Lionfish

[hrdneglcry]

The LFS has some Lionfish for sale that as of now are eating live food. I will not feed them any live food if i buy one. How likely is it that the lionfish will learn quickly from my other fish how to eat thawed blends of fish, and garlic?
Is it possible that it might starve itself to death if I do not offer it live food?

[mhltcob]

What type of lionfish do they have? It is possible, depending on species, that they will starve to death if not offered live food. It is also possible, even if offered live foods of appropriate nutritional content, that they can starve anyway especially given the tankmates (aggressive feeders) you have. Even if you get an aggressive eats anything lionfish, the triggers you have would almost certainly kill the lionfish with time.

[Triggerman1964]

Lions are very smart fish and will adapt well to nonliving food.

[hrdneglcry]

I do not have a Lionfish right now. I am thinking about buying one, and I am not sure what kind it is. A firnd of mine kept several Lionfish with a 24" Grouper with success. Might I be more successful if I bought 2, or 3 Lionfish?

[mhltcob]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7786391#post7786391 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hrdneglcry
Might I be more successful if I bought 2, or 3 Lionfish?

no, you will probably end up with 2 or 3 chewed up lionfish instead of 1.

[Brock Fluharty]

Your tank seems a little overstocked anyway. Most fish such as triggers, lions, ect., produce more watse than normal fish because of their eating habits. Maybe I misinterpreted your Cureent Tanks, but does it say you hav 1 tank?

[hrdneglcry]

I have one tank that I might eventually add a 300 gallon sump to. My Niger Triggers, which are my favorite salt water fish, will decide who stays, and who goes in the 180 gallon tank. They stick together, and give Triggers like the Clown, and Undulate plenty activity to keep them busy. My two Ocean Clear Canister Filters will filter a 500 gallon tank per each filter, and I am golden in the waste removal department. The tank will be overstocked one day as the fish grow up to adults, but I plan to over engineer the situation by adding a large sump. I already discussed this with a knowledgeable person at the Toledo Zoo, and it works as long as no other live stock is added. Behind the scenes at the Toledo Zoo they have a 30,000 gallon pond that supplies water to one of their exhibits, so the fish although being housed in a much smaller tank than 30,000 gallons, have 30,000 gallons of additional water being pumped in, and out. FYI I probably will not buy a Lionfish.