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FAQs about Xanthichthys Triggerfishes,
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition
Related FAQs:
Xanthichthys Triggers
1, Xanthichthys Triggers 2, & FAQs on
Xanthichthys Identification,
Xanthichthys
Behavior, Xanthichthys Compatibility,
Xanthichthys Selection,
Xanthichthys
Systems, Xanthichthys Disease,
Xanthichthys
Reproduction, &
Triggerfishes
in General, Triggerfish:
Identification,
Selection,
Selection 2, Compatibility,
Behavior,
Systems, Feeding,
Diseases, Triggerfish
Health 2, Reproduction,
Related Articles:
Xanthichthys Triggers,
Triggerfish,
Red
Sea Triggerfishes,
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Sargassum Trigger Fish - 07/18/2006
Hi guys/girls
<<Hi.>>
Quick question for you if I may :)
<<Go for it.>>
I have a Sargassum Trigger Fish.
<<Cool.>>
I have had him for a few months now. Slowly over this time he has
become progressively skinnier. Not really skinny, he eats a huge amount,
but just does not put on weight. I am just thinking he may have worms.
<<An internal parasite of some kind is likely.>>
What would be the best thing to worm him with?
<<I use Levamisole, a commonly available pig de-wormer.>>
We don't have a huge range of meds over here either, can you just use
cat wormer?
<<I’m not familiar with cat meds.>>
How much? How do you get it into them?
Soak some freeze dried krill in a solution of the Levamisole and tank
water. Do this for a few days.>>
Thought of mixing with food, but he tends to only eat whole things like
mussel, white bait etc.
<<See above.>>
Any ideas??
There is a photo of him (attached) when I first got him.
Thanks again
Tim
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>> |
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Questionable Aquarium Service...Trying To Do
What's Needed - 09/22/06
Dear Wet Web Crew,
<<Hello>>
My employer has a beautiful 200-gallon salt-water tank, and has a tank
service that comes in and cares for this tank.
<<Ok>>
I have a serious lack of confidence in this company because I did a
little research on your site and they have made many really bad
mistakes.
<<Some do yes, but doesn't mean this one is "bad". Have you been able
to talk to other/previous customers of this company? Have they done
anything to make you feel uncomfortable with their level of service?>>
First, they got the chemicals wrong in the tank, which killed most of
the fish.
<<Ahh...I see...sounds like you may have good reason for your
concerns...>>
Then, when they replaced the fish, they brought us 5 crabs, a
blue-throat Triggerfish, 3 assorted angelfish
<<Mmm...>>
(in separate bags. NOT introduced at the same time), and a pair of
ocellaris (among others). Of course, the Trigger ate the crabs
immediately. I am an administrative assistant with little/no knowledge
of fish, and have been tasked with taking care of their diet, and making
sure they get what they need.
<<Sounds like you need to start doing some reading/researching my
friend. Google searches on our site and the NET re the species names
will yield much information>>
So I need a little advice from professionals that actually care about
the fish. After the initial eating of the crabs, and the disappearance
of one of the smaller Angelfish (which after reading on your site I
found out why <<...?>>), the blue-throat trigger has started exhibiting
odd behavior. He lies down at the bottom of the tank on his right side,
and just lays very still for long periods on time.
<<Maybe not all that "odd" after all. Is there live rock in this tank?
(should be if there isn't)...Does this tank have any type of decor/rock
work? These triggers will very often "rest" in a hole or crevice in the
reef during the day, and definitely at night. If the tank is not
suitably aquascaped the trigger may be merely "resting" on the bottom of
the tank>>
He is still eating well (They get frozen shrimp, the cubed kind once a
day, and Formula 2 the blue-green algae variety flakes twice daily).
<<Do look in to obtaining some New Life Spectrum Marine pellets and a
frozen "Angel" food formulated specifically for their care. Feed these
AND the frozen shrimp, with the flakes, twice daily>>
His color has faded a bit, but he doesn't have any spot or slime on him,
and he hasn't rearranged the tank in a while- he used to do that all the
time. I read one of your entries about one having similar behavior in a
20 gallon tank, and you said the tank was too small but I don't think
that is the case here- the tank is
200 gallons.
<<Agreed...but that doesn't mean there aren't more/other environmental
factors at play here...such as water chemistry or the "design" of the
tank itself>>
Could he be malnourished or ill?
