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Kynneke 
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 Topic: Volitan Lion
Posted: April 09 2008 at 7:56am |
The next fish I'm thinking of getting is a Volitan Lion but I'd like some personal experiences. They are listed as "Use with Caution around Reef" and that they eat shrimp. Anyone had a Lion that didn't munch coral? When they say it eats shrimp do they mean Mysis and Brine or do they mean peppermint and cleaner? Did yours basically leave your clean up crew alone?
Any other info is much appreciated.
Tanya
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Ed Taylor
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 8:14am |
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They won't bother your coral or snails, but shrimp and crabs are another story.
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155 Bowfront
90 tall, tangs, softies
70 tall, fresh
72 bowfront FO (sons tank)
55 fresh (sons)
30 hex fresh (daughter's)
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 8:16am |
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Dang, I want one! Don't mind them eating my crabs I guess but I'd like to get a shrimp eventually.
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adamschrage
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 8:55am |
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Any shrimp that will fit in its mouth will be gone. I actually have a trigger and a volitan in one of my tanks and during a feeding the lionfish got over zealous and tried to eat the trigger. He was actually swimming around with the first inch of the trigger in his mouth. Both are fine now and I wish I had got a picture. Its really hard to feed a tank with a lionfish as the lionfish will gulp down everything.
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 9:02am |
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So even though he's listed as peaceful he'll kill my perc's/chromis at feeding if they try to eat??
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Jeff Morrill
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 9:03am |
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The dwarf lion is mostly reef safe, It does have a apitite for shrimp. Not as flashy or pretty as the volitian and I havent seen him eat the 4 pepermint shrimp yet...
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WHAT KINDA GUM????... Give em 2 sticks.
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 9:05am |
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Thanks for the info guys! Glad I didn't rush out and buy one, I'll think about it because I really want one.. maybe more than a new shrimp but at least I have info.
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 9:28am |
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the tank is big enough you could feed the lion at one end and the rest of your fish at the other. bw had some really small lions that would work good in your tank.
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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Ed Taylor
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 10:30am |
And when it gets bigger, it can be moved to your second or third tank. 
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155 Bowfront
90 tall, tangs, softies
70 tall, fresh
72 bowfront FO (sons tank)
55 fresh (sons)
30 hex fresh (daughter's)
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 10:31am |
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Hahahaha, my hubby put a nix on more than 1 tank! I wanted to get rid of our extra couch to keep my 55 gallon but so far it's a no-go.
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BobC63
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Posted: April 09 2008 at 6:29pm |
Volitans are pretty hardy and fairly easy to keep but do best in a "predator" type setup with larger fish such as Triggers, Groupers, Boxfish, Dogfish or Puffers, Eels, etc. They also tend to get large - up to 10" long is not uncommon for the Pterois Volitans spp .
Usually they are not kept in a "reef" environment not so much because they will eat corals or snails or crabs but that most of their "predator" tankmates will. (But they do like shrimp!)
And they tend to like larger expanses of open sand to swim about and fully open their pectoral fins (not that they are very active swimmers, though). They also need good filtration due to their feeding habits (see below)
They do best fed meaty (and messy foods) such as large krill or even food shrimp, silversides, some will even go for frozen squid or other frozen seafoods... 1 thing you should NOT feed them is goldfish or other fresh water "feeders" as this can lead to long-term dietary deficiencies and illness or even death.
I had one about 8" long in a 150g tank maybe 20+ years ago; his tankmates were a Panther Grouper about a foot long and a 6 -7" Queen Trigger. He lasted about 5 years; should have been alot longer but we didn't know better back then and fed "feeder" goldfish quite often (unfortunately)... but it was a cool setup nonetheless 
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: April 11 2008 at 5:23pm |
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there is a member on the board who has a lion in a 55 bowfront reef along with a clownfish and a tang, he had some amazing corals in his tank by the way and never had a problem. i know it did sting his daughter once but other then that he never said anything about it eating corals or fish. i always said if it can fit in his mouth then he cant live with it. i know he did have this exact one for sale i can find his post if you would like. btw it was a beautiful fish.
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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Will Spencer
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Posted: April 12 2008 at 1:54pm |
Lionfish can absolutely be kept in a reef tank. Volitans will get very large though and will eventually be large enough to eat your smaller reef fish such as Chromis or other damsel fish, Firefish, Clownfish, Anthias, etc. They may be fine with these fish for a while, but they will eventually snack on them. Larger fish such as Tangs, Rabbitfish, and Angels are too large for lionfish to eat and are OK in the same tank with them.
You must also be careful when working in a tank housing a lionfish since their dorsal spines carry a toxin and if you get stung by one it can cause problems from irritating rash and paid to very major problems that on rare occasion end up with amputations of hands or arms.
This said, the 2 I have had in the past were some of my all time favorite fish. They are also very photogenic by the way.
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 7:35am |
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I opted for this WAY gorgeous Foxface, I went looking at BW and ended up with the little guy. He's kind of .. no.. he's VERY skiddish, skin blotches the second I walk by and he's not eating but I'm sure he'll come around.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 7:51am |
I hope he does come around and start eating. They are beautiful fish.
Mike
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Kynneke
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 7:54am |
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I got him some Formula 2 type foods but I'm going to run to AD today and see if they have a frozen Spirulina I can give him. Little guy is a "Play Deader" too! Geeesh that's a tad unnerving. He's in the tank with 2 Ocellaris, 2 Green Chromis and a LMB so nothing in there is going to beat up on him if he's a tad whimpy.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 3:55pm |
Rabbitfish can take care of themselves pretty well.
Mike
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BobC63
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 5:23pm |
My old Foxface "dissapeared" behind the rockwork for the better part of the first week that I had him and used to "blotch out" and play dead from time to time...
I wouldn't worry about your fish. Just remember those spines 
Edited by carlso63 - April 14 2008 at 5:23pm
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- My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) -
* Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 *
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