lionfish

[cocoa_pleco]

just a quick lionfish question. i rarely have my arms in the tank unless i need to clean my skimmer or add a delicate coral, but do lionfish attack human arms as offense for no reason, or just defense like if you have it trapped in a corner?

[Tigerbarb]

I know that on some poison show they were talking about a guy who got stung while cleaning his tank. They showed a reanactment of him sticking his hand into warm water for a while until the poison control showed up. He ended up having a commercial service come in and clean his tank. I've heard from divers that lionfish only attack when in danger.

[Kuli_Loach]

When they feel threatened then they will attack. My lionfish completely ignores my hand in my tank.

[cocoa_pleco]

good, i have to clean my skimmer completely soon so its good that he wont attack

apparently the sting isnt too bad, warm water loosens up the protein in the poison and you just need to go to the hospital to make sure theres no allergic reaction

[gem]

Lionfish are not a ferocious creature give poisonous spines as a means for anything malicious. They are simply a defense. They will not out and out attack, no. Most who get stung simply get too close to it and get stung inadvertantly, or because they corner it in the tank and it's defending itself. However, do be aware that his fear of you and the connection of hand to food will ingrain in his pea brain and his fear of "the hand" can pass. That's when I would be worried. While he may not attack, he may approach thinking it's feeding time, and you can get stung as well that way.

[SW Addict]

Good rule, never take your eye off the lion fish. LOL A single spine is painful but not really dangerous unless you have a reaction. There was a guy in upstate New York a year or so ago that almost died as a result of a lionfish "attack" but he also got 6 spines in the back of the hand and not just 1. As gem pointed out, they will get comfortable in their territory and will defend their territory, that's when the trouble starts. Personally, I would try to get a pair of arm length gloves and use them when you reach in the tank.

[NickFish]

I've never had my hand in a lionfish tank, but I have heard and seen that they are very shy (when you have your hand in the tank) and usually will back away or ignore you.

I doubt they would ever bite, but if you scared it and it bolted you might accidently get brushed by the spines.
Painful, but not dangerous, unless you happen to one of the lucky few fishkeepers who are allergic to lionfish stings, and the even luckier few that get a ton of spines in at once.

I'd wear gloves. I learned to never put my bare hand in a tank with my mantis shrimp incident, it just isn't a good idea.

[Kuli_Loach]

I agree with the gloves although if he does decide to stick ya, there ain't much a glove can do to help unless it is one of them fillet gloves.

[SW Addict]

The Coralife gloves are rather hefty. They work very well.

Nick, I think you are thinking of the Foxface. The actions and reaction you described are exactly those of a Foxface but not usually of a Lionfish. Lionfish will charge in defense of their territory. Allergic or not, a Lionfish will leave a painful mark.

[cocoa_pleco]

the lion seems to be protective of himself, i have a big 16lb piece of LR that has a cave next to it, and during the day he likes to sit on the side of it. if the yellow tang darts by too close he fluffs out his spines

[Tigerbarb]

The main thing a lionfish will do when stressed or bothered is to show that he is 'big stuff', by expanding his spines.

[Kuli_Loach]

Which is awesome! I love watching mine flare when I feed.