<<Maybe...the trigger needs several small feedings of meaty foods
daily. The Spectrum pelleted food and the frozen shrimp fed at least
twice a day will help. For even better nourishment of ALL the fish,
consider getting/soaking the food in Selcon and/or Vita-Chem a couple
times a week>>
And is there some product or variety of food I should tell my boss to
get for him?
<<Ah yes!...as explained>>
Cordially,
Jane
<<I want to help Jane, do write back if you need further clarification
on anything...and try to give me as much information about the system as
you can (filtration/maintenance/aquascaping (or lack of),
etc.). Regards, Eric Russell>>
Re: Questionable Aquarium Service...Trying To Do What's Needed – 10/11/06
Dear Eric,
<<Hello Jane>>
I just wanted to thank you for your excellent advice.
<<Was my pleasure to provide>>
It has been about two weeks since you emailed me with the suggestions. We
invested in
New Life Spectrum Marine Pellets, and we also purchased a lot more coral
decorations to go on the live rock.
<<This pelleted food is an excellent staple for your fish>>
We hired a company to change out the coral and clean the tank/maintain the
filtration system every two weeks.
<<Excellent...but I do hope you/someone “monitors’ the tank on a daily basis>>
They have been instructed to bring in lots of smaller shells and other such toys
for the occupants.
<<Mmm...do be careful not to create detritus traps>>
Our Bluethroat Triggerfish has perked up considerably; I think he may have been
suffering from boredom.
<<Indeed...these are intelligent and personable fish...and somewhat “shy” at
times. It’s never good to place fish in a “plain glass box” devoid of proper
structure/hiding places...is very stressful>>
All the fish seem to be a little brighter and a lot more active.
<<Good signs>>
Thanks again for your excellent advice and support.
<<I’m glad it proved useful...thank you for the follow-up>>
Peace and Blessings,
Jane
<<Regards, EricR>>
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Finicky Sargassum Trigger – 09/23/06
Hello from Alabama,
<<Greetings from South Carolina>>
Thank you for the wonderful site and all of the great information, my tank has
improved greatly after implementing many of your ideas over the past year.
<<Is a collective effort...you're quite welcome>>
I do have a question that I couldn't find much info on though. I purchased a 5"
Sargassum Trigger one week ago, I had a problem with my quarantine and after one
day I had to put it into the main tank ( a 265 FOWLR). The fish looks great and
is very active, which surprised me because I have a Blue Throat Trigger that hid
for the first several days, but now swims constantly. I assumed this fish would
do the same.
<<Indicative of the difference in species/personality>>
Even though it is active it hasn't eaten anything this whole week.
<<Troubling...even more so if this fish has not eaten since capture. Did you
see the fish eat at the LFS before purchase?>>
I have tried pellets, flakes, frozen shrimp, frozen Mysis, and even live guppies
and ghost shrimp.
<<Hmm...is a planktonic feeder...though according to FishBase they will also
dine on crabs and urchins>>
It doesn't show any interest in food at all.
<<Not good>>
Do you have any ideas of what else I could try and do you know how long he can
go without eating. Any help will be appreciated.
<<The fish can go a surprisingly long time without feeding, but not eating for
more than a week becomes worrisome. If the problem were internal parasites I
would expect the fish to have expired by now...the fact that it is still alive
leaves "some" hope that this is a problem of acclimation/finding the right
stimulus to get the fish to feed. Perhaps you could try some fresh
mussels/clams/oysters on the half-shell from your local grocery store. I have
had success in the past getting finicky feeders to eat by offering (thawed)
frozen glass worms (mosquito larvae). Try soaking these in Selcon for a bit
more enticement/nutritive value. Another food you should try is Sweetwater
Plankton. This small soft bodied food (Daphnia actually) is a great "plankton"
food. Both of these will likely be appreciated by the Blue Throat as well>>
Thank you,
Jeremy
<<Good luck. EricR>>
Re: Finicky Sargassum Trigger (Refugium Plumbing) – 09/28/06
First of all let me say thank you for your help with my triggerfish, the
night I received your response he began eating the Mysis shrimp.
<<Ah, super!>>
He now will eat anything, but I am still trying to find the zooplankton since
that is what they are more accustomed to.
<<The Mysis are a good “staple”, but varying the diet is always better. Both
the Sweetwater Plankton (saltwater formula) and the New Life Spectrum pellets
should be easy to find at many of the on-line vendors>>
I now have another question.
