Lionfish Woes

[Doc]

So here is my latest sob story. I finally found my last fish (after rearranging my stock - and sadly losing my Atlantic Blue Tang - darn vacation). I have been waiting for 10 months for a healthy specimen (did I spell that right?) to show up at my LFS and finally my Radiata came in. Three others have proceeded him/her but they all shipped poorly and died within three days of coming in. This one has been around for two weeks and looked great, so, I picked him up and introduced him to his new friends. He swims around a bit, but likes to spend much of his day perched on a rock or underhang of my reef. A majestic sight to behold. Of course, when it comes to feeding time, he ignores all food as if it were invisible. I am starting to get worried as it has been a week and he has touched nothing. My LFS claimed he was eating brine shrimp at the store (my fault for not seeing it myself, I took their word for it) but has not been interested in the fare I offer. I have tried all frozen (nothing live yet) foods: brine, mysid, silversides, krill, angel & butterflyfish preps, squid and my own hand (still nothing). I am wondering if anyone has tried this delicate little flower and had success getting it to eat frozen bait. I will try the old "wave the feeder stick" routine in two more days, but I fear that the eel or volitan will get to it before I can present it to the Radiata. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you all in advance for your help.

-Dr Marco

[minireefer]

Maybe if you have a quarintine tank you could get eating in there then move it back to your display tank

[jhnrb]

Meaty foods, including marine fish and crustacean flesh. Can be difficult to feed initially and usually requires live food to initiate the process; offer grass shrimp, small freshwater crayfish, or fiddler crabs feed 3 to 4 times a week.

Should be provided with a place to hide, either a cave or an overhang, and should not be kept with overly agressive tankmates that might interfere with its feeding. feeds almost entirely on crustaceans in the wild, but will eat small fishes in the aquarium. venomous spines. good luck. your problem could be the existing habitants. keep us posted.