sick lion fish

[stevieb05]

my lion fish on tues started throwing up stuff and breathing really heavy . he ate fine on mon but since then just stays at the bottom of the tank breathing heavy and he will jerk around and swim fast for a second now and then. his eyes are not cloudy and water is perfect anybody no what this could be

[fat walrus]

What type of Lion?

How big is it?

How long did you have it?

What did you feed it last the last few times, how much and over what time span?

How long between the last feeding on monday recent and this regurgatation?

[stevieb05]

he is a red volitan and is about 5" ive had him a lil over a month i feed him live feeder gold fish about 2 every other day or 2 i fed him mon and tues i noticed him regurgitating cause some of the other fish were eating it an almost immediately he started breathing heavy and almost looked like he was choking

[CarmieJo]

What are your water parameters?

[lReef lKeeper]

freshwater fish, even feeders, have no nutritional value for a marine fish. i would try switching him over to a better marine food or at least gut load some ghost shrimp or something of that nature.

[fat walrus]

Originally Posted by stevieb05

he is a red volitan and is about 5" ive had him a lil over a month i feed him live feeder gold fish about 2 every other day or 2 i fed him mon and tues i noticed him regurgitating cause some of the other fish were eating it an almost immediately he started breathing heavy and almost looked like he was choking

Sometimes when a lionfish swallows his prey, he caught it at a bad angle and the fish being swallowed tail first or sometimes curled up causes the fish to get hung up and then it becomes a reflex action. As much fun as it seem to watch a lionfish swallow a good size prey, you should use the smallest sized feeders if you must use live fish. Volitans are the easiest of lionfish to convert to frozen or dry foods, so there is no need to use feeders, and all measures should be taken to wean them off live fish as soon as possible. Wean them off live foods young enough and many could cohabitat with smaller fish and crustaceans. Besides feeders are not all that great for them.

[fat walrus]

Originally Posted by lReef lKeeper

freshwater fish, even feeders, have no nutritional value for a marine fish.

Not quite. There are nutritional values in almost any food, just in what proportions. The problem with goldfish feederes are that they are short on calcium, lipids, and certain vitamins especially C. Other concerns of goldfish feeders are the high fat content to low protein ratio that will lead to organ failure and stroke.

i would try switching him over to a better marine food or at least gut load some ghost shrimp or something of that nature.

I agree with switching to a marine food, but bear in mind that most marine foods include freshwater and/or terrestial ingredients. Why gut load a freshwater fish with a freshwater shrimp that share the same misgivings? Gut load with omega-rich mysis and spiralina is the way to go.

[V]

was steve a driver by poster???? , how did your fish turn out if your still in cyber space bud?

[stevieb05]

he seems to be doing fine ive started feeding him lance and krill soaked in selcon by putting it in a net and letting it float out like i fed him the live seems to be working thanks for the help guys