Small Crosshatch Triggers Going Into QT - What To Feed?

[gobolts23]

Fish look good. Crosshatch triggers always come in a bit rough because they literally are ripped out of the reef by hand. I probably would not treat with cupramine unless external parasites are present. Prazi Pro is always a safe bet for wild caught fish though. Good luck!

 

[nuxx]

Feeling like I might do 2 treatments of PraziPro then 3-4 weeks of Paraguard each day.

Seems like it'll be pretty easy on the fish and should take care of most things to look out for.

 

[RDtrack]

Why treat with anything. I would just observe. If something presents treat. I get nervous treating with anything until something shows. Afraid I'm going to do more harm. I do however like/recommend FW dips.

Triggers are normal pretty hardy so I would just observe.

I've personally had more of problem getting them to eat good; once they do they are pigs.

 

[humaguy]

Crosshatch triggers always come in a bit rough because they literally are ripped out of the reef by hand.

Please explain....

 

[nuxx]

Basically want to treat since I just hypoed my whole display since I was paranoid that I got ich... turns out I didn't, but still wasted months doing hypo... just want to be extra careful...

 

[gobolts23]

Please explain....

I have been on a bunch of dives with collectors of crosshatch triggers in hawaii and then red tail triggers in the carribean. The triggers hang above the reef and then dart into the reef/rock work. Then you either stick your hand in there and grab them or you put a barrier net around the exits and use a tickle stick to scare them out. They usually look a little rough especially if you keep them in a collection bucket together. (sometimes they even bite your hand when you grab them to needle them)...gloves are a must when dealing with these guys underwater.

 

[nuxx]

I have been on a bunch of dives with collectors of crosshatch triggers in hawaii and then red tail triggers in the carribean. The triggers hang above the reef and then dart into the reef/rock work. Then you either stick your hand in there and grab them or you put a barrier net around the exits and use a tickle stick to scare them out. They usually look a little rough especially if you keep them in a collection bucket together. (sometimes they even bite your hand when you grab them to needle them)...gloves are a must when dealing with these guys underwater.

Videos?

Noticed basically on the upper and lower rear fins where the dark coloration was are missing. Bacterial? Fin rot? Just damaged?

Also saw a patch of light colored grey on one of her sides.

I went ahead and started treating with ParaGuard yesterday. Not sure if flukes or something else.

I'll try to get a video later.

 

[gobolts23]

It could have been ammonia burn from being in the bag. I would just feed high quality foods and keep a close eye on them. I have learned over the years not to treat with meds unless you really need to. When I would get crosshatches shipped to me from Oahu I would usually buy a couple dozen live mussels from the grocery store and freeze them and feed a few daily to get their appetites going. They really bulk up with all that protein!

 

[nuxx]

It could have been ammonia burn from being in the bag. I would just feed high quality foods and keep a close eye on them. I have learned over the years not to treat with meds unless you really need to. When I would get crosshatches shipped to me from Oahu I would usually buy a couple dozen live mussels from the grocery store and freeze them and feed a few daily to get their appetites going. They really bulk up with all that protein!

Yeah they will eat everything I've tossed in there.

Mysis, Brine, Baby Brine, Pellets, Flakes, Dr.G's Anti-parasitic, Rods, etc...

Big pigs...

BTW: Do you think that the mark on the side or fins were ammonia?

It was funny I noticed they moved all the PVC around this morning...

 

[nuxx]

Here's a video of the pair from a minute ago.

You can see the blotches on the female, especially towards the end of the video.

What do you think? Burns, Flukes, etc...?

Also do they look pretty happy with each other? Anything looking like aggression?

Thanks!


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5zctmlscY9o?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[humaguy]

I have been on a bunch of dives with collectors of crosshatch triggers in hawaii and then red tail triggers in the carribean. The triggers hang above the reef and then dart into the reef/rock work. Then you either stick your hand in there and grab them or you put a barrier net around the exits and use a tickle stick to scare them out. They usually look a little rough especially if you keep them in a collection bucket together. (sometimes they even bite your hand when you grab them to needle them)...gloves are a must when dealing with these guys underwater.

Thank you for the clarification...
I lived on Kauai from 88-89 and was also lucky to spend some time with quality divers/collectors. I would say they were never violent or aggressive with their catching methods, if anything, they were extraordinarily patient and gentle to the point where they didn't want to damage the surrounding rock/reef...
ime, imho, the large ch, esp the males, ship poorly due to their size, depth of collection, and refusal to eat after collection...
there are probably some collectors in Hawaii that do a very poor job.
I just don't want people to think all ch are poorly collected, especially when we have perhaps the most honest collecting outfit in the industry, located in Hawaii, and they provide many of us with killer quality livestock...

Ted

 

[humaguy]

Here's a video of the pair from a minute ago.

