Lionfish Mouth Extended

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pace507

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Jan 8, 2003
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Lionfish Mouth Extended - PLEASE HELP

I came home today and noticed that my lionfish's mouth is extended out. LIke the outer lip is stuck out. Is there something I should do. His mouth extends out when he eats but goes back to normal, it looks like its stuck. He has been eating.

Help
lionmouth.jpg
 
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I've heard of this before, it gets locked open... Wait for one of our bigger brained folks to chime in here, cuz I'm hesitant to give the advice I read about it once... He is FABULOUS looking though! As long as he is eating, he's ok... Might not look right to you, but if he were in distress he'd stop eating...

Come on big brains, tell him what I don't wanna quote!

(it involves your fingers, rubber gloves and helping him out! :eek: )
 
It looks painful, the pic isnt the best, it looks worse. I tried feeding him, but he tried to get it and missed, I was hoping the jaw would release.

You quote sounds like a trip to the doctor :eek:

I hope the big guns help me

Is boogie around I know he has lionfish knowledge as he has helped me in the past.

thanks
 
Boogie SHOULD be popping in anytime, he's always very good about answering these emergency questions... Perhaps send him a PM to hit the thread incase he's overlooked it?

What I've read in the past is as follows...

First, PLEASE be aware that your lionfish is venomous and can royally screw up your day if you get stung... YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! =)

I do not know the technique, but this is what I read long ago... You need to put on those THICK, ARM LENGTH rubber gloves and catch the lion... Then, you need to reach into his mouth and see if you can feel where the bones (yeah yeah, they're not bones, but you know what I mean) are catching... Figure out how it is supposed to move and then relieve the kink...

That's what I know about it, PLEASE don't try it till someone else chimes in, ok?
 
I know about the lionfish. Before I bought him the lady at the lfs had just got stung a few days prior and her arm was all swelled up.

The lionfish this morning had his mouth normal, however when I received a new shipment of clean up critters(justphish, Excellent by the way) he went for one of the peppermint shrimp and missed and his mouth went back to extended. So I am thinking that if I do, fix his mouth it might go back.

I will try to PM boogie tomorrow as its late now.

thanks though
 
Still the same. He hasnt eaten in 2 days. He will try to eat but cant open his mouth up all the way and gets pi**** off and doesnt eat. How long should I wait until I try your method of touching his mouth to get it back?? I plan on getting those heavy duty rose bush rubber gloves. I can put him in a big bowl.

I dont have any other solutions. I PMed boogie and havent heard. Is there anyone else here that can help??? He is my favorite fish and I have had him for 1.5 years, I dont want to loose him.

Please help.
 
Don't panic just yet, they can go a couple weeks without eating and still survive... I hesitate to tell you to try it, cuz I honestly don't know how it's done since I've never tired it myself.. I'll show this thread to Reefscape and see if the Big Kahuna can lend some advice =)
 
Now someone correct me if I am wrong as I am going by memory here. If I recall, this is caused from a minor bacterial infection in the jaw/mouth area which creates a slight swelling keeping the mouth from closing properly. This can be caused from water conditions and/or something he ate.

What are your test readings and what are you feeding him? He looks pretty good from the outside and yes, Lionfish can go a few weeks without eating. If they go longer than that, some fish have a hard time going back on feeding again but not always. At this time, don't feed him for another couple of days to see if the mouth goes back into place and stays there.

Think of it as a cut on your finger. If you baby it, it will get better quicker than still using it as normal which may make the cut worse :)
 
Thanks reefscape and Raven

I will check the params tonight, as far as I know they were all 0s for amonia, nitrates, nitrites and ph was normal, but something could have happened.

I hope you are right. His mouth was closed after the first day however when I fed him it stuck open again. Like its broken, not sure if there is cartilige there.

I will check params and let you know, any params in specific??

I will hold off on feeding him for now to see how it goes.

I forgot - I have been feeding him krill mainly and ghost shrimp as a treat every once in a while.

thanks
 
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I'm gonna defer to the big guy on this one...

My advice was based on it being a physical problem, like a dislocated shoulder, and not something like Dale suggests... The fact that it comes and goes seems to agree that it ISN'T what I thought... Frankly, I'm glad I was wrong! That technique does NOT sound pleasurable for you OR the fish...

I spoke to Dale about it and he mentioned nitrates, so make sure ya check that...
 
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