Saragassum Trigger: Heart Attack/Stroke?

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Stuart60611

New member
Last night I was cleaning the tank. I reached into the tank to do some glass polishing and startled my saragassum trigger who darted into the rocks. Immediately thereafter, he come out of the rocks swimming upside down, jerked a couple of times, and collapsed on the substrate dead. Water parameters are fine, and all other fish are doing great. I have no idea what happened other than maybe a heart attack or stroke? The time period from when I startled him to when he died was less than 1 minute. So p-oed.

Not sure what I am going to do in terms of replacing him. I really want another trigger, but I am not sure I am going to go with this species again. What I would love to have is a huma, but I have had to get rid of 3 over the years because of aggression. Each of the 3 I have sold were purchased fairly large at 3-3.5. Maybe if I went with a real small one, perhaps 1 inch, and raised him up with my other fish the aggression would not be as severe because the huma will have grown to accept his tankmates, particularly because the humas other tankmates would be larger where before they were of equal size to the huma. I have suitable tanksmates for a huma, and I know others have had luck in a community setting with them. I know it is hit or miss with these guys. Looking into other trigger species.
 
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Bummer on the Sargassum, they do startle very easily.

As to the Huma, I have certainly heard of aggressive ones, but I had one for 7 years in a previous set-up, least aggressive fish I have ever owned. Never once saw aggression, wonderful fish in the right set up (which it sounds like you have) IMO. Never had a Goldheart, too closely related to the Queen Trigger for me to trust them yet. They are still fairly new to the hobby, but there are certainly people having success with them.
 
kirkaz said:
Bummer on the Sargassum, they do startle very easily.

As to the Huma, I have certainly heard of aggressive ones, but I had one for 7 years in a previous set-up, least aggressive fish I have ever owned. Never once saw aggression, wonderful fish in the right set up (which it sounds like you have) IMO. Never had a Goldheart, too closely related to the Queen Trigger for me to trust them yet. They are still fairly new to the hobby, but there are certainly people having success with them.
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Ya, torn at this point. All 3 of my prior humas became terrors. However, I did not have anyone longer than 1 year and purchased them large which may have something to do with it. Everyone I have read that has had success with humas and other fish seemed to purchase the humas very young. Did you get your huma very young? The golden heart looks very interesting, but I think gets too large for a 125. Any difference between the temperment of a true huma and a picasso?

Anyway, got to go. Off to see the Cubs loose. Will check in later.
 
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Stuart60611 said:
Ya, torn at this point. All 3 of my prior humas became terrors. However, I did not have anyone longer than 1 year and purchased them large which may have something to do with it. Everyone I have read that has had success with humas and other fish seemed to purchase the humas very young. Did you get your huma very young? The golden heart looks very interesting, but I think gets too large for a 125. Any difference between the temperment of a true huma and a picasso?

Anyway, got to go. Off to see the Cubs loose. Will check in later.
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I had a Rectangle for a couple years as well, the Picasso was small when I got him, the Rectangle must have been about an inch when I got him....I think the key is having tankmates capable of defending themselves if need be, the only Trigger I've kept that was really nasty was a Niger that was with the Picasso, but they got along fine. The Niger all but killed a large Maroon Clown, I digress.....Off the the TV room to watch the Suns, uh hopefully win
 
I've never had that happen with marines but the same thing happened to a silver shark of mine in my fw. It was startled by the pump starting up, sped to the top of the tank to jump out... a massive thud and it sank down to the gravel. Tight fitting hood! Probably a simpliar thing happened in the rock work.
 
I just had the exact same thing happen to my yellow tang, Only he resucitated after about a minute of death/no breathing. He is now hyperventilating, lets see how he wakes up in the morning.
 
bizarre...always a huge bummer to lose a fish...
GH are great and mellow but grow fast...125 would be okay, with a small 2-3 specimin for a year, maybe 2 but will need a bigger tank...
my large GH grew from 2.25 to 12 in about 3 years...
Pinktails are also beautiful and mellower...grow a bit slower...
avoid Queens, Undulates, Titans, Clowns, and IME- Whitetails...all are very, very aggressive or worse.
Undultates will kill anything...just for the shear pleasure of it...not down the road but immediately...to be avoided unless the tank is his alone...same goes for the Clown, but initially the Clown should be okay...and then one day, maybe years from now, he will kill everything in the tank...
I did not add the Fuscus to that list as IME I have never had an evil one, but...they can be nasty too, but are very beautiful...
I have been very lucky over the past 27 years- I have never had an aggressive Huma...and have kept both, Aculeatus and Rectangulus, never had problems with them...they can hold their own...but do not seek out trouble like the ones I mentioned above...
I always buy my fish small as possible...
Good luck...please shot me a pm if you have any questions...
 
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