Help my Dwarf Lion Fish, Please

bettamamad

bettamamad

New Member
Hi All, I have just joined, and I can tell that I will be here often. So much info.
My problem is my 2 yr old lion fish. The other day I noticed that his mouth did not close completely. Over the last 2 days, his jawbone on the left side of his mouth is exposed and the flesh(lip) is missing. My thinking is that this is a wound, perhaps inflicted by my snowflake eel(2ND choice) or my Porcupine Puffer Fish. I did notice some hostility between them to the point where the puffer actually took food from the lion fish mouth. What can I do ?
I am having trouble feeding him. I am very attached to this fish, so if anyone has any suggestions, please answer. By the way, I have isolated him in a floating basket. Thanks
 
v-lioness

v-lioness

Member
You may be dealing with two things here, Lockjaw plus the open wound. Your lion should be removed and placed in a quarantine tank. Treat with kanamycin for 5 - 7 days, I have used this with lions to treat open wounds.
The other day I noticed that his mouth did not close completely.
Lockjaw is when the jaw does not close completely, hopefully this lion will be able to work it's jaw back into place.
Kaye
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Welcome to Saltwaterfish.com. Glad to see you join us.
Unfortunately the the answer is not easy. If there is aggression going on, then the aggressor needs to be separated from the harassed.
V-L is correct in that the Lion may as well have a locked jaw condition. Myself, I don't have experience with this fish, so I'm going to copy this topic over to the Aggressive Forum as well. Check in both places.
What size tank do you have?
 
v-lioness

v-lioness

Member
Do we need to discuss diet too? Improper feedings can cause this too or no?
I did not mention diet because this is a 2 year old dwarf, I have a Black Volitan that gets lock jaw from time to time right after I feed, the mouth will not fully close, but it seems to take care of itself within a few days.
There really is not much know about lock jaw or even how to treat it, I do know Iodine has been suggested as a cause, whether this is the case or not I am unsure. Lockjaw is not uncommon in puffers.
Kaye
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
Originally Posted by V-Lioness
I did not mention diet because this is a 2 year old dwarf, I have a Black Volitan that gets lock jaw from time to time right after I feed, the mouth will not fully close, but it seems to take care of itself within a few days.
There really is not much know about lock jaw or even how to treat it, I do know Iodine has been suggested as a cause, whether this is the case or not I am unsure. Lockjaw is not uncommon in puffers.
Kaye
Kaye, i was thinking maybe not enough nutrients like in feeding gold fish etc..!!?? You are the expert w/lions, just trying to get more info. myself.
 
v-lioness

v-lioness

Member
Kaye, i was thinking maybe not enough nutrients like in feeding gold fish etc..!!?? You are the expert w/lions, just trying to get more info. myself
Thanks hot883, I am by far an expert and I read a lot, have over the years on this. I also take in sick lions, treat them, try to get them eating again and so on, this is how I ended up with so many.....lol
The easiest way to explain it is break it up into two groups:
Feeding fresh water feeders over time are nutritionally deficient and can cause fatty degeneration.
Feeding a constant diet of the same foods can cause a blockage of the GI tract, the lion can develop a goiter, lead to nutritional deficiency which in time can lead to starvation.
This may not even be lockjaw but a dislocated jaw from being bit than tugged at by the puffer or eel. Time will tell.
Kaye
 
bettamamad

bettamamad

New Member
Hey, thanks for the input, but just for the record, I never feed goldfish to any of my fish. Their is no nutritional value and they could be diseased.
My lion has been trained to accept freeze dried or frozen foods, as do the rest of my fish. Twice a month I treat my tank with ghost shrimp or my home grown molly fry.
Anyway, my guy is not responding to antibiotics yet and the flesh is disintegrating. I will not give up on him. On a happier note, as difficult as it is to force feed the meds to him, in a strange way, he seems to know that I'm trying to help. Wishful thinking,LOL.
 
bettamamad

bettamamad

New Member
Hey, thanks for the input, but just for the record, I never feed goldfish to any of my fish. Their is no nutritional value and they could be diseased.
My lion has been trained to accept freeze dried or frozen foods, as do the rest of my fish. Twice a month I treat my tank with ghost shrimp or my home grown molly fry.
Anyway, my guy is not responding to antibiotics yet and the flesh is disintegrating. I will not give up on him. On a happier note, as difficult as it is to force feed the meds to him, in a strange way, he seems to know that I'm trying to help. Wishful thinking,LOL
 
bettamamad

bettamamad

New Member
Hi Spider, no, he didn't have any fungus or any other kind of cottony growth. He had a wound from a bite to the mouth and it broke the jaw bone and the flesh deteriorated. He passed during the night, after a valient fight for his life.
 
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