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Re: Lionfish problems, Apogon incomp. 1/19/09 Just thought you folks would like to know what I discovered. Bob suggested a tank divider which I did purchase and install. The fish were not at all happy but I had to determine what was causing the Lionfish's (body) areas of discoloration. It took about seven weeks before I noticed the body areas healing so Bob's theory of tank mates chewing on him looked correct. I removed the divider and they were all happier. That night though, I glanced at my tank and saw the Lion begin to do his nightly ritual of swimming back and forth, the length of the aquarium. The little Cardinal always stays at the back wall in the center of the tank but in the Lion's path. This little fish refuses to get out of the way of the Lion and sometimes (looks) like he's attempting to nip him. The culprit? Perhaps. He also follows the Lion on his swimming path. I never knew Cardinals were this aggressive. <Mmm, one can never tell as the saying goes... Being so nocturnal, seemingly passive, I also wonder> I keep monitoring and then decide if the Cardinal should find a new home. Thanks very much for the advice Bob. I would have bet anything you were going to tell me it was lateral line erosion or some other disease. I never would have guessed it was one of his tank mates. I guess I'll have to rig up a divider and see if it clears up. I'll let you know. Regards, Rob <Thank you for this valuable follow-up Rob. Bob Fenner> Re: puffer/lionfish with ick : ( ~ 01/12/09 Thanks
Bob. I read and found a link to a website from yours that has all these
medications. I decided to try some quinnie sulphate. will 25 grams be
enough? I can always order more on express shipping if I have to.
thanks, Mike <I'd read again, keep reading, till you can at
least spell the name of the compound. BobF> ouch. OK ill keep
reading. <Good. B>
Lionfish help 11/10/08 We have a 46 gallon salt water tank we've had set up and running for about 6 months. We have 2 clownfish, a blue tang, a fox faced rabbit fish, and a volitans lionfish. <Woefully overstocked, too small for the inhabitants.> We also have live rock (about 25 pounds) and sand, as well as the standard filter and heater. We do tests about once a month on our tank and always have the correct parameters. <Once a month is a small picture, I would make a habit of weekly at the very least.> We had a clownfish die, so we got the two we have now. However shortly after getting them we discovered ick in our tank (we're fairly certain it was from the new clownfish). <Quarantine?> After going through the advised treatment regime, we have had problem after problem with our tank. (We've been ick free for at least a month now.) We can't keep any snails alive in our tank when before we'd had two since we had the tank running, and our large yellow tang died. <Did you treat the display? With what? Could account for the snails.> But the latest problem is what I have questions about. Our lionfish hasn't eaten for a little over two weeks. All he eats are frozen brine shrimp, that's what the store gave him before we got him, and that's all he's eaten since we've had him these 6 months. We even tried soaking them in garlic, wiggling on sticks, nothing. Our next step is to try ghost shrimp but we've had a tough time finding any but frozen. I've read they'll go on hunger strikes from other posts on your website but this has an accompanying problem. He hasn't come out from hiding for 3 days, even in the dark because we knew they sometimes prefer night and tried to watch then as well. When we ushered him out with the net we noticed almost every one of his spines is about half its old length. Is it possible they molt them? <Nope, tis the environment. He needs larger quarters.> I was unable to find anything about breaking spikes other than in wounds they incur. And since we pushed him out of his hiding spot he just went to a different one and hasn't come out. <Further stress.> We tested our water again and everything is correct, <A subjective statement.> all our other fish are fine, we still manage to keep it clean without the snails, and nothing environmentally has recently changed to aggravate him. Any ideas about our lionfish's odd behavior and the breaking spines? Thank you for any advice, I love your site I always go there when we have questions. Jessica <Welcome, Scott V. You really need to do some research on your end re the systems and requirement of these fish.> Lionfish acting blind and not eating for a week 11/7/08 Hoping for some answers...I have a 55g tank, mostly live rock (prob 40 lbs)and inverts, one lionfish (the only fish). Started tank in June 08. Water parameters: ammonia, nitrites = 0, nitrates b/t 5-10 , pH=8.0, salinity =1.023. <I would raise this to a more natural level, 1.025.> I did a 50% water change 2 days ago. <Too much at once for an already stressed fish.