Lionfish hasn't eaten...for 7 weeks

[LavaToad]

I'm kinda stumped on this one, it's a 3 year old lionfish fed mostly frozen silversides but also eats some krill and flake food on occasion. Oh and he ate all my damsels. But 7 weeks ago it just stopped eating. It swims around like normal, there's no rapid breathing but it seems he is shedding some sort of mucus from his body (this started this week). I tried going back to live ghost shrimp and feeder fish and he shows no interest, the shrimp were even crawling across his face and he didn't react. How long can this hunger strike last? His stomach is starting to look a little sunken in. No ammonia, Ph is recently down a little (7.8-8), nitrates 50 (seems I can never get lower than this).

 

[marrone]

I would say if it stop eating for 7 weeks it would be dead by now, so it must be eating something.

Neither the Ph or Nitrates would be a problem. It's possible that it could have something stuck in its' mouth.

 

[NYreefNoob]

any other live stock added right before that ?

 

[LavaToad]

The bird wrasse was the only thing added lately, before that nothing in almost 2 years. He's a fairly large lionfish so I doubt he is eating the amphipods in the tank. I didn't try soaking anything in garlic, I heard that helps sometimes when other fish won't eat. He would eat 4 or 5 full silversides at a time twice a week but yeah 7 weeks is really long.

 

[tttony]

I have 2 three year old lion fish , longest with out food has been 2 weeks.
I don't feed them often , but when I do they stuff themselves on shrimp and silversides. Never live feeders. The they rest for a week then eat again.

Check ph and ammonia, most fish are lost due to those leveles being out

 

[salpet]

have you tried giving him some live food maybe that will entice it to eat