lionfish with swollen abdomen

[mzarka2]

I have had a lionfish for the last 6 months that has had a voraceous appetite and has been thriving. Over the last week, his abdomen has swollen and he has a protruding cyst-like area in the region of the vent. This has been associated with thin white stools and a loss of appetite. The fish does not have protruding scales, and he does not appear to be in distress. Could this be an internal fluke/worm infection? The other fish in the tank are fine. What should I treat it with?

 

[mark-24]

Well, it sounds like you need to not feed the lion fish so much. The best advice is to not feed your lion for a few days (3-4), and then you will see the lion's stomach is back to normal. Also, a few questions 1) What size tank is he in? 2) What are you feeding him? 3) How often are you feeding him?
-Mark

 

[mzarka2]

thanks Mark
the lionfish is in an 80 gallon all fish tank. I feed him once or twice a day...have been feeding various things like Formula 1 and 2 cubes, frozen brine shrimp, frozen krill, frozen plankton, freeze dried krill, and rarely frozen silversides. He has been eating 2-3 times a week lately and has been eating small volumes of food now.