|
| |
|
FAQs about Rhinecanthus Triggerfishes Disease/Health Related FAQs:
Rhinecanthus
Triggers 1,
Rhinecanthus Triggers 2,
Rhinecanthus Trigger ID,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Behavior,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Compatibility,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Selection,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Systems,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Feeding,
Rhinecanthus Trigger Reproduction,
Triggerfishes
in General,
Triggerfish:
Identification,
Selection,
Selection 2, Compatibility,
Behavior,
Systems, Feeding,
Diseases, Triggerfish
Health 2, Reproduction,
Related Articles:
Triggerfish,
Rhinecanthus
Species, Red Sea Triggerfishes,
|

|
Trigger sad, Poor Environment
1/29/08
Hello,
<Hi>
I searched through a lot of posts here and found similar problems, but not
exact.
I know it's small but this is in my office at work so I cant' go with a big
tank.
I have a 20 gallon high with about 20 pounds of live rock and a Picasso trigger
a little less than 2 inches.
<Doomed in this sized tank.>
I run an Aquaclear 200, Red Sea Protein skimmer, Aquaclear 20 powerhead and 80
watts of lighting.
The water tests fine and I do frequent changes.
<"Fine" is relative, exact numbers next time please.>
The tank is blooming with life, Copepods, Anthropods, Inverts of various types,
Macro algae (came on the rock) which attests to the quality of the water.
Ok that's out of the way.
My Trigger was in the tank with to Damsel mates. Two weekends ago, I came in and
observed the trigger acting skittish and hiding. The blue Damsel was acting like
he took over the tank like the Alpha male. I assume they duked it out and the
Trigger lost.
<Probably, the damsels are very aggressive.>
For a few days I observed his cowardliness and did some research and discovered
that they must have had a tick. I placed the damsel in my quarantine tank and
the Trigger came out of hiding soon after. The other damsel started to give him
a hard time and he did they same thing. I removed the second damsel.
<He is not healthy so he is low man in the pecking order.>
Now he doesn't eat that I can see (food goes right past his face with no
reaction) and doesn't swim around much at all.
<Not good.>
Mostly he sits in his hole, or wiggles slowly with his nose against the glass
like he is sad now. His lack of eating is worrying me now since he was a hardy
eater. I just bought a small tank raised Clown to put in there with him for
company.
<Also can be quite aggressive, are members of the damsel family.>
I'm not worried if things don't turn out too good for the Clown.
<Bad news for the clown.>
What do you think might be his problem, and do you think he will die soon?
<Yes, if kept in a 20 gallon tank he will not last long, it is just not a
suitable environment for him and you are seeing it begin to take it toll.>
Thanks in advance for your help.
Keith
<Welcome>
<Chris>
Huma Huma Trigger with a
swollen jaw... over and mis-stocking, and? 11/6/07
I have had a my Huma Huma Trigger for about a year and to date he has been
relatively healthy. Approximately 3-4 moths ago, he survived Ich which affected
my entire tank.
<Does... the fishes>
Recently I have noticed that each morning, his eyes appear to be "bugging" out
of his head and later in the day he appears back to normal.
<Okay>
The last few days, I haven't seen any problem with his eyes, but his jaw is
swelling. It looks as if he went a couple of rounds with a boxer and lost.
<Good description>
I've searched around on the site, but haven't found much help. Can you offer any
direction?
<Mmm, well... could be an after affect of whatever chemical/medication exposure
this fish suffered... Perhaps this is coupled or instead due to some nutritional
deficiency, water quality anomaly, ingestion of some noxious organism, genetic
predisposition...>
Tank info: 50 gal
<Too small... for this species>
with two Pacific Blue Tangs, one Niger Trigger
<Ditto and incompatible with the Odonus>
and One Lunar Wrasse.
<And too small for this Thalassoma as well>
{I used this tank as a hospital tank when I had a huge ich problem. Main tank is
170 gallons.} All appear healthy since we defeated Ich.
<How?>
I was considering transferring all of the fish back to the main tank and placing
some schooling fish in this tank when my Huma starts having this issue.
