Sick Lionfish

Question
QUESTION: Hello, i have a Dwarf lionfish, we've had him for nearly a year and recently he stopped eating. my partner checked the water quality and all was and is fine. however my lionfish isn't getting an better and is still not eating, we bought a Damsel and that has disapeared so we think he has eaten that but he will not eat anything we try to give him. today we came home to find him in the top corner barely alive. we gave him a fresh water bath and he is now in a separate tank. he barely moves and his eyes are extremely cloudy. what do we do?

ANSWER: Hello Kandace,

I am so sorry to hear about your lionfish not doing so well.  That must suck to have him be there for so long and now start to drop off for no reason...

I dont know or rather I dont have enough info to be able to help you right now.

Maybe you can offer some more clues...?  What size tank, what is the salinity, what else do you have in the tank?  How often do you feed normally, and what do you feed normally.

I usually dont reccomend fresh water dips, as they are usallly a choice of last options, that is, the chances of stressing him more and him passing due to that stress, is just as likly as the original problem...

Fresh water dips are usually for specific issues/illness.  Just guessing and trying things at random will produce random results..

Anyway, hopefully he hangs in ther eover night and we can continue working on figureing this out...


Bill



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello there,
He is a dwarf zebra lion (Dendrochirus zebra), was in a 50 gal tank with a few smaller fish (luderick, damsels, an anemone and a hermit crab). S.G. 1.022, pH 8.3, temp 25 degrees celcius, Ammonia 0, nitrate 0,  nitrite 0. All other fish are healthy with no signs of stress.

Was feeding him silversides 2 times per week, and the occasional feeder fish. I couldn't see any signs of  infections other than the weird cloudy eyes? He hasn't eaten for approximately 3 weeks now and is looking quite skinny (although suspect as to if he has eaten a small damsel which went missing).

I have moved him to a smaller quarantine tank now after a short (1 min) freshwater bath (too short i know), and didnt seem too stressed. I'm just baffled as to why he stopped eating and still refuses to eat, even to the point of him dying.

Thankyou for you help.
Ryan and Kandace.

ANSWER: Hey R and K,

I am thinking that it sounds like a fungal infection.  API makes a product called Melafix.  It is all natural and should be safe for you and the fish in qt.

Please read the directions and make sure it is okay to use for the symptoms we talked about and follow the directions...

Good luck and please let me know how things work out for yo.


Bill



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Bill,
just wanted to say think you for your help, unfourtuneatly the LF didn't make it through the night. But we appreicate your help.

Kind Regards
Kandace and Ryan

Answer
Hello R/K

Sorry to hear about your lionfish.  It really didnt sound very good after the second /follow-up question.  

I hope you are not discouraged and try again...  I think you will find it easier the second time around...

Good luck and thanks for contacting me.


Bill