Deepblue10
New Member
Hi everyone, I'm really hoping someone can help me with this one... I'll give as much info as I can about the tank etc.
I have a 2metre x 60cm x 60cm mature (3 years old) marine tank with large skimmer, 2 external filters, 2x 25Watt UV sterilisers and 2x twin 55watt T5 light units.
In the tank I have two Volitans Lionsfish, one is 25cm and the other around 13cm. The larger lionfish I have had for over 2 years and was bought as a youngster. The other lion is a more recent addition, and has been in for about 1 month. The larger lionfish has always eaten very well, and enjoyed a mixed diet of lance fish, mussels, cockles etc. however in the last couple of months it has been more reluctant to take food, and seems disinterested in it altogther now.
I have tried feeders but these are watched and not eaten, I have also tried some sugestions that were made to me like increasing the temperature slightly, adding an attractant like garlic based product directly to the food, and to the tank water.
The rountine maintenance I do on the tank is 25% water change with RO water every week. The tank also contains a selection of soft corals and several types of desirable algae.
I test the water each week and the readings are very stable, Ammonia nil, nitrite nil, nitrate 5ppm, pH 8.2. Specific gravity is 1.023.
I am at a loss as to why the larger lionfish has stopped eating, this began before I introduced the smaller lionfish, and this fish is feeding very well. The condition of the larger lionfish is fine, no diseases etc but now it is starting to look very lean as it has only taking very small amounts of food in the last month.
I would be really grateful for any advice anyone can offer, and I am happy to give any more information that I may have not included in this post...
Thanks in advance!
I have a 2metre x 60cm x 60cm mature (3 years old) marine tank with large skimmer, 2 external filters, 2x 25Watt UV sterilisers and 2x twin 55watt T5 light units.
In the tank I have two Volitans Lionsfish, one is 25cm and the other around 13cm. The larger lionfish I have had for over 2 years and was bought as a youngster. The other lion is a more recent addition, and has been in for about 1 month. The larger lionfish has always eaten very well, and enjoyed a mixed diet of lance fish, mussels, cockles etc. however in the last couple of months it has been more reluctant to take food, and seems disinterested in it altogther now.
I have tried feeders but these are watched and not eaten, I have also tried some sugestions that were made to me like increasing the temperature slightly, adding an attractant like garlic based product directly to the food, and to the tank water.
The rountine maintenance I do on the tank is 25% water change with RO water every week. The tank also contains a selection of soft corals and several types of desirable algae.
I test the water each week and the readings are very stable, Ammonia nil, nitrite nil, nitrate 5ppm, pH 8.2. Specific gravity is 1.023.
I am at a loss as to why the larger lionfish has stopped eating, this began before I introduced the smaller lionfish, and this fish is feeding very well. The condition of the larger lionfish is fine, no diseases etc but now it is starting to look very lean as it has only taking very small amounts of food in the last month.
I would be really grateful for any advice anyone can offer, and I am happy to give any more information that I may have not included in this post...
Thanks in advance!