All of the fish including the Huma are very active and eating well. He will even
nip my finger if I put it on the surface of the water. He doesn't act like he's
sick, but sure looks that way.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
<Well... you do need to move all out to larger quarters... I would try
bolstering their immune systems via supplementing their foods... and hope. Bob
Fenner>
SICK Huma Huma Trigger; research, patience 3/1/07
Hello, I really hope that you can help me.
<Hello, and so do I. GrahamT with you today.>
I purchased an established tank about 2.5 months ago. The tank is a 46 gallon
bow front with 10 lbs of live rock.
<Far less than useful. A *generalized* "rule of thumb" is 1:1 lbs/gallons. More
is better...>
The tank had a 2" yellow tang, a 3" yellow tang, a 4" Foxface and two damsels.
<Too little room for these species, excepting the damsels.>
It has a Penguin 250 filter, a Penguin 350 filter and a Seaclone 100 protein
skimmer.
<This protein skimmer is regularly touted as one of the frequently regretted
purchases among hobbyists...>
When we moved the tank we kept about 2/3 of the water.
<Very good idea.>
After setting up the tank we had the water tested and found out that it was
extremely dirty (no detectable nitrite or ammonia, but over 200 ppm nitrate).
<Wow! Could have a lot to do with stirring up the substrate, or even lack of
water changes on the previous owner's part...>
We proceeded to do 6 water changes in about a two week period bringing the
nitrate down to 80 ppm.
<Still very high, and likely stressing out your inhabitants.>
After the last water change the smaller yellow tang died.
<Mmm, what is your water source for the water changes?>
The next day the larger yellow tang would not eat and was hiding.
<Not a good sign...>
A day later the large yellow tang died.
<Oh, even worse.>
The guys at the fish store told us it was probably due to the stress of moving
them and all the water changes.
<Mmm, would not disagree, but without knowing more about the mix you used for
water changes...>
I waited two weeks and then purchased a Huma Huma Trigger.
<D'oh! Did the nitrates come down below 40ppm? Had the damsels seemed to look
better? (I know they may have looked fine the whole time) I hope this purchase
was based on better water conditions, and not JUST time gone by.>
A week after that I purchased a Flame Angelfish.
<I have to say, this sounds like someone wants to "fill" their tank, rather than
stock with appropriate selections and care for them as appropriately. Patience
and research is key to success in this hobby.>
It has been two weeks since I introduced the Huma and now it has also stopped
eating and is hiding.
<This is very abnormal behaviour. Triggers are notorious for the voracity.
Unless this is a very small specimen (under 1.5") then I suspect your water
quality has gotten away from you again.>
Could this be bacterial?
<Anything is possible, but current water test results are neccessary in
assisting you.>
I don't have a QT tank yet, do you have any suggestions on what I can do to save
this fish?
<Take some water tests. Consider upgrading the filtration and liverock
compliment. Also, you didn't mention whether you employ livesand or
bare-bottom.>
Also, the Flame Angel has a white spot on her lip that has been there since I
purchased her.
<Hmm... you should NEVER buy a fish that shows symptoms of disease. Put a modest
deposit on it and the LFS should be happy to keep it QT'd until it looks
better.>
The fish store said it was probably Lymphocystis and that it should go away on
it's own.
<Could, but proper nutrition and water conditions help more than time will.>
However after a week it looks like it is just getting worse and she now has a
cloudy eye and a frayed tail.
<I think you need to get some test results and reflect on your purchases. You
have to keep in mind that these animals depend on us and require us to know
their needs, or else what is the point in keeping them? I used to work at a
retail fish store and we regularly refused business from customers that we
knew/suspected were buying fish over and over again only to kill them through
ignorance/negligence and laziness. I will quote a phrase I use often: Many folks
leave the marine hobby in failure due to their lack of understanding and its
subsequent devastating consequences. Fish may be purchased with problems you
don't see and aren't responsible for. My intention is not to place blame or to
make you feel inadequate or inferior. Most of us have made this mistake, or
worse ones. We all (hopefully) learn from our mistakes. I think that most of the
crewers here at WWM will agree that they hope to prevent the unfortunate
side-effects of improper selection and lack or research that they themselves
(myself included) have caused. The information you need to be a successful
hobbyist is out there (or here!) and you owe it to you and your fish to use it.>
Foxface and damsels are still doing good. HELP PLEASE!
