This past Sunday I bought a small dwarf fuzzy lionfish. He looked very healthy in the store and I watched them feed him frozen mysis (which he ate greedily). I took him home, drip acclimated him, and he seemed to be adjusting fine in my 80 gallon rimless. He mostly just perched himself on rock (like I've read they do) but also did a lot of exploring, looking like he was looking for prey to stalk. I even got him to eat a little mysis (though not as greedily as in the store). My wife affectionately named him Fuzzhead.
However, Tues night I saw him floating around the top in the current, having labored breathing and not moving much. At one point while floating around he touched a torch coral (positioned high in the tank) and immediately dashed away and the torch recoiled (maybe he got stung?). For a good long while, I watched his breathing rate slow down until he eventually stopped breathing.
The tank is an 80 gal with softies, zoas, LPS, 3 small yellow tangs (which I'll rehome when they're bigger), 6 pajama cardinals, and a cleaner shrimp... so I can't think of what might have attacked him (possibly the torch??). I setup the tank in mid December and everything else has been doing well. The tangs and cardinals have been in there about 2 months.
After he died, I inspected him more closely and his right side under his pectoral fin was much more pale than his left side... I've attached 2 pics that show this. It didn't look like a bite so I'm speculating it was a sting.
Does anyone have any ideas?
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However, Tues night I saw him floating around the top in the current, having labored breathing and not moving much. At one point while floating around he touched a torch coral (positioned high in the tank) and immediately dashed away and the torch recoiled (maybe he got stung?). For a good long while, I watched his breathing rate slow down until he eventually stopped breathing.
The tank is an 80 gal with softies, zoas, LPS, 3 small yellow tangs (which I'll rehome when they're bigger), 6 pajama cardinals, and a cleaner shrimp... so I can't think of what might have attacked him (possibly the torch??). I setup the tank in mid December and everything else has been doing well. The tangs and cardinals have been in there about 2 months.
After he died, I inspected him more closely and his right side under his pectoral fin was much more pale than his left side... I've attached 2 pics that show this. It didn't look like a bite so I'm speculating it was a sting.
Does anyone have any ideas?
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