Very aggressive Lionfish??!!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

misssarahbelle

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
3
Location
Tinley Park, Illinois (Chicago)
Hello, all, I am new to this forum and was hoping for some advice/suggestions as general internet searches proved unhelpful.

I currently have a 65 gallon FOWLR featuring a volitan lion, black dogface puffer, and foxface (all juveniles) the foxface went in first and a week or so later the other two were inroduced. The foxface has been skiddish since day one, even when he was in the tank by himself. Now he seems to have made friends with the puffer. Everything was fine for the first few weeks, everyone living in harmony, but it seems that my lion has become the bully of the tank. he charges at both of the other fish when they come out of their hiding spot whether its feeding time or not. He doesn't approach them with his stingers up as if he means serious harm but I have seen him nip at the puffer. Everything I could find online said that the puffer is usually the aggressor, nipping at the lions fins but I have the opposite problem.

All water spects are at optimal levels.

Any ideas? Should I trade the lion in for a new one in hopes of getting a less aggressive one?

BTW, the puffer doesn't seem to be as bothered by the lions aggressive tendencies as I am, he usually just swims away. He is still eating normally.

Any and all suggestions or advice is welcome.
Thanks in advance! :)
 
I have had lionfish for years. That is very odd. I have never seen that. Normally if a fish can't fit in his mouth he will leave it alone. The only thing I can think of is tank is to small or maybe not enough hiding spots. Lions grow very fast. He will out grow a 65 in months. If this does not help I hope some one else has help.
 
That is odd. I would have to agree with lumis that it is the small tank that is causing issues. My lion is the more calm relaxed fish i have in my tank. Maybe you can swap for a dwarf lion of some type ?
 
Thanks everyone for your input. ;)

I'm aware that soon I will have to upgrade the tank for these guys but as they are all about 3-4 inches in length I thought they would be okay for awhile.

Mister Mean Lion has plenty of places to hide as well as perch (as do the other two) so I'm not sure that is the problem.

Do you think the Lion sees the puffer as competition for food maybe? And if so, do you have any suggestions for curbing this?

I drop silversides in there at feeding time and often the lion doesn't even notice it fall past him to the bottom of the tank until the puffer comes along to pick it up. Hmmm.....
 
I have a idea. This is just a guess. I love lionfish they are by far my fav. I have watched them for hours. One thing I have come to realize. The are greedy over food. But they like there food moving. My best guess is it has got used to going after the silversides after a fish has picked it up. So he races at the other fish because its a food reaction. He is expecting they got a fish in there mouth. You can try a feeding stick for him. He will soon associate that with food not the other fish. If you try this let me know if it helps. That's,my best idea.
 
Lumis, I love the Lionfish, too, he was the main reason for getting the bigger tank. I think you may be right and may just have to try that. I had read other forums mentioning feeding a Lion with a stick but my question for you regarding that is does he have any problem gulping or "sucking" into his mouth from a stick? Do I just barely spear the silverside? Thanks!
 
I like the new pic. Pretty fish. They make feeding sticks. Like 3 bucks at a fish store. Just clear plastic. Pretty blunt end they will pull it right off. Never had one get hurt on it.

ForumRunner_20120407_154250.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom