Whats wrong with my lion? :(

[fuzzylion44]

She is a fuzzy dwarf lion. Just noticed her mouth today. She is still eating fine and not acting any different other than a little trouble holding on and swallowing her food. Does anyone think it could me mouth rot and if so what do you think the best treatment would be. Im about to do a 20% water change. Thanks!

 

[saxman]

I'm not seeing any deterioration in the pic, such as would be caused by a bacterial infection, however, it DOES look like the fish's jaw might be dislocated.
Has it smacked into any rockwork or the tank walls while chasing food?

 

[fuzzylion44]

not that i have seen but i wa out of town all last week and the person who was babysitting my fish knows nothing about them.... any suggestions?

 

[saxman]

If the fish isn't off its feed, that's a good sign. If it's a dislocation, it may snap back in on its own.
What have you been feeding the fish?

 

[fuzzylion44]

i feed a mix of live rosey red and ghost shrimp. She refuses to eat frozen silver sides.....she starved herself for over a week untill i fd her live again....lol what can i say shes spoiled and I cant say no

 

[saxman]

I suspect the fish was chasing a live prey item and smacked itself. Our volitans did something similar once and its mouth was slightly "funny" for a bit, but it may have just been swollen from the impact. It did however go away.
As for rosy reds, you're not doing your lionfish any favors by feeding them to her. I strongly suggest using guppies or mollies instead (the ghosties are fine). Rosy reds are carp, as are goldfish, and not only contain the wrong fatty acids, but a high concentration of Thiaminase, which over time will render your fish Thiamine deficient, resulting in neurological disorders, clamped fins, and cessation of feeding in advanced cases.