Dwarf Lionfish - They're Not Just Small  11/15/05
Hey Bob,
<Jay>
Let me thank you again for all your top notch help.
<Welcome>
Here's my problem, I purchased a dwarf lionfish on Wednesday and the LFS recommended using frozen shrimp for feeding. By Sunday I couldn't convince the lionfish to eat the shrimp (tried dropping it in front of the power head to fly
around and look live as well as dangle it on a feeding stick in front of it) so I went and bought small feeding fish which it ate up quickly. 
My first question is how can I convert my fish mainly to the frozen shrimp rather than live (except for the occasional mix it up since I know feeding one food is not good)? Also how often should I feed it?
<Posted... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dwflionfdgfaqs.htm and the general Lion Feeding FAQs file>
My second question is what can I put in my tank to sift the sand. I get this white cottony substance build up on the sand bed (usually over old food at the bottom). I figure if the sand is moved a bit that substance won't grow. I don't feel I overfeed, however the fish I worry the fish I have in there don't get enough to eat. I have a yellow tang, flame angel, royal Gramma and the dwarf lion. I use pellets that fall pretty quick that the angel and tang eat (but usually not off the sand) and the gamma that only eats flakes (not off the sand either).
Any help is appreciated, look forward to your advice thanks again.
Jay
<Here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsiftfaqs.htm and the linked files above... Please, learn to/use the indices, search tool. Bob Fenner> 

Dwarf lionfish questions 7/28/05
I have a well-established 46 gallon tank.  Currently I have 2 Percula Clowns, 1 Chocolate Chip starfish and a Coral Banded Shrimp (approx. 2 inches long). < Sounds like a barren tank, and mostly a FOWLR. > I am interested in getting a Dwarf Lionfish but am concerned about its compatibility. < Well I think you should be okay.  I've seen a few of them in tanks with coral banded shrimp and clownfish.  I don't think I would buy the biggest dwarf lion and keep it with baby clownfish, but in general I think this sounds fine. > How large does a Dwarf Lionfish grow to be and would it  harm or eat any of my current fish? < Grow to about 5 inches, and if well fed with a variety of frozen foods it should be worry free. > Thanks
Mark
<  Blundell  > <<Sooner or later they'll suck'em up brah. RMF>>

DOA Lionfish 7/22/05
Hi,   
<Hey, Mike G with you today.>
we  have  been having  very bad luck with our  dwarf  lion fish  being  shipped to us.   we have  a  online fish store GODSCREATIONSUNDERTHESEA.COM     the strange  thing is   lately    I have  ordered lion fish from 3 different  suppliers  wholesalers/   each time  the lion fish arrives dead?   dwarf lions  are  suppose to be hardy   what do you think the problem could be  . the  heat?
<Are you sure they've arrived dead? Often, a fish will look dead upon arrival, only to "revive" once acclimated to their new home. In my experience, smaller lions are notorious for this. Did you acclimate the supposed corpses? If so, and they arrived dead, I really cannot help you unless you provide more information. Best of luck with your problem, Mike G.>

Re: DOA Lionfish 7/26/05
yes they were dead  and  one  I received the other day we put him in the
water in our  tank, he  was upside down and never recovered. defiantly dead.
<Interesting.>
I thought  maybe they were delicate shippers?
<Actually, no.>
or  two much heat    or  temp change . where  can I find  a list of  all wholesalers    ?
<Doubtful. There is no real compiled list of all wholesalers on the planet.>
lol I have tried to get  a dwarf  lion fish 3 times  for  a customers  each time  it is DOA
or  shortly after   being put n the tank/ .
<I am beginning to suspect your water over the quality of then fish you are receiving.>
on one  order I bought  3 at one
time   and all three died  one   made it a little longer  but it look like
there was something wrong  with his eyes. pop eye maybe  or something . were
thinking  about  direct  importing ourselves .
<Perhaps. What are you parameters? Mike G>

Dwarf Lionfish 7/22/05
I was wondering if any of the dwarf lions are easier to acclimate and keep
than others and which one(s) are easier to convert to frozen food. I
recently added a dwarf zebra to my 65 gallon tank, he never ate anything
and died after 5 days, If I attempt another I would like to know if any
other dwarf is easier than the zebra? <Brad, most lionfish are difficult to convert to frozen food.  You have to start them out eating live foods to get back in shape so to speak, then occasionally try frozen foods.  No guarantee they will acclimate.  I don't believe one type of lion is easier to convert to frozen food.  Personally, I think the volitans would be the easiest of the lions, but they are not dwarfs of course.
Thanks, Brad <James (Salty Dog)>

