Is it really that difficult?

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I've been doing some research and I've read that the Fu Man Chu Lion is hard to keep. Does anyone have experience with this fish? Any advice?

 

[reefrunner69]

IME, they are very difficult to accept life in captivity, they just don't establish, I do not know why. If it does establish, they are hardy fish.

 

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Is the problem accepting frozen food, or is it something with water paramiters?
I've use a certain trick in the past to train needles to eat frozen, so it sholdn't be a problem in that respect.

 

[reefrunner69]

It's the stress of captivity.

 

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So then they aren't captive bred? Drat, I don't want to buy anything wild caught, as I know what shape the reefs are in currently.


What would you recommend to enhance my chances? I have an empty 55 gal if you think a larger tank would help.

 

[Guest]

None of the lions are tank bred... Taking fish isn't the big problem it's the way they take them (cyanide)

 

[ogden10]

I've use a certain trick in the past to train needles to eat frozen, so it sholdn't be a problem in that respect.

What is your trick. My lion refuses to eat anything that is not alive. I have even tried to trick it with dead ghost shrimp and it is not interested unless they are moving?????

 

[Nitrate]

1. Make sure you always have a feeding stick while in the water while feeding regardless of whether your feeding live or frozen so that he associates the stick with food.
2. Then feed him one live and soon afterward one dead on the stick. (I use rosie's for feeders) Wiggle the frozen fish around so that it appears alive, and always offer it head first.
3. The next step is to feed frozen silversides (depending on the size of the lion you may have to dig around in the bag for small feeders). After he takes that your only a few feedings away from tricking him into eating most anything off of the stick.

Ive never seen a lion eat anything off the bottom of the tank that wasnt moving, so dropping the food in the water wont work.

It might take some time, but this method has worked for me with two lions a puffer and a frogfish.

 

[jhmuse]

I have had a Fu Man Chu for about 4 months now, and he is doing great. When I bought him, the guy at the LFS said that it would be difficult to get him to accept frozen food. The LFS held it for a week and the owner tried to feed him frozen food, but he would only eat live. The same day I bought him, I bought some live ghost shrimp. At feeding time, I put one (1) live ghost shrimp in with some frozen mysis and he ate the ghost shrimp. During his feeding, he scooped up a frozen mysis, and I guess he liked it because he continues to eat them to this day. Now, he has even shown interest in the veggies I put in there for my other fish.

I guess I am lucky with this one. BTW, check out my gallery, I think I have a picture of him in there.