Lionfish help!

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
108,086
Reaction score
242,646
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
Does this lionfish look healthy to you?
No and check nitrates and change water and add air stone
Gasping very hard
 
OP
OP
stephenxbog

stephenxbog

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2026
Messages
77
Reaction score
23
Location
Mountain View, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does this lionfish look healthy to you?
No and check nitrates and change water and add air stone
Gasping very hard
It’s brand new water for a quarantine tank. I have a power filter hooked up. I dosed with general cure. He was doing that at the fish store and figured I could fix him up.
 

Gumbies R Us

God, Bouldering, and Reefing
View Badges
Joined
Nov 10, 2022
Messages
28,944
Reaction score
51,301
Location
North Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
108,086
Reaction score
242,646
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
It’s brand new water for a quarantine tank. I have a power filter hooked up. I dosed with general cure. He was doing that at the fish store and figured I could fix him up.
He is in distress with the heavy breathing and is not normal and if it was like that at the store, likely a gill issue such as flukes
 

Jay Hemdal

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
37,573
Reaction score
37,369
Location
Dundee, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does this lionfish look healthy to you?

No - it is in very poor shape - breathing way to fast and very deeply, with fins sort of folded.

This could be a water quality issue (add an air stone as suggested, and test for ammonia) but it could also be a gill disease - flukes or protozoans.
 
OP
OP
stephenxbog

stephenxbog

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2026
Messages
77
Reaction score
23
Location
Mountain View, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does this lionfish look healthy to you?

No - it is in very poor shape - breathing way to fast and very deeply, with fins sort of folded.

This could be a water quality issue (add an air stone as suggested, and test for ammonia) but it could also be a gill disease - flukes or protozoans.
Is api general cure good to use or coppersafe?
 

Jay Hemdal

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
37,573
Reaction score
37,369
Location
Dundee, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is api general cure good to use or coppersafe?

That's the trouble - I can't tell you if it is protozoans or flukes. Flukes require General Cure (or similar) and protozoans require coppersafe. Using both together is an option, but very stressful....
 
OP
OP
stephenxbog

stephenxbog

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2026
Messages
77
Reaction score
23
Location
Mountain View, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Is api general cure good to use or coppersafe?

That's the trouble - I can't tell you if it is protozoans or flukes. Flukes require General Cure (or similar) and protozoans require coppersafe. Using both together is an option, but very stressful....
I believe it may be a combination of flukes and something else unidentifiable because at the fish store there was another lionfish in with him and he was acting strange. It was slamming the surface of the water falling upside down and instantly turned so white it was almost clear like a ghost shrimp then a few moments later turned back to red and just kinda floated around.
 

MadreeferNJ

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
123
Reaction score
114
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It definitely should not be breathing that hard. Good luck with treatment.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
108,086
Reaction score
242,646
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
I believe it may be a combination of flukes and something else unidentifiable because at the fish store there was another lionfish in with him and he was acting strange. It was slamming the surface of the water falling upside down and instantly turned so white it was almost clear like a ghost shrimp then a few moments later turned back to red and just kinda floated around.
The fish were obviously in distress and I would reconsider any future purchases from that store
 

Jay Hemdal

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
37,573
Reaction score
37,369
Location
Dundee, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I believe it may be a combination of flukes and something else unidentifiable because at the fish store there was another lionfish in with him and he was acting strange. It was slamming the surface of the water falling upside down and instantly turned so white it was almost clear like a ghost shrimp then a few moments later turned back to red and just kinda floated around.

One rule of thumb when buying fish from an LFS: if ANY fish in the same water as the fish you are looking at are exhibiting symptoms of a problem, don't buy anything from that tank.
 
OP
OP
stephenxbog

stephenxbog

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2026
Messages
77
Reaction score
23
Location
Mountain View, Arkansas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I believe it may be a combination of flukes and something else unidentifiable because at the fish store there was another lionfish in with him and he was acting strange. It was slamming the surface of the water falling upside down and instantly turned so white it was almost clear like a ghost shrimp then a few moments later turned back to red and just kinda floated around.

One rule of thumb when buying fish from an LFS: if ANY fish in the same water as the fish you are looking at are exhibiting symptoms of a problem, don't buy anything from that tank.
I figured he was salvable. The real kicker is they have a 5 day guarantee and wouldn’t replace it. The fish bowl in Searcy Arkansas
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 34 27.6%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 43 35.0%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 27 22.0%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 11 8.9%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 8 6.5%
Back
Top