Dr. Felicia's Predator Paradise - Retired

[1.0reef]

He's been at Aquatic Collection (LFS) for over a month and they have him trained onto frozen. I got to see him eat silverside chunks like a beast yesterday. I'm actually going to pick him up in a few hours. Decided I was bored with my fish (also had my candy hog go rogue) and that I needed a change. Switching it up to a mixed reef + predator tank. About to go catch all my fish and shrimp except the clowns and starry blenny and then I'll be bringing home the Fu Manchu and a snowflake eel. The plan is to let those two settle in and then try to find a dwarf fuzzy.

They have sweet stuff, I was looking at that guy myself. I wish I had a species tank for it!

[Felicia]

They have sweet stuff, I was looking at that guy myself. I wish I had a species tank for it!

They do! Its a great store and the owners are both really cool guys.

Introducing the new Fu Manchu lionfish! I have decided to name him Mushu after the little dragon in Mulan. He's still pretty shocked by the change in environment since he'd been living at the LFS for over a month in a tiny cube with absolutely no decor or PVC pipes or anything. He's just sort of chilling on the rock on the left side of the tank right now.

 

 

See the resemblance?

 

I managed to get him acclimated and into the tank without him stinging me. That's the only thing I'm nervous about with the new lionfish. I will have to me much more careful when I'm working on the tank. Here's my lionfish protection, haha!

 

The new snowflake eel is also settling in nicely. He's been slithering all over the tank checking out all the different crevices and caves in the rocks. Trying to find just the right home I think. Right now he's settled into the front right rock and keeps poking his head out. I have always wanted an eel and I am so fascinated! I'll have some videos up in a moment. He's being photo shy.

I think he has the prettiest color and coolest pattern of any fish I've had.

Video time!

 

 

Moving to the next page

[FlowerMama]

Wonderful acquisitions!

[Felicia]

Wonderful acquisitions!

Thanks, Annette!

 

The new additions made it safely through their first night and seem to be settling in well. Just have to get them eating today. They both ate frozen well at the store, so I'm not too worried. Its just weird because they're predators, so they are only supposed to eat 2-3 times per week which is new.

[gena]

WOW...what a turn!!!!! But very cool!!!! I think I saw the little yellow wrasse in the second video. He looked scared when he saw the lionfish!!!!

 

So what do you feed them? Live foods?

[FlowerMama]

Guess they need to be kept hungry so they can do their thing and predate! My friend has same eel and the typical lion fish and while it's always hungry the eel may not eat for 2 wks sometimes. If it doesn't care to come out for food, it just doesn't.

[Felicia]

WOW...what a turn!!!!! But very cool!!!! I think I saw the little yellow wrasse in the second video. He looked scared when he saw the lionfish!!!!

 

So what do you feed them? Live foods?

Thanks! I think its something fun and different. Yeah that silly little tiny wrasse refuses to be caught. He's still alive and well this morning, so luckily the lionfish has shown any interest in making a snack out of him. I'm going to try to set up a water bottle trap to catch him in the next couple days. I don't want him to become food.

 

The Fu Manchu that I just got was eating frozen for over a month at the LFS, so he should be easy. They were feeding him silversides, so I got some of those and down the line I'll try to give him some variety with other large chunks of seafood. The other lionfish I get may not be eating frozen when I get it, but the species I want is supposed to be pretty easy to wean onto frozen food. Ghost shrimp, mollies, or guppies work well as live food while you wean them to frozen. I lucked out because Fu Manchu's are considered the hardest to get weaned onto frozen and some never switch over, so it was exciting to find one that was already eating frozen.

 

Guess they need to be kept hungry so they can do their thing and predate! My friend has same eel and the typical lion fish and while it's always hungry the eel may not eat for 2 wks sometimes. If it doesn't care to come out for food, it just doesn't.

So apparently lionfish will eat until they make themselves sick and I believe eels are the same way. That means you have to stick to only feeding them a couple times a week because that's what is healthy for them. They just have no self control with food. In nature though, predators don't catch food all that often, so basically they catch a fish, eat it, and then digest for a few days before expending the energy to hunt again. Its just in our tanks they get lazy and don't have to use any energy to hunt since we just shove dead food in their face all the time

[Felicia]

Both Mushu and the eel ate some silverside chunks a bit ago! Yay! They seem to be settling in well. Took a video of the two of them after I finished feeding them.

