View Full Version : my lionfish has stopped eating any thoughts?
teena
03/05/2009, 01:23 PM
ive had this adult fish for about 4mon now,when we first got it home it stayed hidden then after two days it came out to eat,i fed him silversides off a feeding stick,as soon as i shut the power heads off it would come stright to the right side of the tank for food,it would eat about two then go back to hide,noww all of a sudden he wont eat.i put it right down at him and its like he doesnt even see it,i look in the tank sometimes and think he dead hes just upside down with his noes to the sand,i will touch him a little then he will move,i see him out at night but he still wont eat then,its been 3 days now what could be wrong?
MatthewLaw
03/05/2009, 01:47 PM
ok well first of all, i would be careful about touching a lionfish with those venomous dorsal spines.
next, did you test your water? any dying fish in the background or some sort of spike?
teena
03/05/2009, 02:03 PM
i didnt touch him with my hand,i gently touched him with the feeding stick.
teena
03/05/2009, 02:03 PM
waters fine all other fish are doing well,
MatthewLaw
03/05/2009, 02:32 PM
thanks for the clarification.
any odd growths, scrapes, cuts?
MrTuskfish
03/05/2009, 02:39 PM
There may be something wrong; but, lions often go on hunger strikes for a while, A week isn't unusual and they can go much longer. Also, I'd vary his diet; try appropriate size chunks of raw shrimp, squid, SW fish (flounder, etc), raw scallops, etc. IMO, the keys to success with lions are a varied diet and vitamins. If he starts eating again, I'd start using Selcon, or a similar vitamin. If the hunger strike goes on too long; you may have to try live ghost shrimp or FW feeders fish as a last resort. BTW, what kind of lion? Sounds like one of the dwarf species. He sure is sticking to his normal nocturnal behavior; but he seems so lethargic that he may have a serious problem.
teena
03/05/2009, 04:21 PM
hes a large zebra lion fish,brown and white,and is the biggest thing in the tank,i have 2enigneer golbys,2 clowns 1 royal gram 1scopas tang,1 sand siffter,1 coral banded shrimp,1 purple lobster in a 210 inwall with 75g sump,my salt may be to low at 1.025,i do a 30g water change every 3 weeks,the tank was just put up 4 mon ago but LR and every thing was moved over from my 75g,no new rocks were put in,i think maybe the enigneer golbys are digging up the sand to much.
MrTuskfish
03/05/2009, 05:38 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14543654#post14543654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by teena
hes a large zebra lion fish,brown and white,and is the biggest thing in the tank,i have 2enigneer golbys,2 clowns 1 royal gram 1scopas tang,1 sand siffter,1 coral banded shrimp,1 purple lobster in a 210 inwall with 75g sump,my salt may be to low at 1.025,i do a 30g water change every 3 weeks,the tank was just put up 4 mon ago but LR and every thing was moved over from my 75g,no new rocks were put in,i think maybe the enigneer golbys are digging up the sand to much.
If this lion hasn't eaten the gobies, or other fish, something is wrong. Lions grow very fast and your smaller fish & shrimp should have been eaten by now.
teena
03/05/2009, 07:37 PM
the gobies are 10 in long and the clowns are way bigger than the silver sides he has never gave them a second look,but he was eating the silversides just fine up untill now,
MrTuskfish
03/06/2009, 09:39 AM
When You said the lion was the biggest fish in the tank, I just remember seeing the little ones, I forgot how big they get. Usually I check when I'm not sure; but got lazy. These lions will easily eat a fish well over half their length, though.
teena
03/06/2009, 12:12 PM
well so far he doesnt want them either,
fahad09
03/20/2009, 04:24 PM
i had a lionfish too with the same problem a couple of months ago. it stopped eating all of a sudden. the water was fine and nothing changed in the tank. it died after about 3 to 4 weeks. but i don't know why it stopped eating. wish i could help.
nikesb4l
03/21/2009, 04:39 PM
Same happend to mine it was fully grown too
gnorts
03/22/2009, 08:42 AM
hate to say it but same to mine it last 2 weeks then foundhim breathing heavey upside down;. HOUR later dead. Never could figure it out and LFS couldnt either
joeyt66
03/22/2009, 09:23 AM
try other types of food. Maybe spme live ghost shrimp or something. Maybe it is eating , missing any fish or shrimp. I wouldn't worry until its been at least a week
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