Red Belly Scorpion fish problem

[Shawn]

My scorpion fish, named Dumb fish, has stopped eating (about 4 days ago) and has started leaping out of the water. Did a chemical check and everything is in tolerance. Salinity is 1.021-1.022. We have been feeding frozen silver sides. Dumb Fish has been eating the silver sides without problem.

Help.

[dmweise]

I'd get some live ghost shrimp from your LFS. My Marine Betta gets kind of picky from time to time and will only eat live stuff. Maybe your fish is the same.

[Shawn]

Could be. I had a scorpion fish before and fed it live rosies. Then for convenience sake I switched to frozen silversides. Did OK for a while then stopped eating and died. Could be it wanted live food. This may be what is going on with Dumb Fish. I have to go into San Antonio tomorrow so I will pick up both rosies and ghost shrimp.

Thanks for the clue.

[justahobby]

Gut loaded ghost shrimp could entice him to eat, but feeding a variety will ensure long term health. Try gut loading the shrimp for a few hrs. When you add the GS, if he goes into predator mode begin dropping shrimp or clam and see if that helps. You can also add some garlic (not garlic salt) to the food.

Do you have any other fish in the tank?

[Shawn]

He is really acting bad now. Just started shooting to the surface and acting like he is gulping air then kind of falls to the bottom of the tank. I am going to move him to my big tank but I don't think he will last till morning.

[Third Coast Tropical]

Does he look swollen?

[Shawn]

Dumb fish is gone. He sank to the bottom and gasped severl times then just passed on.

I am gonna miss him. He ate from my fingers, let me pet him, interacted with me. He even spined me once. Hurt like all get out and took a trip to the emergeny room with it. Emergeny room people don't know how to deal with it and they don't know the difference between being spined and getting bitten and you can't explain it to them in a way they can comprehend.

Good night, Dumb Fish. You will be missed.

[Third Coast Tropical]

Sorry you lost your fish...

[Shawn]

Thank you.