Handicapped! Lionfish

[atlfish]

I have a lion fish that got his tail injured. Needles to say, it fell off and he is in a depression. He stopped eating and everything. Now he just slumps at the botom of the tank. Im afraid that my two triggers may turn on him seeing that he is vulnerable and not really carrying about life. I guess my questions is will his tail grow back? What should I do with him? He has no other signs of illness. His injury was right at the part where the body ends and the tail starts so I didn't notic it until it was to late.

 

[psusocr1]

i have a HUGE volitan lion that lost his eye somehow and he has been alive for a very long time without it..
i know this isnt what happened to yours but my point is if a lion can pop his eye out of his head and still ive and eat liek a fat pig im sure he will be fine

 

[windmill]

Prosthetic fin!
Is he able to swim at all? Lionfish aren't all that active anyways, usually just hover in place hanging out. If he isn't able to swim/hover to chase food and just sits on the sand/rockwork you may want to set-up a tank just for him. I doubt a lionfish would ever get eaten/killed by another fish unless the lion was spasming or belly-up and pretty much dead anyways.

 

[atlfish]

no he can swim and moves around slowly. just just looks so depressing

 

[1journeyman]

If the fin is just torn I'd say it wil grow back.
If it actually damaged the tail I don't think it will ever grow back. Sounds like you probably need to QT him until he gets back to eating.

 

[merredeth]

Tp be safe I'd QT him and maybe use a little Melafix to help the healing process a long.
Be aware that if you use a skimmer on on QT tank, the skimmer will go nuts. If memeory serves me correctly you should also cut the carbon and water changes need to take place and parameters should be monitored as well.
While I don't think I have been through a seven day cycle of Melafix, I have used it for a few days in a row when a fish has been injured and believe it works rather well.
Melafix is aloe vera based so anything natural is a plus for me.
Good luck!
Denise M.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by windmill
I doubt a lionfish would ever get eaten/killed by another fish unless the lion was spasming or belly-up and pretty much dead anyways.

NOT TRUE! I had a 9 inch volitans that was torn apart my a 2.5 inch humu humu trigger. I learned the hard way that triggers and lions do not mix! These fish were together for over a year and one day the trigger just snapped and took him out. From what I've read from this and on other boards this isnt all that uncommon.

 

[windmill]

That's crazy! I'd be pissed. I had a 4" humu get along just fine with a 3" fuzzy dwarf. I thought Picassos (humu humu) were one of the more docile triggers.

 

[atlfish]

Well i have two, a Niger and a Pinapple trigger (in the Humu family I think) I also have a wrasp and a tang. I never seen any aggression twords the lion. he is the biggest in the tank. One day i notice that he would snap at anything that came near him. Since the injury was in the creese between the tail and his body It was really hard for me to detect. I could have saved it if I would have noticed sooner. I love that danm lion fish, he was the gem of my tank. Now he's all jammed up. The killer is, I got him for free.

 

[xdave]

I had a Volitan (my avatar is his baby picture from his first show) that was 15" and a 3" Huma. One day the Huma bit his throat and killed him instantly.

 

[atlfish]

WoW!