Ideas how to switch lion fish to frozen

[MrMonte]

Hi! 
 

A recent new addition to my tank is an Antennata Lion Fish. He has not yet been transitioned to frozen food and I am looking for any advice on the transition, experience in how long it has taken others and / or what live foods you’d suggest in the mean time. 
 

right now the lion fish (still looking to give it a name too) is on a steady diet of ghost shrimp. I’ve tried krill and cut up sliver sides but he won’t take them yet. I do feed thawed mysis shrimp every day or other day in the tank. The lion seems interested in all the thawed food but I have yet to see him take it. 

[islandVib3s]

1 hour ago, MrMonte said:

Hi! 
 

A recent new addition to my tank is an Antennata Lion Fish. He has not yet been transitioned to frozen food and I am looking for any advice on the transition, experience in how long it has taken others and / or what live foods you’d suggest in the mean time. 
 

right now the lion fish (still looking to give it a name too) is on a steady diet of ghost shrimp. I’ve tried krill and cut up sliver sides but he won’t take them yet. I do feed thawed mysis shrimp every day or other day in the tank. The lion seems interested in all the thawed food but I have yet to see him take it. 

I would try to switch to dry/wet food. I don't have a lion yet but when I do id use dried mysis and let it soak in rodi and add some garlic oil( i use the minced garlic and just take the oil thats at the bottom) i also make my own diy cubes and have added that and my fish go crazy for it. My next batch ill also add the multi vitamin stuff in a bottle . If i had a fish that doesn't want to eat,that's its problem if im providing for it lol thats how I look at it anyway.sweet fish btw I want to get one also.

[MrMonte]

6 hours ago, islandVib3s said:

I would try to switch to dry/wet food. I don't have a lion yet but when I do id use dried mysis and let it soak in rodi and add some garlic oil( i use the minced garlic and just take the oil thats at the bottom) i also make my own diy cubes and have added that and my fish go crazy for it. My next batch ill also add the multi vitamin stuff in a bottle . If i had a fish that doesn't want to eat,that's its problem if im providing for it lol thats how I look at it anyway.sweet fish btw I want to get one also.

Thanks! Sweet, I have some dried shrimp I’ll try your technique in a few days. Thank you!!

[Totroc3]

I always had success transitioning Lionfish from live foods to freshly peeled raw shrimp chunks. You need to get the Lionfish comfortable eating in front of you and eating regularly first.
 

I would buy medium sized raw shrimp with the shells on and then I would peel the shell off right before feeding appropriate sized chunks of shrimp. After I got them eating the shrimp they would then eat anything and everything I offered to them. I only used the raw shrimp with the shells during the transition. I had several over the years and this worked every single time. 

[MrMonte]

4 hours ago, Totroc3 said:

I always had success transitioning Lionfish from live foods to freshly peeled raw shrimp chunks. You need to get the Lionfish comfortable eating in front of you and eating regularly first.
 

I would buy medium sized raw shrimp with the shells on and then I would peel the shell off right before feeding appropriate sized chunks of shrimp. After I got them eating the shrimp they would then eat anything and everything I offered to them. I only used the raw shrimp with the shells during the transition. I had several over the years and this worked every single time. 

Thank you!! We’re you feeding using metal tongs? Trying to figure out the best tool. Right now I have short wooden ones, I am wondering if it is still scared of me/ seeing my hand in the tank. I noticed at the store today they were feeding an eel with long metal tongs. I’m going to give the shrimp a try as well. Thank you, much appreciated!

[Knuckledragger]

So way back in college I had a lion fish that would only eat live food. I was into fishing at the time and realized that the same concepts in fishing would probably work to get my lion to eat. I clipped a fish hook so that it only had the eye and a small part of the straight shank left. I tied it to fishing line and then took a piece of shrimp and pushed it onto the small shank of what was the fish hook. I lowered it in the water and used the line to make the shrimp piece twitch up an down. He immediately took interest and then grabbed the shrimp. I pulled the line as he grabbed it so the little metal piece pulled out of his mouth but left the shrimp. I did this a few times and from then on he would eat almost anything I put in the tank.

[Totroc3]

On 7/22/2021 at 1:38 AM, MrMonte said:

Thank you!! We’re you feeding using metal tongs? Trying to figure out the best tool. Right now I have short wooden ones, I am wondering if it is still scared of me/ seeing my hand in the tank. I noticed at the store today they were feeding an eel with long metal tongs. I’m going to give the shrimp a try as well. Thank you, much appreciated!

I never used metal tongs nor did my hands actually go into the tank beyond dragging the shrimp across the top of the water. It’s the same idea as knuckledragger said above. Just try to get him interested in the food by seeing it move. He might still be scared of you at this point. I’ve never had them go after me. While they are aggressive with food they seem to be smart about staying away from your hand unless they are cornered. To your point about eels and metal tongs, eels can be much more aggressive depending on the type and tongs are prudent in some cases. I’ve had zebra eels that are really friendly like a real pet that you can literally hand feed and I’ve had some eels that would love nothing better than to snack on my digits even when they are full. Give your lion a little time and this food transition will be easy. You’ll be laughing when you see him trying to eat everything you drop in.