was someone else posting
rattler_mt
02/16/2012, 01:18 PM
My bad...thought that was someone else posting
no worries, half the time im on here between doing things at work and skimming fast.....i prolly screw up and misread something more than anyone...
sponger0
02/16/2012, 01:26 PM
You too huh? Maybe I should do some work...naw reefing is more fun lol
Preble
02/16/2012, 01:30 PM
Holly crap that thing is CUTE.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
namxas
02/16/2012, 04:44 PM
SWEET little fish! Tiny lionfish are the best, albeit a tad more fragile than older specimens.
Don't worry...like your fish will be moving up, our volitans began its life with us in a 6 gal cube, moved to a 24 gal cube, then to a std. 60, and finally into a 48" 100 gal. Its photo now graces the cover of Frank Marini's book Lionfishes and Other Scorpionfishes.
StephLionfish
02/16/2012, 04:56 PM
Awesome lion! The markings on his fins are too cool.
Woodchuck12
02/16/2012, 05:37 PM
Not to hijack the thread, but will a volitan fit into a 90 gallon tank?
namxas
02/16/2012, 06:27 PM
Dimensions?
fish042099
02/16/2012, 06:36 PM
Not to hijack the thread, but will a volitan fit into a 90 gallon tank?
It's probly 48" x 18" x 25"
Kitsune_Gem
02/16/2012, 11:05 PM
re-read his last post, he has several larger tanks already up and running....
Ive got a total of 4 larger tanks running currently not including the 8 gallong, and I'm friends with the guy who owns the LFS, so for some reason I cant move my little baby to one of my four, he would do a trade in : ) and Im a girl xD
namxas
02/17/2012, 04:04 PM
It's probly 48" x 18" x 25"
It would be tight, but doable with the proper aquascaping. Since it's just an 18" deep tank, you'll want to 'scape it so the fish has proper "turnaround" room (figure an adult volitans as a 12" cube of fish, counting fins, at the minimum). IME, being in a tight setup will tend to make a lionfish become more sedentary.
A nice P. russelii (Russel's lionfish, often sold as "red volitans") is just a bit smaller (10" or so) and would be a better "fit" for an 18" tank. Or you could go with a medium-bodied Pterois sp., maybe even two different species of "mediums" (P. mombassae, P. antennata, P. radiata, or P. sphex).
Kitsune_Gem
02/17/2012, 09:05 PM
Update: Little guys doing good, he has a favorite sleeping spot, and a favorite spot to rest his full belly on. Hes really active and curious when the lights are on and I'm around. The day I put him in, he ate so much I thought his tummy was going to pop. He continues to eat every day I fee him.
Kitsune_Gem
02/20/2012, 03:13 PM
Update: Still pigging out on his food, Hes now moved from where he sleeps under the power head to this little spot on the rocks, it fits him perfectly.
Kitsune_Gem
02/20/2012, 03:49 PM
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1752.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1753.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1754.jpg
^Hes yawning in this one!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1755.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1756.jpg
^Right after snapping up food
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/IMG_1758.jpg
^Hunting new bit of food.
Will post a video of him eating shortly
Kitsune_Gem
02/20/2012, 03:59 PM
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/th_MVI_1757.jpg (http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/?action=view¤t=MVI_1757.mp4)
rabbitfishy
02/20/2012, 05:45 PM
OMG!!! he is just tooo cute!! You should name him fluffy, or cottonball or squishy...something cute ^^
Kitsune_Gem
02/20/2012, 06:40 PM
One of my friends already told me to call him squishy, that just made me laugh. I noticed today my Peppermint shrimp is missing, I'm assuming that my Pistol shrimp got him >< I don't really mind though, he wasn't to friendly and always hid.
Ostara
02/20/2012, 06:41 PM
That little guy is just adorable! I've never seen one so tiny. I think the 8 gallon is a perfect starter home for him. I'd be terrified to put such a tiny fella into anything more lest he disappear into the rocks never to be seen again, or be bullied by his tankmates at such a fragile stage.
I second the idea of a cute name for him. I generally don't name fish, but every now and then there's one that just has to be an exception. :)
Kitsune_Gem
02/20/2012, 06:47 PM
He would be eaten if he went into to any of my larger tanks! He really does need a name though.
namxas
02/21/2012, 10:47 AM
Altho it's OK to give tiny juvies a LITTLE bit of food daily for growth, don't give in and overfeed your little lionfish...it's not good for them in the long run. Also, steer clear of carp (goldfish, rosy reds) and krill...they're both bad for your fish.
FWIW, we never name our fish. I know plenty of folks do, but there's an old taboo that warns against naming your prize fish lest something happen to them, but that's our preference. If you DO name the fish, I'm not so sure a cutesy name will work once it becomes a 12"+ cube of predator...
I'm no so sure "fluffy" or "squishy" works for such a fish (this is our fish that used to live in the 6 gal):
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll73/hixphotobucket/Our%20Fish/lionpraying900.jpg
LisaD
02/21/2012, 12:55 PM
Greg, your fish is awesome looking. Is it a black volitans, or is that typical color? Have you documented this fish's growth over time, and when you upgraded its tank?
If not, it would be very interesting for Kitsune Gem to do so. (Yout fish is really adorable; like puppies, it would be cool if they could stay that small!)
Lots of people like lionfish, and it would be helpful to have a collage/timeline to let people know how quickly they grow, and how much space they need.
Kitsune_Gem
02/21/2012, 04:54 PM
Hes not getting named something like, squishie or fluffy. I don't believe in taboos. It may take me a while, but he will have a name. I can already tell when he gets hungry and that's not every day. I'm still working on a feeding schedule for him. I found a shedding from my peppermint shrimp so I'm thinking shes just in hiding for now, but we shall see.
Ill take weekly photos to document his growth, and Ill also get a feeding schedule that goes with it. Right now I'm trying to get him on to frozen
Jodah
02/21/2012, 07:45 PM
That is a ridiculously cute baby Lion! If only they stayed that small and cute!
Kitsune_Gem
02/21/2012, 08:26 PM
Its funny, when he sees me, hungry or not, he comes off his perch and swims in front begging for food.
Kitsune_Gem
02/22/2012, 12:19 AM
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/2012-02-21_22-11-05_467.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/Yukina_Gem/2012-02-21_22-10-53_3.jpg
Here he is begging for food when I walked by the tank, the little bugger already had his food this morning.
That's my thumb next to the tank for size reference. I'm considering calling him Leon..
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