Best way to feed triggerfish?

[JG1]

I have a small Niger that's 2" long and a blue throat that is 3.5" long. What I normally do is feed the tank twice a day with Roggers Reef Food, and a little cyclopeeze. I mash the food up and feed it into the vortechs while the return pump is off. It looks like a blizzard of food, but about 5 minutes later it's gone.

Would it be better if I were to put a hunk of Roggers in a feeding clip, and leave it there through out the day if they want to graze on it? Or is what I'm already doing sufficient?

thanks,

 

[JG1]

I've read that triggers need to be fed things with shells (for their teeth)?

 

[MrTuskfish]

I've read that triggers need to be fed things with shells (for their teeth)?

They do, but not every day. They need meaty foods, tiny little bits don't go far with triggers. Mysis, gut-loaded brine shrimp, maybe a quality carnivore pellet, etc. Small pieces of shell-on shrimp are great for the teeth and small pieces of any seafood shrimp, scallop, crab, squid) are greedily eaten I just don't feel any food that goes through a small grid is meaty enough for a trigger, maybe the small ones. Cyclops-eeze is great stuff; for small fish and as an appetite stimulant---but will hardly sustain a trigger. I've never used Roggers, but hear good stuff about it. But, if you put any food in a clip for triggers and its still there an hour later; something is wrong. Won't this stuff spoil after a few hours at 75 degrees?

 

[JG1]

Okay, so it sounds like Roggers may not be a good choice. It's all fresh seafood, but it's chopped small. Sounds like a need something chunky. I can grab a pack of Rod's carnivore blend.

Shell on shrimp.....you talking about the real tiny shelled shrimp at the grocery store? Best way to feed this? Just dump into the tank or try and hand feed these pieces?

 

[snorvich]

When I was keeping a clown trigger (which was a while ago), I used to feed him whole shrimp. I used to hold the tail and let him gnaw on it until he got a bit frisky and then I started using a forceps. I did that a couple of times per week. Otherwise, I fed seafood from the market. Roggers (which did not exist back then) would likely be a great choice as long as you give him a large shrimp with shell on periodically.

 

[JG1]

When I was keeping a clown trigger (which was a while ago), I used to feed him whole shrimp. I used to hold the tail and let him gnaw on it until he got a bit frisky and then I started using a forceps. I did that a couple of times per week. Otherwise, I fed seafood from the market. Roggers (which did not exist back then) would likely be a great choice as long as you give him a large shrimp with shell on periodically.

We talking about shrimp with the head still on, or just the shell on the tail?

 

[MrTuskfish]

We talking about shrimp with the head still on, or just the shell on the tail?

Either. the shell is a long-term benefit for growing teeth on some triggers & puffers. It isn't an essential that you need to feed every day. I've used a piece of cuttlebone, wedged into an inconspicuous spot, and those fish like to gnaw on it. be sure to use te plain cuttlebone for birds with no vitamins added, its a natural marine product.

 

[MrTuskfish]

When I was keeping a clown trigger (which was a while ago), I used to feed him whole shrimp. I used to hold the tail and let him gnaw on it until he got a bit frisky and then I started using a forceps. I did that a couple of times per week. Otherwise, I fed seafood from the market. Roggers (which did not exist back then) would likely be a great choice as long as you give him a large shrimp with shell on periodically.

I guess, with 2 triggers, I just assumed that this was a FOWLR tank. I sure hear great stuff about Roggers, but thought it was a "small fish" food. Can it nourish a growing trigger? I have no idea. I just see that F&S suggests a fine mesh media bag, that makes it sound like the particles would be too small to nourish a trigger. I have triggers that would tear the bag apart. But, as usual, I'm missing something.
(Like the fingers you're missing from hand-feeding your Clown trigger. I had a big CT when my son was about 6. He got a friend to hand-feed the fishie. The trigger drew blood, the kid was howling, and I had some irate parents on my hands.)

 

[JG1]

I guess, with 2 triggers, I just assumed that this was a FOWLR tank. I sure hear great stuff about Roggers, but thought it was a "small fish" food. Can it nourish a growing trigger? I have no idea. I just see that F&S suggests a fine mesh media bag, that makes it sound like the particles would be too small to nourish a trigger. I have triggers that would tear the bag apart. But, as usual, I'm missing something.
(Like the fingers you're missing from hand-feeding your Clown trigger. I had a big CT when my son was about 6. He got a friend to hand-feed the fishie. The trigger drew blood, the kid was howling, and I had some irate parents on my hands.)

yeah, these guys are in my sps reef.

It is recommended to use a feeding clip with this food as it doesn't easily brake apart. I usually just mash it and feed it into my vortechs were small chunks fly all over the tank

 

[jhentr]

If you want throughout the day feeding, feeding nori will do. At least my three triggers are nori crazy. I don't think they know they aren't vegetarians. If feeding, I go with 3mm NLS and PE mysis along with frozen formula cubes.

 

[MIKE NY]

I had a blue throat and a niger in my reef for awhile, but the niger grew bigger and faster than the blue and began bullying it so they both out now. They were reef "safe" in that they didn't bother any corals, but small fish and shrimps were on the menu. Roggers isn't going to cut it..I fed that to my anthias...triggers need larger meaty foods like silver sides, prawn etc..anyway here is a pic of them when they were smaller and getting along

 

[MrTuskfish]

If you want throughout the day feeding, feeding nori will do. At least my three triggers are nori crazy. I don't think they know they aren't vegetarians. If feeding, I go with 3mm NLS and PE mysis along with frozen formula cubes.

I think almost all fish like nori. Nori, in a clip, will last about 10 secs in my tanks, its ripped to shreds. I just tear the sheet up and toss it in, everyone gets some.

 

[Hydrologist]

In addition to the shrimp I feed my large CT little neck clams, which he LOVES!


......plus a hardy diet of NLS Ex-Lrg pellets

 

[JG1]

You give him just the meat, or the whole clam? Lol

 

[Hydrologist]

I smash the clam with a hammer and then toss the hole thing in. I then remove the large pieces of shells.

It's good to let him pick through it.

 

[geaux xman]

maybe try some PE Mysis. just rinse it real good a couple of times.

 

[JG1]

I just bought a 2lb bag of frozen unshelled shrimp, and also picked up some frozen squid. Gonna try and hand fed them tomorrow with the shrimp. Little scared...I use a spoon to add roggers food into the tank and they hit that little plastic spoon pretty hard. Hope they don't take my finger off. lol

 

[JG1]

Tried feeding shell on shrimp, a whole piece. Neither of them showed too much interest. I cut it into small pieces, with the shell still on, they still weren't wild about it. I finally dumped some roggers in the tank and they both went banana's...I dunno lol

 

[JPhan1]

My pinktail will eat anything. He gets a little nls in the morning and later on in the day i toss in a chunk of rods and while he eats that small pieces small off for the other fish. I rotate the rods with pe mysis and whole baby clams that i got at the asian food market he also loves them and every now and then ill toss in half clam with the shell for his teeth. When i feed my tangs nori he also eats nori which he also seems to like very much. Its funny that he loves shrimp and clams but in my tank i have clams and two cleaner shrimp that he shows no attention too well i think it has to do that he is feed really good.

 

[Hydrologist]

Tried feeding shell on shrimp, a whole piece. Neither of them showed too much interest. I cut it into small pieces, with the shell still on, they still weren't wild about it. I finally dumped some roggers in the tank and they both went banana's...I dunno lol

I would let them go hungry for a few days and then try it again.