>>Okay>>
I have been struggling keeping my nitrates below 20 ppm and I would like to be
able to culture some copepods and things so I have decided to add a refugium
after reading all the good reviews on them.
<<Indeed...a very worthwhile addition to any system>>
I have a 265 gallon tank with a sump and an AquaC EV-180, and about 150 lbs of
live rock. I have a 40 gallon Oceanic Trickle filter I am not using that I
wanted to try and convert to a Refugium. I have attached a drawing of what I
have in mind.
<<I see it>> <Graphic not pasted here for space/dnld considerations... see
Refugium Designs... RMF>
My problem is that I am very restrained by the size of the stand I have and the
space that I have.
<<A very common tale>>
Most people seem to have the space/height to drain from the tank to the 'fuge
and then down to a sump. I will have to have my sump and 'fuge on the same
level with only about 2" height difference in the two.
<<Could be fine...do ensure there is enough “empty volume” left to handle the
transient water volume when the pumps/power go off>>
My plan is to have water flow from the tank to the sump and the 'fuge and then
the 'fuge will overflow into the sump and be pumped back to the tank.
<<That’s how I do mine (375g display, 75g sump, 55g refugium)>>
From experimenting in my garage I think I can only put about 150 gph through the
'fuge this way to keep it from overflowing (of course I could have powerheads in
the 'fuge for better circulation in there).
<<Flow-rate is determined by the size/number of throughputs...but 150 gph
through this refugium should do fine>>
I thought of adding another overflow and pump, but besides the added cost, I was
afraid that would be too many variables (as far as keeping the system from
overflowing), but maybe I am wrong.
<<All comes down to not spilling more water in to the refugium than you can
spill out of it in the same amount of time.
I guess my questions are do you think the 150 gph would be enough for my tank to
see a real benefit, and looking at the picture can you suggest a better way to
get water through the fuge and to the sump.
<<An emphatic “yes!” to the first...and as for the second, I suggest you add a
gate-valves to the pump output and to the refugium input to allow for flow
adjustments and be able to “shut-off” the refugium for maintenance. And if
these are “hard” connections, you may also want to consider installing unions>>
Sorry for the length of the email, and thank you in advance for all of your
help.
Jeremy
<<No worries Jeremy, am happy to help. Regards, EricR>>
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Blue-Throat Trigger Not Eating – 05/03/07
Hi folks,
<Hello.>
Great site, recommend it to whoever will listen.
<Awesome.>
I have a question about a blue-throat trigger.
<...One of my favorites...>
This is my second attempt at one of these fish and it is getting
frustrating.
<Well lets see if I can help you out.>
For the record I have been keeping saltwater
fish for over 15 years and this is my first attempt at a triggerfish. I
have a 5 year old majestic angel, a 7 year old swallowtail angel and a 7
year old Naso tang along with a few little guys to keep things hopping
presently in a 90 gallon reef,
<A bit on the crowded side but okay...>
all are happy and fat with no aggression but now I figured I could try
something new. The first trigger died due to a
bacterial infection that I couldn't get to in time but this second one
is not visibly sick but still won't eat.
<Blue throats tend to be a little more flighty/finicky...in general
exhibit behavior atypical of how would expect a tiger to act. How long
has it been?>
He is about 3" long and in a 30 gallon quarantine tank with a few chunks
of live rock, a skimmer, power head
for movement and an AquaClear 500 hang-on filter. There are a couple of
other fish in there, just to keep it cycled. I have checked all the
normal
water parameters, all is fine. I have tried PE mysis, smaller mysis,
flake,
bloodworms, shaved shrimp, squid and clam - won't touch anything.
<Wow, you have pulled out all the stops. I have a few more suggestions
though; market scallops or mussels soaked in a nutritional supplement
like Selcon.>
Is the quarantine tank too small ?
<No seems adequate...for a quarantine.>
The quarantine tank has had a small
Pseudochromis and a coral beauty in it for a couple of years until
recently when I nicely took a marine Betta because he had lateral line
and Lymphocystis.
<Mmmm...with all these animals, yes quarantine tank is too small,
quarantine tank should be just that....quarantine.>
He has since been cured ( yes the lateral line too ) but I
don't really have any place to move him so he is in the quarantine
too. Is he intimidating the trigger ?