Lionfish taxonomy
Dear crew:
I have perused everything on this site that I can find, and Dr. Marini's articles on reefkeeper.com, and I remain baffled, hoping you can shed some light.  I'm trying to identify a fish by species, and having difficulty. I am sorry that I can't forward digital pictures, and am hoping that a gross physical description might be a purposeful place to start.
<Not likely>
A local fish store has a variant of dwarf lion that seems not to fit with what I can find in descriptions of species.  When asked, employees could only report that it had been taken in trade, and had been in the store for some time.  Anecdotally, one of them thought it might have originally come from Florida, though that could just as easily have been the locus of the collector/aquarist. When queried about the species, they generalized it to be a fuzzy dwarf.
<There are many scorpaenoid fishes called "dwarf lions", not all are pteroines...>
The critter in question most generally seems to be brachypterus, but not quite.  The pectoral fins have the characteristic shape reminiscent of the sail on a Chinese junk, and are webbed almost to the end of the spines. Body shape [about 4"], coloration, and fin profile are generally consistent, but there are a few significant departures.  It lacks the "moustache" protuberances at the corners of the mouth, and has no noticeable "horns" above the eyes.  There are bumps of tissue along the lateral line, again consistent with brachypterus, but most noticeably there are no "flags" of tissue at the ends of the dorsal spines as both of my fuzzies have.  Finally, while every fuzzy I have seen has blue eyes, the eyes of this fish have a bright orange outer circle, with a center that is a deep green/black [like a Tahitian black pearl].
My best guess is that it's actually a barberi.  Can you suggest any definitive characteristics that I can look for to identify it more definitively?  Am I overlooking the obvious, and can you tell me what I should have figured out on my own?  
<Mmm, you might peruse the linked references for these species, genera on fishbase.org or make a trip to a large college library for a computer searched bibliography... There is variation in the Brachypterus mentioned... color and appendages-wise... Bob Fenner>
Looking forward to your suggestions,
Rick Walters

Dwarf (Lionfish) Done Did Himself
Dear crew,
This evening I noticed that my dwarf zebra has a tear or puncture in the membrane of one of his fins. There are actually two tears or perforations, one about 1/8" in diameter, the other about 1/16", joined by a thin strip of tissue. He swims fine, is not sheltering or guarding, and is currently feeding. First, is this nothing to worry about? 
<<Nope, I'd just watch him, continue feeding properly, might add some Selcon to food if not already. Have Spectrogram on hand at all times.>>
Second, if it is a cause for concern, should I do something prophylactic to prevent infection? 
<<That would best be the supplement, Selcon.>>
Or will it likely heal on its own without my doing anything? [I Googled, and found only a section on wound management that pertained to lions wounding us, rather than assisting a wounded lion.]
<<Stuff like this happens to all fishes all the time. Given proper conditions, it should heal just fine. But, even if the tissue *doesn't* grow back, it will do no harm to the fish.>>
Thanks, as always,
Rick Walters
<<Quite welcome. Marina>> 

- Dwarf Lion Questions -
I have fuzzy dwarf lionfish who shows no interest in any food except Mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and ghost shrimp. <Ghost shrimp and Mysis shrimp are fine - nothing to worry about here.> 
I have tried krill, goldfish, saltwater guppies and Tubifex worms but has shown no interest in them. 
<Would keep up with the krill but would not offer "feeder" fish - these will affect the long term survivability of your lionfish. As for the Tubifex worms - these are not marine in origin and I've seen very few marine fish, let alone lionfish that will eat them.> 
Well do you recommend all my levels are all where they should be. 
<Think you're doing fine - you might want to offer the krill on the end of a feeding stick - waggle in front of its face... but the Mysis and ghost shrimp are certainly suitable foods.>
My fuzzy also turns a creamy color every once in a while, is this rare or a problem?
<This is neither rare nor a problem. Cheers, J -- > 

When a Lionfish Does What a Lionfish Does..
>Hello all.
>>Hello one.
>I've Googled, and found no answer.
>>At least you made the effort.
>Yesterday I brought home a beautiful little fuzzy dwarf lion, who is the first occupant of my 75 gallon tank [along with 40 pounds of very crusty live rock]. 
>>Of all the things that should or should not be crusty, rock that is live, and bread.
>After recovering from the stress of the trip, he adjusted well, and even took a ghost shrimp for an evening snack. After lights out, he cruised the tank for several hours, getting to know the neighborhood.
>>Alright.
>Since this morning, though, he has spent the entire day perched on one of my heaters. I have not been able to find any information relating stress or transition to a need for additional warmth. I checked the temperature of the tank, and it's 76.8 F in the center of the tank, as well as at the front wall [measured 6" under the surface]. I have read that lions tolerate temperatures between 72 and 78 well, so I think I'm in the ballpark. Should I just chalk this up to WTTFJD [weird things that fish just do]?
>>Oh, no, not at all. This isn't weird in the least, either. This *is* what Lionfishes, especially dwarf lions, do. Simple as that. Marina