Pale dwarf lionfish???!!! what does it have??

Ok so I bought a fuzzy dwarf lionfish three days ago, he looked healthy and happy. i brought him home,acclimated him then turned off the lights and shut the door for him to get used to the new tank. I went away for a weekend trip and came back to find him more pale than he was when i left. his breathing is noticable from a few feet away and the paleness is only from the gills to the tail. he hasnt eaten for me either yet which is understandable since ive only tried frozen krill. he is only 2 or 3 inches long with fins. he also has a spot on his right side that looks like an irritated spot maybe from shipping. i really want to know whats wrong with him so I can make him better. thanks for the imput.

 

has he been in the dark the whole time. Sometimes they will fade as a camo mechanism in the dark.

 

i think he had the light on hte whole time. could this be cyanide poisoning or stress??

 

They also don't do well if you've had any medications in the tank. Try some live feeder shrimp, they're usually around 4 for a $1

 

i havent put medications in the tank since it started 4 months ago. but thanks for the feeder shrimp idea he wont take frozen yet so ill try guppies then shrimp.

 

I found that my radiata can't resist shrimp. When I try feeding fish, he waits for it to swim right up to his face, otherwise she won't eat. With shrimp, she really goes after it. Also, do you have enough airation? If he's breathing hard, it could be due to lack o oxygen and high water temp.

 

Don't feed him guppies, they will create stress on his digestive system. Fresh water fish hold no nutritional value for SW fish and create big problems. Dwarf lions are generally shy by nature, they don't go looking for food. Soak your foods with selcon, it will give him the vitamins he needs. My volitans takes frozen krill from my hands.

 

Ok so you bought a fish.... put it in the tank.. shut the lights off and left for 3 days.. ?

So with that decision I am assuming that you have a light timer with an auto fish feeder or family friend and you tested your water quality prior to leaving and as soon as you got back and everything is fine? Otherwise you put him in the fish equivalent to a solitary confinement chamber. I would be a little pale also if I thought my new life would consist of what you provided. ;D