Lion stopped eating

[dmitry]

Well, for a while my Mombasa Lion was a great eater. Always begging for food and eating a lot. (Though I only fed him twice a week.) For several weeks now I can't really get him to eat very well. He'll take a couple of pieces of krill or prongs once a week and that's it. I wiggle food in front of him and he just backs away. Any thoughts on what might be the problem? And how I can get him to start eating again???

 

[dmitry]

:notsure:

 

[v-lioness]

How long have you had the Lion?
What size is your Lion?
What have you been Feeding your lion? We need a list of foods live or dead, including vitamins.
Have you tested your water?
Are the eyes clear, cloudy or hazy looking?
What size tank and what is being housed with your lion?
A few things come to mind but I need to know more about your lion.
Kaye

 

[scsinet]

Just outa curiosity, have you tried throwing a feeder guppy in there? Don't get me wrong, you should NOT feed a Lionfish feeder guppies with any kind of regularity, but it does make for an easy test with live food...
I've seen them have to be re-weaned.
Sounds like Lioness is leaning towards a nutritional deficiency. I'd tend to agree....

 

[v-lioness]

Just outa curiosity, have you tried throwing a feeder guppy in there? Don't get me wrong, you should NOT feed a Lionfish feeder guppies with any kind of regularity, but it does make for an easy test with live food...
I agree, this is something I would try, feeding this lion live one, two or three days will not hurt.
Sounds like Lioness is leaning towards a nutritional deficiency. I'd tend to agree....
Yes, I am thinking nutritional deficiency or possibly bacterial, though it is possible this lion needs re-weaned, I have had to deal with this on two of my lions now, once they turned into adults the eating stopped.
Kaye

 

[dmitry]

I've had the Mombasa Lion for about eight weeks. He was eating frozen foods immediately. I've alternated feeding him krill, prongs, and silversides. Always first soaked in either garlic, zoe, vitachem, or silcone. He stopped showing interest in the food about 3 weeks ago, but at first would take a piece of something and then swim away. Now it's been about a week since he's eaten anything at all - unless he's eating snails/hermits. The last few days he's been staying on the bottom of the tank mostly, whereas before he's swam around. My water readings are fine and all my other fish (including a Hippo Tang) are healthy and eating well. It's a 72g tank and I've never seen any fish try to bully the Lion. He's been the boss of the nest. And his eyes are not cloudy; I've been keeping watching (no pun intended) for that since day one because I've read that that's a problem with Mombasas.
I should try live foods, but the Lion has never made an effort to chase any food around. If it floated too far away to grab, he's always just let the other fish take care of it. :notsure:

 

[aquatics24]

try feeding the lion by hand, he will come to the surface with live bait...just be VERY careful

 

[v-lioness]

Though Lions can go on a hunger strike for a week or two, I would lean towards stress or possible bacterial infection.
Lions can stop eating when they are being harassed or stressed from other tank mates, I would definitely watch for this. You have a 72g with a hippo, they are skittish fish that move fast, this alone could cause stress on the lion. The Mombassa does not do well with stress or harassment caused by tank mates.
Any new inhabitants added to your tank ?
What other fish do you have in the tank?
You may want to consider moving your lion to a quarantine tank, if this is bacterial than your lion needs to be treated. Since the eyes are clear at this point, I do not want to jump the gun and say bacterial.
I would move this lion to a quarantine tank to see if it settles in, try feeding live foods, such as ghost shrimp (gut loaded with something nutritional), fiddler crabs or small fish. Lets see if you can get this lion eating again by changing it's environment.
Kaye

 

[dmitry]

I moved the Lion into my sump, which has rocks and sand. Hopefully the change of scenery, and no tankmates, will make some difference. Now, how do people keep fish in the sump permanently? Does one have to get a clean-up crew for the sump as well? The Lion hasn't bothered my Skunks in the main tank - perhaps it's a good idea to get one for the sump.

 

[v-lioness]

You an put in a clean up crew, depends on the sump size, I keep a clean up crew in my sump and if I have a young lion I also keep them in there until weaned of ready to go in with other lions. Try the shrimp or some hermits......
BTW How is your lion doing?
Kaye