[Rehype]

 

So apparently lionfish will eat until they make themselves sick and I believe eels are the same way. That means you have to stick to only feeding them a couple times a week because that's what is healthy for them. They just have no self control with food. In nature though, predators don't catch food all that often, so basically they catch a fish, eat it, and then digest for a few days before expending the energy to hunt again. Its just in our tanks they get lazy and don't have to use any energy to hunt since we just shove dead food in their face all the time

 

I totally agree with you. IME my Fu will only eat until hes full and then will retreat to his cave. The fuzzies ive owned on the other hand have no filters and will eat until they can barely move.

 

Congrats on getting them to eat!!!

[metrokat]

The pattern on the fish is incredible. Must be really striking when he's swimming about in the tank.

Loved the Lily/Eel video.

[markalot]

Hmmm for the predators.

 

At least you can still have coral!

[Mr. Microscope]

Fun videos! Congrats on getting them to eat. Really unique animals there.

[gena]

Thanks! I think its something fun and different. Yeah that silly little tiny wrasse refuses to be caught. He's still alive and well this morning, so luckily the lionfish has shown any interest in making a snack out of him. I'm going to try to set up a water bottle trap to catch him in the next couple days. I don't want him to become food.

 

The Fu Manchu that I just got was eating frozen for over a month at the LFS, so he should be easy. They were feeding him silversides, so I got some of those and down the line I'll try to give him some variety with other large chunks of seafood. The other lionfish I get may not be eating frozen when I get it, but the species I want is supposed to be pretty easy to wean onto frozen food. Ghost shrimp, mollies, or guppies work well as live food while you wean them to frozen. I lucked out because Fu Manchu's are considered the hardest to get weaned onto frozen and some never switch over, so it was exciting to find one that was already eating frozen.

 

So apparently lionfish will eat until they make themselves sick and I believe eels are the same way. That means you have to stick to only feeding them a couple times a week because that's what is healthy for them. They just have no self control with food. In nature though, predators don't catch food all that often, so basically they catch a fish, eat it, and then digest for a few days before expending the energy to hunt again. Its just in our tanks they get lazy and don't have to use any energy to hunt since we just shove dead food in their face all the time

An occasional live treat would probably be good for them but nice that it doesn't have to be live all the time . Is the wrasse still alive? He cracked me up in that video...poor guy. He seems pretty fast and not likely to be made a meal of. Unfortunately his speediness is bad for you...trying to net him! I hope the trap will work!

 

That latest video was great! The music LOL.

[Felicia]

 

I totally agree with you. IME my Fu will only eat until hes full and then will retreat to his cave. The fuzzies ive owned on the other hand have no filters and will eat until they can barely move.

 

Congrats on getting them to eat!!!

Thanks! How much does your Fu Manchu usually eat at one feeding? Mine only ate one large pea-sized chunk of silverside yesterday and then swam off. I assume he's still getting settled in, so I'm not worried, but I figure that wasn't the normal amount of food he will eat.

 

The pattern on the fish is incredible. Must be really striking when he's swimming about in the tank.

Loved the Lily/Eel video.

Thanks, Kat! He's such a gorgeous fish. He's more like a dragonet in the way he swims. He spends a lot of time hopping about on the sand or rocks, but he will occasionally hover up in the water. He's really funny in that he likes to hang upside down from the bottom of the bonsai pillar. Lily was so fascinated with that eel. She normally ignores my fish now since the novelty wore off ages ago, but she was very intrigued by the eel.

 

Hmmm for the predators.

 

At least you can still have coral!

Not a predator fan? They're totally reef safe in terms of all corals. I just can't keep shrimp or other crustaceans and of course small fish won't work. The coral is the more exciting part for most of us anyway.

 

Fun videos! Congrats on getting them to eat. Really unique animals there.