You can see the blotches on the female, especially towards the end of the video.

What do you think? Burns, Flukes, etc...?

Also do they look pretty happy with each other? Anything looking like aggression?

Thanks!


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5zctmlscY9o?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

she is being attacked by the male...there is a huge bite mark on her upper fin that was not there in the other video...is he letting her eat? she is very thin...put the male in an iso box, asap... he is going to killer or she will starve...put up a video during a feeding...

 

[humaguy]

how big is their qt?

 

[nuxx]

she is being attacked by the male...there is a huge bite mark on her upper fin that was not there in the other video...is he letting her eat? she is very thin...put the male in an iso box, asap... he is going to killer or she will starve...put up a video during a feeding...

I'm putting up a video right now.

I still haven't seen ANY aggression between the two.

They are roughly 3.5 - 4" inches. How much should I be feeding a day?

Just ramp up feedings and change the water more frequently?

Both the areas where the fins are missing were dark colored when she came out of the bag. I don't think they were kept together originally.

See anything alarming in this video?

Thanks for all your help

BTW: 40 Gallon Breeder


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JWJMt98ClPA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[nuxx]

Hey Humaguy,

Did screen shots from Day 1 and today.

Where the fin is missing on the Female looks exactly where they were "dark" when I let her out into the tank.

Do you think either the male just went after those exact pieces of fin (maybe knew it wasn't right) or fin rot / bacterial?

Thanks!

 

[humaguy]

I'm putting up a video right now.

I still haven't seen ANY aggression between the two.

They are roughly 3.5 - 4" inches. How much should I be feeding a day?

Just ramp up feedings and change the water more frequently?

Both the areas where the fins are missing were dark colored when she came out of the bag. I don't think they were kept together originally.

See anything alarming in this video?

Thanks for all your help

BTW: 40 Gallon Breeder


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JWJMt98ClPA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

cool, no that looks great..he is getting her at some point, maybe when it is dark or when you are not around...
in the 2nd video you posted, there is a large piece of her upper fin missing, that is piece is still intact in the 1st video, though that same area was black and looked like a healing bite mark....

 

[nuxx]

cool, no that looks great..he is getting her at some point, maybe when it is dark or when you are not around...
in the 2nd video you posted, there is a large piece of her upper fin missing, that is piece is still intact in the 1st video, though that same area was black and looked like a healing bite mark....

Did you see the screen shots?

The missing pieces are on the same areas where the fins looked damaged out of the bag.

Do you think based on the video of them eating and maybe the screen shot that I should leave them be and watch for any signs of further aggression?

Would non-paired fish maybe nip here and there when first introduced?

Does it seem as dire a situation as before you saw the feeding video?

Also how much to feed and does the tank size seem ok?

Sorry for all the questions, just want them to make it through QT.

 

[humaguy]

Hey Humaguy,

Did screen shots from Day 1 and today.

Where the fin is missing on the Female looks exactly where they were "dark" when I let her out into the tank.

Do you think either the male just went after those exact pieces of fin (maybe knew it wasn't right) or fin rot / bacterial?

Thanks!

in pic 1- on her upper fin, in the red margin, are two black marks....the black is like a bruise- the piece was bitten but not torn off...
in pic 2- on her upper fin, in the red margin, is one black mark as the other was part of the fin that was bitten off...

these wounds are typical of many trigs but perhaps x trigs more due to their long fins...they are easy to bite...

 

[humaguy]

Did you see the screen shots?

The missing pieces are on the same areas where the fins looked damaged out of the bag.

Do you think based on the video of them eating and maybe the screen shot that I should leave them be and watch for any signs of further aggression?

Would non-paired fish maybe nip here and there when first introduced?

Does it seem as dire a situation as before you saw the feeding video?

Also how much to feed and does the tank size seem ok?

Sorry for all the questions, just want them to make it through QT.

these fish are too young to be properly paired-up. sexually..when there is 1 male and 1 female it doesn't mean you have a love affair, in fact, it may lead to issues...I currently have 2 m ch that I got 2-3 years ago as 1 male and 1 female...they were both around 2.50 inches...the male was brutal towards the female and I caught her and placed her an isolation box...she got back at him later and turned male...

 

[Deinonych]

I have been on a bunch of dives with collectors of crosshatch triggers in hawaii and then red tail triggers in the carribean. The triggers hang above the reef and then dart into the reef/rock work. Then you either stick your hand in there and grab them or you put a barrier net around the exits and use a tickle stick to scare them out. They usually look a little rough especially if you keep them in a collection bucket together. (sometimes they even bite your hand when you grab them to needle them)...gloves are a must when dealing with these guys underwater.

How deep were these dives? I ask because Crosshatch triggers are very rarely seen at recreational depths on the main Hawaiian Islands.