<Use the google search tool here for your Centropyge loriculus's symptoms, and
you will be directed to a FAQ list of those symptoms.
-GrahamT>
SICK Huma Huma Trigger; research, patience (pt.2) 3/2/07
Graham,
<Hello again.>
Thank you for your response.
<You are welcome! Is what we do...>
I really do want to keep these fish alive and I feel horrible that I was
probably the cause of their death.
<Woah! Don't be so quick to hate yourself here. You don't know what the water
conditions were when you purchased the system. You may have practiced some
patience, but in the end some of us need to make mistakes to know their
consequences.>
I did purchase "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" book when I first got the
tank (before I added anything or did any water changes) and have read it cover
to cover twice.
<A good read, no doubt.>
In the book it mentioned that there was no real proof that high nitrates caused
fish any harm and that most "fish only" systems run at high rates.
<This is true, there is no research into the mortality of captive species that
are housed in systems with too high Nitrates. We do know, however, that the
concentrations at sea are at or near zero and that this is the environment we
try hard to reproduce. I would look at 40ppm as a "ceiling" for your FOWLR, with
an occasional peak into the 50's or 60's. This doesn't mean that your fish won't
be stressed about these levels, just that they might get to that point before a
water change. The other end of the spectrum is where we work to keep the
bio-load at a point where Nitrates are maintained below 15ppm for FOWLR. It is
possible to do with well, regimented feeding and the addition of natural process
(Refugium, DSB) that abate these toxins. (All laid out in "TCMA")>
After seeing no visible signs of infection on the tangs (i.e., no reddening,
color change, etc) after they died I assumed the guys at the fish store were
correct by saying that they probably died due to the stress of moving them and
all the water changes.
<This is possible, but hard to confirm. Either way, I find myself wondering if
you have some contaminant in your system. Have you looked over our link on toxic
tank syndrome? (
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/toxictk.htm ) I ask because, though damsels are
very very hardy, triggers are pretty tough in their own right.>
This was the reason I purchased the huma and flame
<Flame angels are notoriously finicky about water conditions and stress easily.
A much more tolerant cousin is the Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa).>
(I also did multiple water tests before purchasing these two fish and everything
checked out fine, <Relative. Numbers, if you have them, are far more useful to
me.> except the nitrates were still high) <D'oh!>. I have since taken the flame
back to the fish store because I did not want her to get worse and die.
<A tough decision on your part. I think the right one.>
They are going to try to rehabilitate her. The Huma has gotten worse, so I
purchased a hospital tank (10 gallon) filled it with water from my main tank and
put the Huma in that tank to begin treatment for a bacterial infection.
<What are his symptoms again? Other than not eating, I don't remember you
mentioning any outward signs. >
I does not look like he is going to make it.
<Have you considered treating with Lifeguard marketed by Instant Ocean? (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/details/medicine.php?product_ID=md-aslg016)
I mention it because it's a broad spectrum and rather gentle treatment.
Unfortunately, it is new enough that I don't have experience with it, and there
have been only a few blurbs that I've read lately on it's use. On the good side,
it seems very promising!>
Two questions: 1. I don't plan on purchasing anymore fish for a VERY long
time, but if the Huma lives I need to know if it will be too crowded for
him.... My 46 gallon tank now has a Foxface (4") and two damsels (1"). I am
planning on upgrading to a 125 galloon tank next year.
<If you are sure about the timing of the 125-gallon, then you should be ok.
Wait! You never mentioned how big he is! Under 4 inches, he'd be ok for a year
or so. >
How many fish could I keep HEALTHY in my 46 gallon tank for the next year?
<For clarification: You have two damsels and a Foxface? With these inhabitants,
and the trigger, you are well (if not over) stocked.>
Could I add the Huma back in or should I try to upgrade to the 125 gallon now?
