Guidelines for Marine Aquariums: It's All About the Food

It is said that "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink"...this, unfortunately, doesn't hold true with fish as they will eat and eat and eat if we let them. Often times, this sort of gluttony has lead to the demise of numerous fish over time due to aquarists kindness and carelessness as well. The presence of insufficient and inappropriate food stuff is another problem that has lead to the demise of fish. We, as conscientious aquarists, must adhere to and follow some simple guidelines in our attempt at offering our prized livestock with the right balance of food as well as the proper foodstuff more importantly.

"Feeder blockage syndrome" is an all to often problem for lionfish that results in a horrible death to the lionfish. This is associated with the ignorant feeding of feeder goldfish to a lionfish but is not limited to them solely. They gulp down these goldfish like a child chowing down on candy. The tendency then arises where the skull of the goldfish blocks the opening from the stomach to the intestine of the lionfish, ultimately leading to the death of the fish. Not only that but if you are fortunate not to witness this terrible death, you will be providing a disservice to your lion by causing malnutrition to the fish as goldfish make a poor suitable meal. The feeding of live comets and other goldfish species increases the likelihood of aggression and this can further be compounded in your fish developing a habit that food needs to be moving and that small fish, otherwise, safe from the likelihood of being eaten will now be part of the menu.