<Perhaps, the specimen I have is extremely flighty; easily scarred.>
There seems to be no aggression between the
two, in fact they use the same cave at night. Any ideas would be
great. I
would hate to lose the trigger because of a screw up on my part. I
intended
to move him into my 90 gallon reef after his quarantine period, which
has been about 3 weeks. But I don't want to do that if he is not eating
because he will never get food in there with my other fish.
<Rob, how long has it been since the fish has not eaten?
Thanks for your time,
<Anytime...I look forward to your reply.>
Rob in Syracuse, NY
<Adam J in California.>
Re: Blue-throat trigger STILL not eating – 05/03/07
Hey Adam,
<Welcome back Rob.>
Thanks for the reply.
<No problem.>
I have not seen this trigger eat in 3 weeks.
<Mmm...that is a little lengthy.>
He doesn't seem to be losing a lot of weight but I can't figure out what
he is eating.
<This tank has other animals, how well established is it? Perhaps
micro-crustaceans.>
I have soaked all of the food offerings in Selcon. ( been using
that stuff for years )
<Cool.>
I ended up putting the trigger into my 90 gallon reef last night. He
hid for around a half an hour and then started exploring the tank.
<A good sign, mine is till rather reclusive almost a year later.>
My majestic wasn't too happy but he got over it quickly. I added some
mysis and blood worms hoping that he might get the feeding idea from the
feeding frenzy that occurs every time I put anything edible into that
tank. Nothing, in fact he hid. He does seem to be more active in the
larger tank but I want him to eat soon.
<I understand, I would also try to offer food just after the lights go
off...in his direction with a turkey baster if you can get hold of
one.>
I am assuming that he will figure it out any day now, he has got to be
hungry and with the other fish active and feeding, he has got to get
it. I have had other fish not eat in the past, but they didn't live
this long or I figured out what they wanted. I do not want to lose this
fish, he is way too cool looking. Do you think I should just wait it out
or should I take him back to the LFS?
<Well I would ask the LFS what they were feeding him.>
To be honest I don't know how much effort the LFS would put out for a
fish that won't eat.
<Not much.>
Do you think I need to increase filtration?
I have a red sea skimmer, Fluval 404, a large emperor hang-on, UV
sterilizer ( 15w ),
3 powerheads and about 95 lbs. of live rock and an inch of live sand.
<Well I'm not a fan of canister filters on marine tanks, I prefer
macro-algae refugiums.>
So far I haven't had any big problems at all, at least for the last 3
years.
Any advice would be appreciated.
<A few more feeding suggestions, if an LFS has live brine or live
mysids.. give them a try. I know that live brine and live foods aren't
the best thing. and certainly not a long term option but it's better
than nothing. Also try some meats that are more poignant to the sense of
smell, mackerel, squid, along those lines.>
Thank you,
<Welcome.>
Rob in Syracuse, NY
<Adam still in SoCal.>
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Sargassum Trigger...Adapting
to Captive Life 3-30-08
Hi Crew,
<<Key Kirk.>>
I have a Sargassum Trigger set to arrive on Wednesday from an online company.
<<Exciting.>>
While I have kept several different Triggers successfully (Niger, Huma,
Rectangle, even the dreaded Undy) in the past, I am a little nervous about my
new addition. He will be the most expensive fish I have ever purchased, and the
only Trigger I have kept that is considered somewhat challenging to keep in
captivity. I often frequent the various message boards to learn, yet rarely see
any info on this fish being kept.
<<Yes, they are definitely a more elusive species to collect than the ones you
mentioned above. Also you have to take into consideration that Xanthichthys are
pelagic triggers relying heavily on zooplankton; thus they do not adapt as
easily to captive life. I would quarantine for a minimum of a month and avoid a
large variety of foods, feeding relatively small amounts multiple times daily.
Try mysis, mysids, krill, clams, scallop meant and finely chopped meats of a
marine origin.>>
Tank is a fairly new 240 8x2x2, 160 lbs LR, 160lbs LS, custom sump with
refugium, Aqua C EV 240, and Emperor Aquatics 40 watt UV, his new friends will
be a juvi Sunset Wrasse, baby Niger, and Flame Angel.
<<Watch for aggression between this animal and the existing niger.>>
Just hoping for a little advice as to why this fish sometimes doesn't flourish
in captivity.
<<See here;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/triggers/xanthichthys/index.htm along
with the linked FAQ’s and my above listed notes.>>
Thanks and best regards,
<<Good luck to you and your trigger.>>
Kirk
<<Adam_J.>>
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