lionfish cannot swallow? any ideas?

Discussion in 'Diseases' started by Hunt, May 5, 2011.

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  1. Hunt

    Hunt Flamingo Tongue

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    i have noticed the past few day my smaller lionfish does not seem like he can swallow his food? he still goes after it, and will grab it, but its like he will chew on it for a few and then spit it out. If he works on it for a while he can get it down. He has always been a good eater. does anybody have a idea what could be causing this?
     
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  3. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    I would shoot a PM (private message) to member Incognito. She may have some very good insight into what is going on.
     
  4. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    I've seen this before in several lions/scorps, but I can't tell you what causes it. I actually have a scorp doing it right now.

    Is your lion a juvie, sub adult or a mature adult? Can you grab me a pic so I can see?

    What have you been feeding primarily? In the past month, what have you fed out? How long have you had him? How old is the food you were feeding out? (How long ago did you buy it). Have you tried more than one type of food since he has stopped eating?

    When is the last time you changed your water?

    This is not uncommon, I've never lost a fish to it, but I'm sure some have.

    I have one thing that brings fish back around that I absolutely have no proof of its validility. When a fish goes off their food, I do a water change and start dosing vitamin C and B12. I have no research to provide to show a just cause of using it, I've done it 7 times and most start eating in a couple of days. My volitans stopped eating for an entire month just a couple ago. He started eating again right after the vitamin C and I looked at my husband and said "Ok, this is starting to NOT be a coincidence".

    But answer some of the questions above and we can get started on fixing this for you.
     
  5. Hunt

    Hunt Flamingo Tongue

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    i have had him for prob., a little less then a year. he came from a freind that wanted small fish in his tank. He eats krill, silversides, gohst shrimp, and rosey reds (the live food i pump full of good food and vitamins for a few days prior to feeding). all of the food is within 6 to 8 mo. old, i buy in bulk and vac. seal what i dont use, it seems to stay fresh. silver sides are frozen till used. its the same diet my older lion lives on. I have had him for about 3 years. once he has some live food in his mouth he does not like to let it go so he will get it down after a while but it takes a while. Thanks for your help[​IMG]
     
  6. Hunt

    Hunt Flamingo Tongue

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  7. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    Nice Russells!

    They are bigger than I thought you were going to say, so we have time to turn him around. It's the little pint size ones that can't go too long without food.

    First, ya gotta ditch the Rosey Reds. They contain high levels of thiaminase which is an enzyme that breaks down thiamine (a B vitamin). Low levels of thiamine can cause anorexia (which can lead to spitting of food).

    Krill has been linked to feeding issues as well. I have removed it completely from their diets. I don't know where they are with the study, but it's been some time now. I fear it may never come to light. But there was enough correlation between eating issues/lock jaw and krill to start the study.

    I've had my volitans stop eating when when he needed a water change. This actually happens with many of my scorps. I have 13 tanks so I can fall behind in water changes sometimes.

    There's there's the "old food" issue. Sometimes they do the "spit" thing when it's time to be changing the food up. And it always seems to be silversides that they'll start to refuse. Some fish fats do not freeze in the temperatures we keep our freezers at. Some fats even act as a anti-freeze to keep the fish themselves from freezing up in the cold waters. After awhile, they can taste the fats are rancid. Some fish care, some don't. I have 3 fish that use to tell me when it was time to buy new food.

    All my fish have their own quirks and things they are sensitive to. That's why you can see these issues with one fish instead of another.

    When I've been in your shoes I've changed some water, change out not only the current food fresher food, but instead try some new flesh from the seafood counter. I buy new food every 1-2 weeks. Whatever is on special at the market and is an appropriate food, I get a small chuck. I always have a backup, like tableshrimp, just in case all don't like the new variety. I have one that doesn't like cod, another that doesn't like tuna... that sort of thing.

    I toss my Silversides after 3 months.

    The ghost shrimp are fine but you'll do better stuffing your silversides with vitamins. I stuff mine with Beta Glucan.

    But I know exactly the behavior you speak of. It could swing several different ways right now, but I would start with a waterchange, buy new food of a different variety, possibly buy a mollie fed silly on a high quality flake food, dose with some vitamin C and B.
     
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  9. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    Soaking the food in Selcon will give the vitamins mentioned and will add some to the water if you use a little extra which will help your corals.
     
  10. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    When I speak of B and C, I'm referring to the variety that is added to the water and not the food.

    I use a lot of the enrichments from this place, which come in powder forms. I use it to stuff the silversides so the fish gets ALL of the intent dose. The dose of selcon can be very variable.

    Here's how I do it... (I've since started using the Beta Glucan from the SeahorseSource place because of it's superior quality).

     
  11. Hunt

    Hunt Flamingo Tongue

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    hey, thanks for the help. i have never bought my fish food from the supermarket.. what do i need? just diffrent fillet of fish and some shrimp? does the shrimp need peeled? is there anything to prep., or just chunk and serve?

    He ate a silverside that i cut up for him last night, but he still had a hard time with the last piece. He has def. not lost his appetite though.
     
  12. Renee@LionfishLair

    Renee@LionfishLair 3reef Sponsor

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    Try any of the saltwaterfish varieties. I give salmon every so often as a treat. This week its cod for my fish, last week it was Ahi. There's lit of fun things. You can leave some of the exoskeleton on the shrimp, but dont include the head.


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