Dwarf Lionfish

[eerie]

I recently got an African Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish. I fed him some ghost shrimp a couple days ago, which he ate no problem at all.
The next day I came home from work and saw that he was swimming up-side-down at the surface of the water. Also, his skin looks extremely pale as if it's losing color! He seems to be doing alright today, (just haning out on the rocks), but still hasn't regained his color.
I read that he could have a gut blockage. But what could be wrong with him?

 

[fmarini]

Not sure what is the problem, but is he swimming rightside up today and able to right himself. Then thing maybe looking up. Is that puffer in your avatar in the same tank
Loosing color is sometimes a diurnal event- dark color during day & light at night or vice versa, as well as stress related color changes, so its hard to say whats the main problem is- our that your fish is getting used to your tank. Dunno
If he is bobbing upside down w/ no ability to right himself- then its a gas bubble-usually a swim bladder issue of some type. Bacterial infection-maybe.
As for gut blockage- i guess anything is possible- but i wouldn't expect him to float upside down w/ a blockage, maybe if its was 3 or 4 days after eating a huge meal- maybe a gas bubble from rotting food- but it doesnt sound that way.
BTW- what is an "african" dwarf fuzzy- you have a scientific name

 

[eerie]

Today he is doing much much better! He is swimming around normally now and his coloration has returned to normal!
As far as the dogface puffer goes....it is indeed in the same tank! At the LFS, they kept a dogface in the same tank as the lionfish. Also, before I paired the two up, I did a lot of research and everybody said that they'll be fine together. However, now after I have a couple problems with the lionfish, everybody is saying that they shouldn't be in the same tank. (So I don't know. They aren't bothering each other at all, but now I'm really second guessing this pair.)
At the LFS, they labeled him as an "African Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish"....or "Dendrochirus Brachypterus" After you said that, I researched the name a little bit more. It is indeed just a "Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish"...which comes off of the African coast. Its range stretches from eastern Africa and the Red Sea to Samoa and Tonga. They must have added the "African" part at the store to make it sound....more interesting.