[Wisdom16]

Photo courtesy of Joe (a.k.a Fruitbat)

Scientific Name: Dendrochirus brachypterus

Common Name: Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish

Habitat: Reef areas of the Indo-Pacific. Loves to hide under shelters and in caves.

Max Size: 7-8 inches

Minimal Tank Size: 30 Gallon Tank

Ph: 8.0-8.3

Temp: 77-82 degrees Farenheit

Diet: Eats shrimp, crabs, and small fish. Note: Never feed Goldfish!
Guide to weaning them off live foods: First, feed the Lionfish one last time. Then starve him for 2 days. Get something like a feeding prawn and move the frozen foods in a life-like motion. Usually the lionfish will not take the food right off, but keep trying. If your lionfish doesn't eat after the 5th day, feed him some ghost shrimp (gutloaded first) and keep trying. Eventually he should take the frozen foods.

Aggresion: Usually peaceful fish. WILL eat anything it can fit in its mouth.

Reproduction: The fuzzy dwarf lionfish has been bred in the captive enviroment. The babies haven't been succesfully raised in captivity yet.

Notes: Never feed goldfish. This cannot be stressed enough. Goldfish cause diseases in the liver that will kill your lionfish, plus goldfish have no nutritional value what so ever for a lionfish.
Lionfish have venomous spines running along their back, behind their caudal fins. If you are stung by a lionfish, run hot water over the wound. Seek medical attention immediatly because you could have an allergic reaction to the sting.

Tips: If you are cycling your future lionfish tank, you can add mollies to the tank. Just acclimate them and let them go. The mollies will eat the marine algae that grows. After being in a saltwater tank for a few months, they are a better meal for your saltwater preds than anything else because of the marine algae and the prepared foods in their gut. When they have babies you get another batch of food for your small preds.