<Would wait for a change in behaviour from the trigger. You have moved him
around quite a bit in the past few weeks. That reminds me: did you ask whether
the trigger was caught or tank-raised?>
2. What can I do to get the nitrates down?
<Well:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratennr.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/denitrification_erfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/no3probfaqs.htm ...would help you gain an
understanding of the various opinions and techniques regarding nitrates and the
exportation/conversion.>
(I use tap water for water changes and condition it with PRIME and add
CYCLE. Salt used is CORAL LIFE)
<Mmm... do you test your water before and after mixing? It is possible that you
have some unknown metals or other contaminants in your tap water. I would
consider trying to eliminate that area of possible contamination by purchasing a
small, effective De-ionizer
http://www.aquariumguys.com/tapwaterfilter.html . If you can afford the
up-front, then you could try an RO, but I like the DI for it's low initial cost
and you can set it aside guilt-free if your tap water is actually fine after
buffering. As far as Prime and Cycle go, I'm not sure what you are trying to
achieve by their use in this instance. Prime is a dechlorinator/ammonia reducer,
and useful in cleaning up (to some degree) tapwater before using in a freshwater
setup. You may find it makes you feel better about using tapwater, but I think
you should invest in a better form of treatment here. Cycle, IMO, is not worth
trying, and I'm not sure what you are hoping for in it's use. If you are
medicating with anti-bacterials in a QT then you will be killing off your
nitrifying population, adding them back is not how you counteract this, but with
water changes. Frequent water changes.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bestquarfaqs.htm >
I have done about 10 - 20% water changes in the past 2 months and they have gone
down from 200ppm to between 80 and 60 ppm but have not budged from the high
80-60ppm.
<See above.>
3. If the Huma lives how long should I keep him in the hospital tank before
moving him back to the main tank?
<No less than 4 weeks, but preferably 6-8. You don't even know what he has, so
premature introduction to the display system may be, well, premature.>
Also, is there something more I can do for him besides treating him?
<Keep his environs pristine.>
I am currently using a broad spectrum anti-biotic because we have no idea what
is wrong with him (no color change, no spots)
<See if you can entice him to eat live brine. Maybe he's just too soon from the
wild?>
Thanks again....I am still learning and I just don't want to be the cause of
anymore death.
<A worthy cause. I applaud you for trying and for pledging to be a saviour to
your buddies. Spend some time reading here on WWM and you may find something
that jumps out at you. In the meantime, provide excellent water quality,
nutrition, low stress levels and keep testing.
-GrahamT>
Huma Huma help 1/2/07
hello.
<Hello, Graham here.>
I have had a catastrophe... and want to help save my last fish... I purchased
some turbo snails from the local pet store and after introducing them to my 75
gallon tank all my fish started scratching. I added Sea Cure and that was the
end of my marine life. I lost 2 clown 2 damsel 1 yellow tang and my emperor
angel.. now my trigger is left but he is still scratching away at his side. he
has his whole belly red and flakey now. what can I do ? My tank was all zeros
for no2, no3 and ammonia and a ph of 8.0-8.2.... I now have him out of the tank
and in a quarantine.. he seems to be fine but he is scratching his skin really
bad...I an dosing him with sea cure BTW.
<Very hard to diagnose a problem like this when you can't see it. Send a
high-resolution .JPG that has been either compressed in an image editor or to a
.ZIP file. (Make sure the file is no bigger than 500k, but preferably under
100k) If you cannot send a pic, I recommend you try to work out an
identification from our FAQs using the search tool.>
Thanks
Josh
<Welcome.>
<P.S. Bob F. : Please jump in if you see a red flag I'm missing! -Graham>
<<Mmm... copper poisoning... removing the copper, hope, time going by... RMF>>
A buddy's Picasso in distress.... - 04/05/2006
<Sab>
I had a quick question for ya.... I have a buddy at work (CC'd here) with a 2"
Picasso in a 40g tank with two other fish;
<Gonna get crowded...>
water parameters all sound great, am going to double check for him in case his
test reagents are old/faulty. Sounds like a decent setup given the
inhabitants' current size; also, the tank's in good shape/health aside from this
little trigger. He's been in the tank for 5 months and has started
showing signs that he might be blind.
