Is my lion fish okay?

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

I have a dwarf zebra lion fish and yesterday I noticed him sort of puffing up his gills. I was really worried because i've never seen him do this but then he went back to normal so I thought he was fine. Today hes doing the same thing but also fluttering fast kicking up some sand like when he sheds his cuticle. Hes back to normal right now but im worried.

Im not sure how describe what hes doing but when you look at him from the side his head isnt flush with his body because his gill slits are open wide.

Also I dont know it help but when he does ir hes always facing a tank wall, maybe he sees his reflection?

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Also hes been a lot more active lately (and by active I mean perching in new/different locations than usual)

saltyfilmfolks · Nov 22, 2016

kennygg said:
Also hes been a lot more active lately (and by active I mean perching in new/different locations than usual)

try to get some good pics of him on the left and right just like the one you have there. a closer one of the gills wil prob help.
The Dr will be in in the morning.

@Lionfish Lair

beautiful fish btw.

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

here are two pics i got from earlier

alvinesp · Nov 22, 2016

Hmm, test your ammonia level?

Humblefish · Nov 22, 2016

Definitely gonna need @Lionfish Lair for this one.

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

That's actually a Mombasae Lionfish. How long have you had them? How often have they been shedding, as they appear dry.

When he does this, is it almost like he's holding his breath will his gills out, or is it that he's breathing that deeply?

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
That's actually a Mombasae Lionfish. How long have you had them? How often have they been shedding, as they appear dry.

When he does this, is it almost like he's holding his breath will his gills out, or is it that he's breathing that deeply?

Ive had him for a few weeks. The only time i've seen him shed is when I brought him home and he was still in the bag. Ive noticed what looks like his cuticle floating around in the tank but Im not sure if it is/haven't seen him shed.

Its like he is holding his breath,
not deep breathing.

Also I forgot to mention. He wasn't eating for three days but accepted krill yesterday morning. I figured he was just being picky because he would swim to the top and beg for food when I came by, but rejected krill and silversides.

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

alvinesp said:
Hmm, test your ammonia level?

Ammonia is 0

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

Can you view him without him seeing you? If you can, see if he's acting normal and then walk up to the tank and stare at him and see if he does it.

Does it look at all like this....

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

At 51 seconds, he does it again....

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
At 51 seconds, he does it again....

That looks just like what he's doing! The first time I saw him doing it I was in the room
but not next to the tank. I just looked over and saw him acting strange.

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

I had never seen the behavior before in any of my lions. He would only do it for me and never my husband. I was the one who fed him, so at first I thought it was something to do with that. It almost felt like he though I was his cleaning station. Then I read a description of the behavior in a study and it was when one male met another... a 'don't mess with me" behavior. Yet, that totally didn't make sense why he would do it to me and not my husband. In that second video, you can see he's begging and "happy" to see me and then a minute in and then pulls out the "gill maneuver". I think he caught his reflection at that moment.... I think he could see his reflection in that side panel.

The only thing that has me totally puzzled is the fact mine didn't have his spines pulled forward. If it was meant as a warning, his spines would be facing the potential threat and not laid back like a submissive dog. I didn't know what to make of it and probably never will confirm what he was doing.

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
I had never seen the behavior before in any of my lions. He would only do it for me and never my husband. I was the one who fed him, so at first I thought it was something to do with that. It almost felt like he though I was his cleaning station. Then I read a description of the behavior in a study and it was when one male met another... a 'don't mess with me" behavior. Yet, that totally didn't make sense why he would do it to me and not my husband. In that second video, you can see he's begging and "happy" to see me and then a minute in and then pulls out the "gill maneuver". I think he caught his reflection at that moment.... I think he could see his reflection in that side panel.

The only thing that has me totally puzzled is the fact mine didn't have his spines pulled forward. If it was meant as a warning, his spines would be facing the potential threat and not laid back like a submissive dog. I didn't know what to make of it and probably never will confirm what he was doing.

Mines spines are pulled back too! So do you think he's fine and its just some weird behavior? Thanks for all your help!

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

Keep an eyeball out for spots, because I do see a few on him. I don't think it's related to what he's doing, however. Mine did beautifully well and was an extremely healthy and hardy specimen. After a few months, he stopped the behavior.

I saw in another thread you mentioned clownfish.... a zebra would have been a better match for them, as this guy is a medium bodied Pterois. He's going to get big enough to eat a clown. He's actually in the "perfect zone". Some small lions will ignore clowns and large lions may as well.... but a medium bodied lion is more likely to go for it. A Mombasae is so much cooler than a Zebra though.

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
Keep an eyeball out for spots, because I do see a few on him. I don't think it's related to what he's doing, however. Mine did beautifully well and was an extremely healthy and hardy specimen. After a few months, he stopped the behavior.

I saw in another thread you mentioned clownfish.... a zebra would have been a better match for them, as this guy is a medium bodied Pterois. He's going to get big enough to eat a clown. He's actually in the "perfect zone". Some small lions will ignore clowns and large lions may as well.... but a medium bodied lion is more likely to go for it. A Mombasae is so much cooler than a Zebra though.

My LFS sold it to as a dwarf lion so I thought it was a zebra. I actually just bought him a new tank for himself and now i'm really glad I did! I thought it was strange that he likes to be out in the open, instead hiding in the shade. Is this a usual thing for the Mombasa lion fish?

Lionfish Lair · Nov 22, 2016

They are a deepwater fish, so they theoretically should be hiding from the light more than some of them, but they are also found around coral where a lot of lions are not. Mine hide, but not the same as some of my others do. My tank is done so 1/5th is shaded at one end, but the mombasae was rarely in that area.

Beautiful, beautiful fish... just check daily for spots on the eyes and clear areas of the tail/ventral fins. You'll see it there first.

kennygg · Nov 22, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
They are a deepwater fish, so they theoretically should be hiding from the light more than some of them, but they are also found around coral where a lot of lions are not. Mine hide, but not the same as some of my others do. My tank is done so 1/5th is shaded at one end, but the mombasae was rarely in that area.

Beautiful, beautiful fish... just check daily for spots on the eyes and clear areas of the tail/ventral fins. You'll see it there first.

What kind of spots am I looking for?