Sudden Lion Fish Death

[Jasonrusso]

So I have had my Dwarf Zebra Lion for 5 months now. He has been doing very well. Very active and alert. I actually rarely target fed him as he would pick food out of the water column himself. He was eating krill, Larry's food, mysis, crab, scallop, etc. He has been quite the little beggar hovering around the surface every day at feeding time.

This morning he was fine . He was perched on a rock just hanging out. When I came home from work he was breathing very heavy and had no interest in eating. That was at 7. At 10 he was dead. I pulled him out and gave him a proper burial.

I have no idea what happened here. My water is fine, everyone else eats like a horse.

Does this just happen? I've lost fish before and it always sucks. This is the worst part of the hobby.

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[Sniperhank]

What were the exact parameters? Can you tell us more about the system? Was he ever fed feeder fish?


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[melosu58]

Lion fish are messy eaters. This causes nitrites and ammonia to me in the water which is lethal for aquarium fish. This would be my guess but as Hank said we will need more info.

[Jasonrusso]

Never fed anything but live ghost shrimp but that was months ago. He's been eating frozen ever since.

It's a 150 gallon fish only. He was in with a porcupine puffer, Harlequin tusk, Dwarf moray, and coinbearing angler. No one ever fights and they keep to themselves.

Like I said, he was eating and begging for food the day before. Everyone else is fine.

Maybe he ate a small snail?

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[Jasonrusso]

That's saltwater ghost shrimp

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[Jasonrusso]

Parameters are pH 8.0-8.1, Zero Ammonia and nitrite. About 2-5 nitrates. Temp is about 82 in the summer.

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[Sniperhank]

Could have been a parasite that came in on the feeder shrimp or even bullying from tank mates.


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[melosu58]

What kind of filtration are you using?