<Does happen>
He tries to go for food and fails to find it. He apparently acts as though he
wants to eat, just can't see/get the food. The only things I can think
of that might be issues are nutritional problems and toxic metals (copper, etc).
<These are the most common...>
I think we've ruled out the latter though. The fish are fed on frozen krill,
Mysis, brine shrimp, and flakes. I've suggested he start trying some
frozen/thawed human-consumption fish/shellfish meats, foods soaked in Selcon,
maybe some Spectrum pellets, but I'm just not sure if nutritional
issues would blind a fish?
<Yes, can/do>
I've read so in a couple of places, but.... is there anything else that I'm
missing? Other things that cause blindness in fish/triggers?
<Likely the third most common "cause" are pathogenic/parasitic problems... next,
too-bright/continuous lighting...>
Am currently recommending quarantining the critter so he won't have competition
for food and trying to get something into his little concave
belly. Any other thoughts?
Also, Brent, the link for the conference is
http://www.wmc2006.org - hope to see ya there!
-Sabrina
<Oh, yes. And do send along a close-up pic of this fish's eyes if you can.
Bob Fenner>
Re: A buddy's Picasso in distress.... blindness
- 04/05/2006
thanks to both of you. I'll get a close-up of his eyes soon. as far as
lighting goes, i have a 50/50 skylight/actinic on a timer (no reef/coral
set-up), so i don't think that's it.
<Me neither... Bob Fenner>
Questions on Huma Huma
Hello-
I have a question about my Huma Trigger. I just got the fish a few days ago, it
has a whitish rash on its body and has been ramming himself into the wall of the
tank, the bleached coral, the thermometer, you name it. Is it trying to scratch
an itch or is it just attacking these things?
<Hard to say... all your suggested possibilities might be the one... or a
combination of the reasons for this animals apparent aberrant behavior. Might
also simply be something that disagrees with it in the way of water chemistry.
What other sorts of life do you have in the system? Or consequent with capture,
handling damage... Or an internal disorder...>
Also I have 3 damsels with this guy. Are they safe, they seem to be happy for
now. The Trigger is quite small.
<Safe for now.>
Last question. I am wondering if there was a good scavenger fish that I could
get that would clean up after the trigger. He is very messy. I know that if I
get a shrimp or a crab it would end up being an expensive snack. Any
suggestions???
<Please see our site re marine scavengers, starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marscavart.htm
following the links, FAQs from there>
I have a 32 gallon tank with a Fluval 304 filter
<Yikes... this is a small system for what you have now, and smaller as the
fishes grow.>
Thanks for any help
Jason
<Be chatting. Bob Fenner>
Picasso Trigger
We have had our Picasso Trigger for around 5 months now and he has been
slowly developing a 'bump' on his nose.
<Yes, I see from your image. Bizarre>
Recently, in the last week his bump has begun to swell and he is beginning to
get quite lethargic. Earlier in the piece, he used to 'scratch' his head on the
rocks but there is no obvious scratching on his skin.
None of the other fish in the tank seem to be affected.
At first we thought that it might have been bruising as he bumps his head on the
top of the tank when we feed him. He's eating a diet of frozen mussel, oyster
and spinach with some dry flake food. We also give him fresh mussel as well.
We've tried to give him a little bit of garlic (recommended to us by the shop
we've bought all our fish through) but he doesn't seem to be improving.
<No... I suspect this is a fluid-filled tumor or cyst within the animals
internal skin...>
Our other fish in the tank include a yellow tang, 2 blue/green chromos, a
Percula Clown and a Black and White Humbug. We also have a few local shrimps to
help keep the tank clean and they sometimes sit on his nose 'cleaning' him.
The tank is 600 litres and recently set up and our regular testing shows that
the water is good and we change it regularly with local fresh sea water.
I have attached a photo of 'Trig' and we hope that you may be able to have a
look at it and perhaps recommend what may be wrong with him. He's by far our
most interesting tank inhabitant and we'd hate to lose him. The shop don't know
what it is and all the diseases that we read about don't seem to come close to
his condition.