Thanks! Glad they both are taking food. Feeding them is fun, so I'm going to have to restrain myself to only feed the recommended 2-3 times a week. They are so unique and different. I'm very fascinated. I always love watching the habits of new creatures.

 

An occasional live treat would probably be good for them but nice that it doesn't have to be live all the time . Is the wrasse still alive? He cracked me up in that video...poor guy. He seems pretty fast and not likely to be made a meal of. Unfortunately his speediness is bad for you...trying to net him! I hope the trap will work!

 

That latest video was great! The music LOL.

Yep! I used to do that with the seahorses. They ate frozen but I'd give them a live treat sometimes just because its fun to watch and gives them something to do. Once I have the lionfish all settled on his frozen diet in my tank, I'll get some ghost shrimp for him and take a nice video of him hunting.

 

The wrasse was just fine this morning when I left for work. I got him about a month ago and he is such a spunky little thing. WAY too brave for his own good. He's TINY but when I added the lionfish to the tank he got right up in his face to check him out. I was like oh no...he's going to get himself eat already but the lionfish is showing no interest. The wrasse seems to no be afraid of him at all, he gets pretty close to him all the time, but so far the lionfish hasn't gone after anything but frozen food.

 

Yeah I'm hoping I can catch the little wrasse with a trap because even though he seems safe with the Fu Manchu, the other lionfish I plan to get soon is more of an open water swimmer and would be much more likely to eat him. I ordered a breeder net on Amazon, so I plan to try to trap him using the water bottle fish trap in the next couple days and then let him live in the breeder net until I can take him to the store.

 

Glad you enjoyed the video Had to give the predators some sinister music!

[markalot]

 

Not a predator fan? They're totally reef safe in terms of all corals. I just can't keep shrimp or other crustaceans and of course small fish won't work. The coral is the more exciting part for most of us anyway.

 

 

 

I agree. I'm not really a fish fan, they get in the way of the coral photos, but I need their blood ... I mean poop.

[gena]

Thanks! How much does your Fu Manchu usually eat at one feeding? Mine only ate one large pea-sized chunk of silverside yesterday and then swam off. I assume he's still getting settled in, so I'm not worried, but I figure that wasn't the normal amount of food he will eat.

 

Thanks, Kat! He's such a gorgeous fish. He's more like a dragonet in the way he swims. He spends a lot of time hopping about on the sand or rocks, but he will occasionally hover up in the water. He's really funny in that he likes to hang upside down from the bottom of the bonsai pillar. Lily was so fascinated with that eel. She normally ignores my fish now since the novelty wore off ages ago, but she was very intrigued by the eel.

 

Not a predator fan? They're totally reef safe in terms of all corals. I just can't keep shrimp or other crustaceans and of course small fish won't work. The coral is the more exciting part for most of us anyway.

 

Thanks! Glad they both are taking food. Feeding them is fun, so I'm going to have to restrain myself to only feed the recommended 2-3 times a week. They are so unique and different. I'm very fascinated. I always love watching the habits of new creatures.

 

Yep! I used to do that with the seahorses. They ate frozen but I'd give them a live treat sometimes just because its fun to watch and gives them something to do. Once I have the lionfish all settled on his frozen diet in my tank, I'll get some ghost shrimp for him and take a nice video of him hunting.

 

The wrasse was just fine this morning when I left for work. I got him about a month ago and he is such a spunky little thing. WAY too brave for his own good. He's TINY but when I added the lionfish to the tank he got right up in his face to check him out. I was like oh no...he's going to get himself eat already but the lionfish is showing no interest. The wrasse seems to no be afraid of him at all, he gets pretty close to him all the time, but so far the lionfish hasn't gone after anything but frozen food.

 

Yeah I'm hoping I can catch the little wrasse with a trap because even though he seems safe with the Fu Manchu, the other lionfish I plan to get soon is more of an open water swimmer and would be much more likely to eat him. I ordered a breeder net on Amazon, so I plan to try to trap him using the water bottle fish trap in the next couple days and then let him live in the breeder net until I can take him to the store.

 

Glad you enjoyed the video Had to give the predators some sinister music!

What kind of wrasse is he? He's really cute from what I can see. Is that the one you said went rogue?

