sick zebra dwarf lionfish

[vwrock]

Hello all I got this lion about 2 days ago.... he had one clouded eye at time of purchase... but since then he has gotten two cloudy eyes and started loosing color and looks like he is flaking.... can't get him interested in frozen food or live feeder fish or ghost shrimp. Checked my water parameters and they are 8.2 Ph 0 ammonia 0 nitrites 40 nitrates... so conducted a 30 percent water change and he seems to be getting worse. He has been trying to swim up to the top of my tank but seems week and runs out of steam... does anyone know anything that can help ... I've been searching online for hours and not coming up with any conclusion on what's going on.... has no power at all to outswim any sort of current and he is just getting pushed around and slamming into rocks... any help would be greatly appreciated! Please help!

 

[user 26995]

Hey vwrock,
Nitrates were pretty high, hopefully you can bring them down.
How was he acclimated to the tank? And how long was the acclimation.
Is the fish in your DT or a QT?
If in DT you need to get him out and get him into a QT with Low flow, low lighting. He also needs to be acclimated over a period of at least an hour and a half or more. It sounds like he was sick before you got him and the stress of moving and acclimation and nitrates may have weekend him more.
Fish can noramlly handle some nitrates, but being sick and week already, it can make them weeker/sicker.

At this point, I dont think there is going to be much you are going to be able to do especially if you cant get him to eat.
QT/hospital tank is a must though.
Do you have any clove oil? I dont want to be negative about it, but it will probably come to euthanasia.

 

[user 26995]

I am also going to move this thread to the Marine Fish Discussion with Lee Birch forum. Maybe Lee will stop in and be able to help.

 

[user 26995]

Here is some info on reasons for and steps to cure cloudy eyes.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/cloudy-eye-s-marine-fish-64834/

 

[user 26995]

Info on getting the fish to eat. Hope something here helps.

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f15/my-new-fish-wont-eat-tips-36331/

 

[user 26995]

One thing I would try is treating with Maracyn 2 for bacterial infection, which is possibly the cause of the cloudy eyes. Once you get it into a QT/hospital tank.

 

[Cyril22]

At this point, I dont think there is going to be much you are going to be able to do especially if you cant get him to eat.
QT/hospital tank is a must though.

 

[swifter]

any word on how the little guy is doing. hopefully he is alright.

best of luck

 

[vwrock]

Hey guys I am so sorry about not replying I didn't get anything in my email till last night late..... .... yes I did a huge water change to lower the nitrates .... and I did a drip acclimation that took between 30-40 minutes. He was in a qt tank and turn off almost all flow... I said almost all... he want sitting in stagnant water.... and lights wereoff for 8 hours when first put into the tank.... he has since died about 2 hours after I originally posted.... I am heading to Texas till June so not gonna try another till after then... I really appreciate all your replies and wish he would've made it :-( .... I just really feel bad about the little guy.... ever since diving in Egypt for the first time and seeing one I told myself I would set up a tank and get one.... I have learned so much and have enjoyed this learning process but ive been waiting over 8 months to get him to make sure everything was good to go and hopefully ill have better luck in June.... again thanks to everyone that posted.