If you're not sure, can you recommend someone who may know.
Thanks for your time ...
<Thank you for writing, and sending the image. I have a long-standing keen
interest in triggers/balistids (for many years thought I was going to make them
my life's study, do my doctorate on their systematics...)... so have always had
ancillary interests in their biology. Have only seen these sorts of tumorous
growths on a couple of other occasions. Unfortunately, nothing I'm aware of can
be done to reverse or remove this "bump"... Though sometimes such
growths resolve themselves spontaneously, of their own accord. I would keep the
animal as well as can be, soaking its foods in a vitamin and iodide mixture
twice a week... in the hopes that it will self-cure. Should this animal perish,
do consider donating to university (zoology department) or through your
veterinarian to a specialist. Bob Fenner> |
|
 |
Humu Humu Trigger died Saturday
Hi all..
Anthony and all
<greeting, my friend>
sad sad...but Magnum died Saturday morning after his situation got worse on
Friday.
<alas... sorry to hear it but I admire you for your great efforts>
he seemed to do fine on Thursday evening, after he got stuck to the air pump
that morning.
<great stress I'm sure>
We saw the deterioration on Friday but there was nothing we could do, and we had
small hope that he would get better. deep inside you know when a fish is dying.
I really miss this cute fish and I wished he'd survived but we think the injury
was too much.......or maybe even got infected inside in any case...after
spending the last 2 weeks caring about this fish' health he became kind of like
my little care project, meaning...you want to protect it and want it to have a
good life....
<yes... and its death is not in vain... you have learned so much and other
Q&A readers have benefited from the insight as well, rest assured>
I just wanted to say thanks to all who have helped and given advice......too bad
the last injury was too much Wendy
<always welcome... best regards in this hobby/life to you. Kindly,
Anthony>
HELP - Sluggish Picasso Trigger
Hello,
Over the past few days I have noticed changes with my Pecos
Trigger. Until recently the trigger has been very active, but now he
has been spending a lot of time sleeping under the rocks. I have even
noticed him swimming past the power filter inlet and allowing himself to be
sucked against the grate.
Today when I go home from work I found him upside down lodged behind the
overflow. At first I thought he was dead but when I moved the box he
swam away. I checked my levels and found the following:
Nitrates: 20
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0
PH: 8.8
Obviously I have allowed my PH to get way out of control so I instantly added
the first dosing of marine buffer to get it back under control. I
have looked over the trigger and see no signs of other disease. Would
the PH be causing him to act sluggish and reduce the level of
activity? Any advice is appreciated.
Stacey Hippen
<Hi Stacey, Your pH is *high* at 8.8. Are you sure it wasn't 7.8?
Adding buffer to 8.8 water would raise it far too high. Of concern to me is your
nitrate level. I would perform adequate water changes to get your
water to 8.3-8.4 pH and lower your nitrates to start. You might also try looking
up your trigger at WetWebMedia.Com in the google search engine to see if there
is something you are missing. Craig>
Trigger needs glasses
Good Morning
Guys
Thanks for such an informative sight. I have a question concerning a Picasso
Trigger, which has been part of the family for about 5 years. He has always been
the picture of health and very responsive to my being in the room or nearby. Now
here's the problem. He has what appears to be a vision problem. When I walk up
to the tank he can see me. I know this because he comes running at feeding time.
He comes to the top of the tank to feed but seems as though he can’t see the
food. The food can be right in front of him but he can’t find it! The only way
to feed him is by hand! So it seems as though he can see at a distance but not
up close. He also has become very clumsy and disoriented at times. (i.e. running
into the coral) I really would appreciate your thoughts on this. He has lost
weight. Is this a result of not being able to find the food or is something else
going on? Thanks again for your time. Randy S. < Try soaking his
food in a vitamin preparation such as American Marines
Selcon. Unfortunately this is a problem with many large/old captives.
