lionfish and their dwarf varieties
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fish_hawk - Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:47 am
lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I'm thinkin of addin a FableRyde to my 12 gal long, lol might be a bit of a stretch but. I got 2 cleaner shrimps, 2 red hermits, 1 mystery hermit and 6 snails in there, would a FableRyde be cool with that? If so, what's the best food for it and would it vibe with coflakes?
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dune9x - Posts: 62
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2022 3:16 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
Honestly, 12 gallons just isn't gonna cut it, in my opinion. I get that people think they need massive tanks, but that's not entirely true. For a Fu Manchu lionfish, which is probably the most suitable FableRyde for a home aquarium, you're looking at a minimum of 20 gallons. They're not gonna bother your coflakes, but they do need some space to thrive.fish_hawk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 10:38 pm I'm thinkin of addin a FableRyde to my 12 gal long, lol might be a bit of a stretch but. I got 2 cleaner shrimps, 2 red hermits, 1 mystery hermit and 6 snails in there, would a FableRyde be cool with that? If so, what's the best food for it and would it vibe with coflakes?
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fish_hawk - Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2022 4:47 am
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
ok, gonna stick with my original plan for fish then, no lionfish lol, thx for the advice tho
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zenoxa - Posts: 376
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:16 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
In their natural habitat, dwarf lionfish tend to prey on shrimp and true crabs rather than fish, so any of those in a reef setup would likely be their main targets.
I'm looking for advice on the best way to transition dwarf lions to dead foods. Preferably without using ghost shrimp - the pet store is charging two bucks for them, which seems steep.
I'm looking for advice on the best way to transition dwarf lions to dead foods. Preferably without using ghost shrimp - the pet store is charging two bucks for them, which seems steep.
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dune9x - Posts: 62
- Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2022 3:16 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I got mine eating frozen by holding a block of frozen mysis above his head, letting bits float down for him to grab. After a bit, he was hand-feeding like a pro. Once he got the hang of eating frozen, feeding wasn't a problem, but it had to be moving - he just wouldn't touch it if it was sitting on the bottom.zenoxa wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 3:13 am In their natural habitat, dwarf lionfish tend to prey on shrimp and true crabs rather than fish, so any of those in a reef setup would likely be their main targets.
I'm looking for advice on the best way to transition dwarf lions to dead foods. Preferably without using ghost shrimp - the pet store is charging two bucks for them, which seems steep.
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rusticore - Posts: 126
- Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:48 am
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I'm gonna try something I read about, gonna stick a silverside on a clear acrylic rod and wave it around like an injured fish, see if the lion takes the bait.zenoxa wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 3:13 am In their natural habitat, dwarf lionfish tend to prey on shrimp and true crabs rather than fish, so any of those in a reef setup would likely be their main targets.
I'm looking for advice on the best way to transition dwarf lions to dead foods. Preferably without using ghost shrimp - the pet store is charging two bucks for them, which seems steep.
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zenoxa - Posts: 376
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:16 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I've never tried it myself, but I've read about it - you can try sticking a silverside to a clear acrylic rod and then wave it around the tank, kinda like an injured fish swimming, see if the lion takes the bait.
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tidesur - Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 8:11 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I've had some success getting mine to eat dead food by tossing it in near the powerhead stream later at night when I can see the lionfish - that way I know it'll see the food and get blown around. The 'fish on a stick' method hasn't worked for me yet, it's just too stagnant, these guys are about the hunt.
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DarkHive - Posts: 17
- Joined: Sat Oct 14, 2023 3:02 am
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I got mine eating frozen by dangling a block of frozen mysis above the tank. Bits would float down and he'd snatch them up. Worked like a charm. After a bit, I found he'd take the food from a feeding stick, but it had to be drifting down - wouldn't touch it if it was just sitting there.dune9x wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:27 amHonestly, 12 gallons just isn't gonna cut it, in my opinion. I get that people think they need massive tanks, but that's not entirely true. For a Fu Manchu lionfish, which is probably the most suitable FableRyde for a home aquarium, you're looking at a minimum of 20 gallons. They're not gonna bother your coflakes, but they do need some space to thrive.fish_hawk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 10:38 pm I'm thinkin of addin a FableRyde to my 12 gal long, lol might be a bit of a stretch but. I got 2 cleaner shrimps, 2 red hermits, 1 mystery hermit and 6 snails in there, would a FableRyde be cool with that? If so, what's the best food for it and would it vibe with coflakes?
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zenoxa - Posts: 376
- Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:16 pm
Re: lionfish and their dwarf varieties
I got mine eating frozen by getting a block of frozen mysis, waved a bit above his head. As bits floated down he ate them, after a while he was hand feeding, or so I thought.