> I use 4-50/50 reefsun lamps. About a week ago the lion stopped eating (feed him 1/2 froz raw shrimp 2-3 times/week). The same day he started swimming vigorously from one end of the tank to the other, near the top of tank. This was a big deviation from his normal behavior, which is usually rather languid and relaxed...he liked to hover near the bottom of tank, often resting on the sand or on a rock. Over the next few (2-3) days he stayed agitated and started bumping into the tank walls, powerheads, rocks and stayed near top of tank, often in a close to vertical position, mouth gaping slightly. He does not seem to be able to see at all. His eyes are not cloudy, has no discoloration anywhere on his body, no slime or spots. Never seems to rest anymore. Any advice is appreciated. <Blindness is usually caused by strong lighting without overhangs, caves or hideouts for the lion or vitamin deficiency. Even blind, they can be trained to eat. See: http://www.google.com/custom?domains=www.WetWebMedia.com&q=lionfish+blindnes s&sa=Search&sitesearch=www.WetWebMedia.com&client=pub-4522959445250520&forid =1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%233366 99%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3A99C9FF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000F F%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A1%3B& hl=en and do consider enriching the food with vitamins.> Thank you. <Welcome, Scott V.> Black Volitans Lionfish Problem. 10/14/08
Hello crew, <Hi,> I have an emergency. Hopefully you guys can
help out a dying fish and stressed out fish owner. My friend has bought
a black Volitans lion about 3 weeks ago. <OK.> Without the fin, I
would say he is about 3" long. He has put it into his 24 gal QT to
copper treat it and to see everything was ok with him. <The
Scorpionfish family is notably intolerant to copper. Supposedly because
they have "small scales" but I'm not sold on that
explanation any more than I am when applied to catfish, loaches, etc.
My gut feeling is copper is toxic to all aquarium fish (life?), just to
varying degrees, so can seem "safe" or "dangerous"
depending on the species/dose/other environmental factors. Other
medications, or even hyposalinity, should be used to treat Lionfish.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/liondisfaqs.htm This fish may well be
"poisoned" by now, in which case you're pretty much down
to luck and time. Either any organ damage is slight enough to heal, or
not...> Well, about 2 days ago he stopped eating and is on the
ground not moving. I checked out the water parameters and
ammonia/copper/nitrate was off the roof. Enraged, I took the fish away
from him saying that he doesn't deserve such a fish and put him
into my tank. (72 gal bow front) after proper acclamation of course.
<Done the best you can...> It's his 2nd day in the tank and
he is very weak, won't swim and won't even look at the food.
<Does happen when you move these fish, especially if stressed/sick
beforehand.> I have tried to get something to him by trying gut
packed ghost shrimps, frozen cube foods, dried anchovies, even guppies
and a goldfish (i know, i know.. but I just want him to live, if they
starve they die right?). <Doesn't work this way with fish.
Unlike warm blooded animals, their "food demand" is very low,
can be almost zero if needs be (hence Koi surviving months under ice
without eating). Certainly no advantage to dumping food in the tank and
messing up water quality if the Lionfish isn't hungry. Put it this
way: once healthy, he will actively seek food. If he's not hungry,
nothing much will help force him to eat. While I *occasionally*
force-feed very sick fish, with something as venomous as a Lionfish
that wouldn't be easy to do. It's also easy to damage weak fish
this way unless you know precisely what you're doing and use the
minimum force in delivering a suitable slurry down the throat of the
fish. Last but not least, there's no mileage coaxing a sick fish to
health by feeding parasite time bombs (a.k.a. feeder fish) that will
create another problem down the road. So feed the other fish in the
tank as normal, and as/when this Lionfish wants to eat, you should see
at least some signs of foraging behaviour. That's when you can use
river shrimp or whatever as a safe "treat" to build up its
energy reserves, and once fattened up, wean onto frozen foods.>
I'm going to go buy some garlic elements tomorrow to stimulate the
feeding and some liquid vitamins so that lion and my other fish can get
some nutrients by just breathing. Anything that I can do to help this
guy live? He's a beautiful fish and I would hate to see him die on
me... <Humbly submit "time, the great healer". If this guy
has been bashed about by the copper, poor water quality, he may well be
doomed. Otherwise optimal water quality is all you can constructively
do.> Stressed fish owner Richard. <Cheers, Neale.>
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