Eroding lessions on Volitans

[polite psycho]

Have small lion for about five months kept in small tank, fed every other day on frozen food purchased at supermarket, mostly shrimp, squid, whitefish, and baby clams. It appears lively, is usually hungry, have nice bright red color, however, is now developing bilateral eroding lessions about cheeks, running aft. It is kept together with another lion of the same age and size, purchased from the same source, and does not present similar signs. The water appears and smells clean. Is this perhaps HLLE? If so, is it vitamin C deficiency? What is the prognosis and treatment?

 

[wolfeel]

It sounds like HLLE. There are a variety of causes but I would investigate the following:
1. Do you have adequate lighting? (possible vitamin D deficiency if poor lighting)
2. Do you give him a vitamin supplement? Vita Chem is an outstanding product that you can put in food or directly in the water. (Vitamin C deficiency)
3. Give him Metronidazole for 5 days in case it's caused by internal protozoans.
4. Check for stray voltage in the tank, i.e. do you have water that is dripping on electrical outlets or connections?
5. Some people think that carbon may be a cause, depleting too many trace elements, I've cleared up HLLE primarily with 1-3, but you may want to remove any carbon for a while if you are using it.
6. Lastly, make sure the tank is the proper size to house 2 Lionfish, inadequate space is a major stressor and can lower the fishes immune response making him more suseptible to disease.
Good Luck!
wolfie

 

[fmarini]

Hi:
it does sound like HLLE, and as mentioned there appears to be a few school of thought on why it progresses. Its mainly thought as a nutritonal deficiency, w/ a stress component. But there is also theories on stray voltage and poor water qualites(all leading to stress). Problem is your feeding the correct foods, I can't see how you'd make your food choices much better shy of enriching your foods w/ selcon/zoecon, and vitamins.
I would do what ever i could to de-stress the fish, ensure better water quality, keep the excellent foods, enrich them, and cross your fingers. I personally would skip the flagyl unless you know the fish has gut problems
good luck
frank