Lionfish can't swallow?

[saltman23]

I've had this lionfish for over a year now and suddenly, he is having a hard time eating. He is interested in the food but after he "gulps" it, he can't swallow it. He will puff up his gills and then spit it out. He continues to go after the same piece of food and sometimes eventually swallows it.
 
All the parameters are good and there hasnt been any changes with his tank.
 
Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[hunt]

what are you feeding, Maybe if the food is large, try cutting them into more managable pieces

 

[cranberry]

What are you feeding him primarily on a weekly basis?
 
A lot of times this can be due to a non-varying/inappropriate diet when they suddenly stop like this. The problem, I would suspect, is a nutritional one and there are a few readings out there about fish anorexia.

 

[saltman23]

He has had a pretty consistent diet of silversides and very little krill and mysis. Is this disease curable?

 

[cranberry]

Ditch the krill for sure, it's been linked to a plethera of issues. And ya gotta mix it up. Do you have a market near you with some fresh seafood?
 
How old is your silversides packet? Mine would sometimes spit his food if it was either bit old. Remember also it may be new to you, but hanging at the LFS or elsewhere for a while. The meat and the fat doesn't freeze at the same temperature and the lipids found in the silversides doesn't actuallly freeze at our temperatures, so it can go rancid over time.
 
Do you have access to live foods.... like ghostshrimp or guppies/mollies?

 

[saltman23]

I do have access to a fresh market. what kind of fresh food should i buy? would fresh shrimp pieces be an option? the packet is less than a month old so i really don't think its shot. I do have access to live food but i really would be reluctant to reintroduce him back to live foods after the long process of switching him to frozen.