Zebra Lionfish - Not eating

[sawrip]

Need some urgent advice regarding a Zebra Lionfish I have obtained. It is refusing to eat (three days) or show any interest in food. Currently set up in my QT with precautionary prazi dosed yesterday.

Picture provided of it's poop, it's very long stringy and white - wondering if this is internal parasites?

I've tried with live river shrimp, lfs advised it was eating frozen lance fish which I have not tried yet. My views is no interest in live food then there's little chance of it eating frozen.

I have pure Metronidazole on hand and Metroplex if required.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Need some urgent advice regarding a Zebra Lionfish I have obtained. It is refusing to eat (three days) or show any interest in food. Currently set up in my QT with precautionary prazi dosed yesterday.

Picture provided of it's poop, it's very long stringy and white - wondering if this is internal parasites?

I've tried with live river shrimp, lfs advised it was eating frozen lance fish which I have not tried yet. My views is no interest in live food then there's little chance of it eating frozen.

I have pure Metronidazole on hand and Metroplex if required.

The feces shown can be from fatty foods in lieu of internal issue which often a fish with internal issue will be thin and even show a pinched head
What foods are you offering?
You can try live ghost shrimp or a small Molly as an enticer to eat but not as a regular diet
Assure ammonia and nitrates are Not elevated and salinity is In range
Is fish breathing normal or labored?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Need some urgent advice regarding a Zebra Lionfish I have obtained. It is refusing to eat (three days) or show any interest in food. Currently set up in my QT with precautionary prazi dosed yesterday.

Picture provided of it's poop, it's very long stringy and white - wondering if this is internal parasites?

I've tried with live river shrimp, lfs advised it was eating frozen lance fish which I have not tried yet. My views is no interest in live food then there's little chance of it eating frozen.

I have pure Metronidazole on hand and Metroplex if required.

The lion looks to be in a pretty bad way - drooping fins, very lethargic and breathing a bit fast. The white feces can be from not eating, or from coccidia, flagellates or even a viral disease. If you had a microscope, you could look at it and tell if it is from a protozoan issue at least.

Do you trust the LFS when they say it was eating for them? If so, then something changed when you brought it home. What is the ammonia level for the tank?

 

[sawrip]

The feces shown can be from fatty foods in lieu of internal issue which often a fish with internal issue will be thin and even show a pinched head
What foods are you offering?
You can try live ghost shrimp or a small Molly as an enticer to eat but not as a regular diet
Assure ammonia and nitrates are Not elevated and salinity is In range
Is fish breathing normal or labored?

Hello,

I've just offered him live ghost shimp at present, he was on frozen lance fish from the shop, I did purchase some when I was there but not tried them yet.

Fish as you can see is large and looks healthy. Salinity is 1.020 Ammonia 0 Nitrates 20. Breathing looks normal to myself, uploaded a video as well.

 

[sawrip]

The lion looks to be in a pretty bad way - drooping fins, very lethargic and breathing a bit fast. The white feces can be from not eating, or from coccidia, flagellates or even a viral disease. If you had a microscope, you could look at it and tell if it is from a protozoan issue at least.

Do you trust the LFS when they say it was eating for them? If so, then something changed when you brought it home. What is the ammonia level for the tank?

I don't trust the LFS in all truth he was housed with an aggressive trigger and wrasse. He also didn't eat at least when I was there with food present in the tank. I purchased him for next to nothing to try and see if I could improve things.

Ammonia is between 0 and possibly 0.25 according to my latest test.

I do have a microscope as use it for Dinoflagellates identification. Any pointers how I should prepare and sample Jay?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I don't trust the LFS in all truth he was housed with an aggressive trigger and wrasse. He also didn't eat at least when I was there with food present in the tank. I purchased him for next to nothing to try and see if I could improve things.

Ammonia is between 0 and possibly 0.25 according to my latest test.

I do have a microscope as use it for Dinoflagellates identification. Any pointers how I should prepare and sample Jay?

Just take a thin smear of feces and use it at 40 to 120x power and look for movement. Also look for anything with structure - like ovals or spheres.

 

[sawrip]

The lion looks to be in a pretty bad way - drooping fins, very lethargic and breathing a bit fast. The white feces can be from not eating, or from coccidia, flagellates or even a viral disease. If you had a microscope, you could look at it and tell if it is from a protozoan issue at least.

Do you trust the LFS when they say it was eating for them? If so, then something changed when you brought it home. What is the ammonia level for the tank?

So took a sample and put it under the microscope. I found some small worms that were moving back and forwards.

 

[sawrip]

So took a sample and put it under the microscope. I found some small worms that were moving back and forwards.

Video of one of the worms

 

[sawrip]

And another video of one which pulsates towards end of video, finding quite a few now, I'm guessing flagellates?

 

[vetteguy53081]

And another video of one which pulsates towards end of video, finding quite a few now, I'm guessing flagellates?

Hmmm, may be a thread work or Nematode and very good suggestion by Jay. Best treatment for this would be API General Cure which contains both contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.

 

[sawrip]

Hmmm, may be a thread work or Nematode and very good suggestion by Jay. Best treatment for this would be API General Cure which contains both contains Praziquantel and Metronidazole.

Thanks, unfortunately General Cure isn't available this side of the pond. I have imported pure Metronidazole and have already treated with Prazipro.

Is it enough for metro just to be in water? Lionfish isn't eating at present so can't add to focus to bind it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks, unfortunately General Cure isn't available this side of the pond. I have imported pure Metronidazole and have already treated with Prazipro.

Is it enough for metro just to be in water? Lionfish isn't eating at present so can't add to focus to bind it.

Sera tremazole would be an option to Metro, however metro has to reach the intestines and inners of fish to be effective which is difficult when fish is not eating. As I do not know it to be absorbed like some meds by a fish, I have heard of some reefers adding it to water at one scoop per 10 gals. Also, try increasing salinity from 1.020 to 1.024 and see if fish responds to feeding in this range.

 

[sawrip]

Sera tremazole would be an option to Metro, however metro has to reach the intestines and inners of fish to be effective which is difficult when fish is not eating. As I do not know it to be absorbed like some meds by a fish, I have heard of some reefers adding it to water at one scoop per 10 gals. Also, try increasing salinity from 1.020 to 1.024 and see if fish responds to feeding in this range.

Thanks, I've gone with an increased Metronidazole dosage of 110mg per gallon. Will slowly increase SG over the next few days.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks, unfortunately General Cure isn't available this side of the pond. I have imported pure Metronidazole and have already treated with Prazipro.

Is it enough for metro just to be in water? Lionfish isn't eating at present so can't add to focus to bind it.

They do look like nematodes. Trouble is, praziquantel is not effective against these - it only treats external flukes and tapeworms. Fenbendazole at 2 ppm weekly for three weeks is a standard treatment. Trouble is, I don’t know if you can source it.

 

[sawrip]

They do look like nematodes. Trouble is, praziquantel is not effective against these - it only treats external flukes and tapeworms. Fenbendazole at 2 ppm weekly for three weeks is a standard treatment. Trouble is, I don’t know if you can source it.

I can source Fenbendazole fairly easily, but could take a few days. Would Metro work at all now I've dosed it?