You won’t be able to completely restore his vision but just keep it from
getting worse. Also make sure you are keeping up on your regular
water changes. Hope this helps, Cody>
Picasso Trigger
Hi there, I have a small question regarding my baby pico. I’ve had
him for a month and he's been doing great, swimming all over, eating like no
other... This morning I saw a two small brown spots on the tip and
side of his nose/mouth. They eventually disappeared, but I don’t
know what they were. He picks on the rocks all the time, searching
for food and the other day I saw him scratch himself against the
rocks. Could the spots be just from his daily pickings? I
have 2 damsels in a 55 gallon with all the goodies, and I do a 25% water change
weekly. Any info/advice would be great. Thanks
Jon <Just keep a close eye on him for know as these fish are very
tough. You need to quarantine all new fish in a separate tank for at
least 3 weeks before adding them to your main tank. For more info on
quarantine and the trigger read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/triggers/rhinecanthus/index.htm
Best regards Cody>
Trigger Losing His Sight?
Good Morning Guys
<Scott F. your guy today!>
Thanks for such an informative site. I have a question concerning a Picasso
Trigger which has been part of the family for about 5 years. He has always been
the picture of health and very responsive to my being in the room or nearby. Now
here's the problem. He has what appears to be a vision problem. When I walk up
to the tank he can see me. I know this because he comes running at feeding time.
He comes to the top of the tank to feed but seems as though he cant see the
food. The food can be right in front of him but he cant find it! The only way to
feed him is by hand! So it seems as though he can see at a distance but not up
close. He also has become very clumsy and disoriented at times. (i.e. running
into the coral) I really would appreciate your thoughts on this . He has lost
weight. Is this a result of not being able to find the food or is something else
going on? Thanks again for your time. Randy S.
<Well, Randy- hard to say...There actually is "nutritional
blindness", generally brought on by (surprise!) dietary deficiencies. There
are other possibilities, too: The fish could have had some sort of trauma to its
eyes...? You should observe carefully...Make sure that the environmental
conditions are stable and of high quality...This is an unusual occurrence, but
it does happen...Usually, however, lack of response to environmental stimuli is
indicative of some sort of water chemistry issue, in my experience...Hang in
there, and take action as needed...Regards, Scott F>
Scratching Picasso!
Dear WWM Crew-
My Picasso trigger constantly scratches in the sand and rocks he has no visible
signs of disease or ick I've done 3 fresh water dips nothing works he's
scratched him self up with wounds now please help!
<Ack! Doesn't sound fun! It's Ryan helping today. Triggers do
this, to an extent. This doesn't quite sound
normal. Unfortunately, without more info I can be of little
service. What size tank is this? Have you made any changes
in your water chemistry that may have caused this? Is he a mature
trigger with a history of this behavior? There is much to be
considered.
Please quarantine him if possible-in a glass bottom tank with little to no rock,
ho won't be able to rip himself up too badly. Just don't forget that
with a fish like this in QT, daily water changes are
mandatory. Search the WWM FAQs- there is a ton about scratching
triggers. If you're still amiss, write us back with the
details. Hope this helps! Ryan>
- Lumpy Humu -
Aloha WWM Crew,
<Aloha.>
Much mahalos for the wonderful service you provide. I can't
thank you guys enough for all your help. I have a baby Humu
which has a line (bump) that run from one side of his jaw to the other
side (see
attached pics). <Interesting.> I gave him a couple fw dips and
quarantined him for a couple weeks before placing him into my transition
tank (30gallon). I was going to put him into my main display
tank when I noticed the strange bump. All the levels in the tank are
normal and I have been feeding him vitamin soaked food ever since I got
him. What going on? <Really hard to say... I've seen similar lumps on
related triggers like the Rhinecanthus aculeatus and your R. rectangulus
but am still not sure of the origin. Think it could be one of two things:
a subcutaneous swelling, perhaps from wedging itself into a tight spot.
The other option, which is less inviting is a tumor. Both happen... and
there's not really a whole bunch you can do for either one. I would just
continue to keep the fish like any other pet and perhaps the lump will go
away and perhaps you will name it Lumpy... as long as it's eating, you're
both doing alright.>
Thanks again,
Jeff
<Cheers, J -- > |
|
 |
| |
|