[Felicia]

What kind of wrasse is he? He's really cute from what I can see. Is that the one you said went rogue?

That's an itty bitty baby coris wrasse. I got him like a month ago because he was the tiniest baby wrasse id ever seen and he was just too cute. The candy hog was the one who went rogue.

 

I agree. I'm not really a fish fan, they get in the way of the coral photos, but I need their blood ... I mean poop.

I love fish, but I've been frustrated with them recently so it was time to try some new types of fish

[gena]

That's an itty bitty baby coris wrasse. I got him like a month ago because he was the tiniest baby wrasse id ever seen and he was just too cute. The candy hog was the one who went rogue.

I love fish, but I've been frustrated with them recently so it was time to try some new types of fish

Oh my gosh, he is really little . And spunky!

[myarmolich]

Love the new direction of the tank!

[vlangel]

I have had both snowflake eels and lionfish in the past and you will find them to hardy, long lived species. Another good reason not to over feed them is that they both grow pretty fast and get pretty big. Mine were in a 125g predator tank. They will dirty up your water with all the protein based food they eat too. I had mine in a FOWLR system. They were fun fish though. Lionfish are very docile and I was never stung by one and I worked around them a lot so unless you pin it against a rock or something, it's not going to try and sting you.

[Rehype]

Thanks! How much does your Fu Manchu usually eat at one feeding? Mine only ate one large pea-sized chunk of silverside yesterday and then swam off. I assume he's still getting settled in, so I'm not worried, but I figure that wasn't the normal amount of food he will eat.

 

 

Qianlong will only eat 2-3 krill or 5-6 jumbo mysis in one sitting.

[Felicia]

Oh my gosh, he is really little . And spunky!

Unfortunately...I think he might have gotten eaten yesterday evening. I came home from dinner with friends and he was nowhere to be seen. He's always out and about and he didn't come out for food, so I'm guessing he became a snack. Poor little guy. Wish he would have let me catch him

 

Love the new direction of the tank!

Thank you! Its fun so I hope it works out well long term.

 

I have had both snowflake eels and lionfish in the past and you will find them to hardy, long lived species. Another good reason not to over feed them is that they both grow pretty fast and get pretty big. Mine were in a 125g predator tank. They will dirty up your water with all the protein based food they eat too. I had mine in a FOWLR system. They were fun fish though. Lionfish are very docile and I was never stung by one and I worked around them a lot so unless you pin it against a rock or something, it's not going to try and sting you.

Good to hear. Yeah, from what I've read, the eels will grow much slower if you stick to feeding them a couple times a week like they would eat in the wild. I saw one article that said it should take ~2 years to reach a mature size. Hopefully the snowflake will stay small enough for me to enjoy in my tank for a while. When he gets too big, I'll just rehome him and get another tiny one. Yeah I hear they're pretty dirty, so hopefully my filtration can handle 2 lions and the eel. Someone suggested biopellets with predator fish, so I may have to try that if I'm having water quality issues. Also great to hear that you never got stung! I'm not worried about the lionfish being aggressive, more just accidentally bumping into it. I'm being really careful about paying attention to where he is and trying to do more things with tongs instead of always sticking my hands in the tank. Also, when I'm going to have my hands in the tank working for a while, I'm going to stick to wearing the over the elbow, thick rubber gloves.

 

 

Qianlong will only eat 2-3 krill or 5-6 jumbo mysis in one sitting.

This is good to hear! The chunk of silverside Mushu ate was about equal to that. Maybe I should offer him some smaller food. I have some of the jumbo mysis to give him variety. Do you use tongs or something to feed Qianlong or how do you feed him?

[FlowerMama]

Oh no your poor fish. But it's nature, I had to remind myself of that when Gertie beat up Geneva and ate her.

[Felicia]

Oh no your poor fish. But it's nature, I had to remind myself of that when Gertie beat up Geneva and ate her.

Yeah its ok. Its just how it would be in the ocean. I can't get too upset. I tried to prevent it by getting that fish out but I just could not catch him after spending hours trying. Oh well...

[gena]

Wow...that's surprises me. He looked so FAST and spunky!!!! Could the eel have gotten him?