Help with lionfish

[wes_slavens]

I'm not sure what's wrong with my lionfish...he seems to be more pale than normal. His tail fin kind of looks torn or like the webbing in between the spines is going away. He has also lost his normal appetite and his eyes looked a little cloudy. Can anyone tell me what's wrong and how to treat it?

 

[Tahoe61]

Looks like the fish has Marine Ich with a secondary bacterial or fungal infection.
Have you checked the water quality lately.

Please review the link below.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/

Seek out @Lionfish Lair.

https://www.reef2reef.com/members/lionfish-lair.20262/

I would begin treatment as soon as possible.

GL

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Ohhhh, that's a bad case of ich. Look in that link Tahoe provided and pick a treatment. I would definitely hypo, copper or Chloroquine phosphate. I've also used Quinine Sulfate, under the name Cryptopro on an Antennata Lionfish with good results. This fish needs to come out for treatment.

Sometimes the first thing you notice with Ich and lions is their eyes become cloudy. Their skin will look all funky as well, because they shed that cuticle layer. When they are ill, they shed it over and over until their scales almost look dry. It's something I don't know how to explain. When they are not feeling well, they tend to look like they are "falling apart" with fins splitting and their filaments withering or falling off.

Your case is very advanced. How long has he not been eating well?

Do you have the means of getting him out to a hospital tank? Have you handled a hospital tank before?

 

[wes_slavens]

The only tank I have laying around is a 10 gallon that's not big enough is it? No I have never had a hospital tank but I do know that I can not have carbon in it

 

[wes_slavens]

How big of a tank do I need for a hospital tank his body is probably 5ish inches long. Do I need to worry about any of my other fish they don't seem to have any signs of anything yet. @Lionfish Lair

 

[wes_slavens]

Ohhhh, that's a bad case of ich. Look in that link Tahoe provided and pick a treatment. I would definitely hypo, copper or Chloroquine phosphate. I've also used Quinine Sulfate, under the name Cryptopro on an Antennata Lionfish with good results. This fish needs to come out for treatment.

Sometimes the first thing you notice with Ich and lions is their eyes become cloudy. Their skin will look all funky as well, because they shed that cuticle layer. When they are ill, they shed it over and over until their scales almost look dry. It's something I don't know how to explain. When they are not feeling well, they tend to look like they are "falling apart" with fins splitting and their filaments withering or falling off.

Your case is very advanced. How long has he not been eating well?

Do you have the means of getting him out to a hospital tank? Have you handled a hospital tank before?

Also do you think a FW dip would buy me any time?

 

[Humblefish]

Also do you think a FW dip would buy me any time?

FW dip won't help with ich, the trophonts are too deeply embedded.

Review treatment options listed here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

You can probably get by with a 10 gal QT, but practically speaking your best treatment options for a lionfish are going to be hyposalinity or Chloroquine phosphate.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Oh no! There's other fish in there? They all need to be treated, or the Ich will stay in your tank, waiting for him when he goes back. The links above are really good at going through that. They all need to come out, but they all can't go in a 10 gallon tank. How many other fish do you have?

But right now, where you're going to put the other fish for treatment isn't as important as getting the lion out to start his treatment. He needs it now. We can figure out what to do with the rest when we get him settled.

 

[Humblefish]

@Lionfish Lair In your experience, how tolerant are lionfish of copper treatment? I've read mixed results. I've treated a couple of lions with CP and both times they did well.

 

[wes_slavens]

Can i just treat my whole 180? I have a panther grouper a huma huma trigger a Nigerian trigger fox face and a zebra moray. No inverts

 

[Humblefish]

Can i just treat my whole 180? I have a panther grouper a huma huma trigger a Nigerian trigger fox face and a zebra moray. No inverts

Assuming it's only ich, you can go hypo in there: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hyposalinity.247596/

 

[wes_slavens]

Ok and that's 1.009 on salinity correct?

 

[Humblefish]

Ok and that's 1.009 on salinity correct?

Yes. Treat for 30 consecutive days, and during that time the SG must always remain at 1.009. If it inches up even slightly, the 30 day clock restarts. For this reason, many people use an auto top off system while performing hyposalinity. Some have used hypo to successfully rid their display tank of ich, while others have failed (remember, hypo treats ich only!) All corals and inverts must be removed beforehand if you wish to try this.

Also, be sure to use a perfectly calibrated refractometer.