Trigger won't eat...help!

[jcgso]

I've got a new, healthy looking, very active, male Blue Throat Trigger that has not eaten for three days. I've tried several types of frozen food including PE Mysis, pellet, dried krill, and live brine shrimp. He just looks at it and swims on by. I've tried putting Garlic Extreme on the various frozen foods, but that doesn't help. Is there a particular food that Triggers like?

 

[black_majik]

Sorry for he odd question but how is your trigger with inverts? He could be feeding on other things in your tank .... Possibly just grabbing food in the water column. Try having the food get ran through a power head

 

[jcgso]

He could be earting pods at night. I see the Cardinals doing that, but I haven't noticed the Trigger doing it. I offered him pieces of mackeral this morning, but he wasn't interested.

 

[Capt_Cully]

I tried a blue throat once. He hid in the rocks, didn't move, didn't eat, found him flat on the bottom 3 days later.

did you watch him at the FS? how many days was he there? or did you get it online?

My error was seeing it and buying it, impulsively. I should have held it at the store for 5 days or so to be sure it was healthy. Live and learn, but I still feel a little guilty.

 

[ssbreef]

any updates? I have the same prob.

 

[rfields]

My female didnt eat for 3 or 4 days but after she got used to the new tank and everyone in it she started eating like a pig. She even eats nori in the mornings with my Hippo, you might give that a try if you arent doing it already. As far as inverts she doesnt seem interested in them, have snail, crabs, shrimp, and a star.

 

[jcgso]

No luck so far. I tried larger pieces of shrimp yesterday, but no interest. I'm stumped at this point. I really don't want to lose him, but it's been 5 days with no food.

 

[travdixon]

Same thing with me. Bought one last week, and he hid in the rocks all day, every day. Thought he was just shy, until yesterday, when he came out of the rocks looking like he got beat up. Weird, as I have no bullying fish in my tank other than maybe my engineer goby. Put him in the sump so he could eat undisturbed, and he sadly died. Hopefully this doesn't turn out to be your scenario....

 

[rfields]

I would try nori on a clip, clam on half shell, more of the PE Mysis Shrimp (mine pushing everyone out of the for this), mine also likes Formula One and silversides.

My girl would normally hide in a small cave (for abt 3 weeks) when she could see anyone but now she sees me and comes right up to the glass wanting food.

 

[jcgso]

I put Nori on a clip in every day. He hasn't gone near it. I think I will try the clam on the half shell idea.
He hid in the rocks the first few hours, but then surprised me by swimming freely after that. The next day or so, he would duck back in the rocks when I got near the tank. Now he's out all the time.

 

[rfields]

Sounds like he is doing good. Is he getting thin? Could he be eating when you arent around?

 

[jcgso]

It's possible, but I'm not sure what he could be eating. Any food I put in gets eaten pretty quickly by the other fish and inverts. I don't think he looks too thin.

 

[rfields]

Here is my girl when I first got her most of the day.

 

[jim293]

I just bought one I got lucky it eats like a pig.

 

[tony13]

I picked up a male and female a few months back. Was yours eating at the lfs? Mine were and they were very shy for 4-5 days. Fed the tank with alot of mysis figuring some would get back into the rocks where they were hiding. After a week they were out but would dart to hide. Someone was picking on them because the male looked beat up. Now months later they're swimming in the open all the time eating flake, mysis, brine and worms. Very peaceful fish, don't bother any snail, crabs, shrimp or clams.

 

[wshive]

How big is he? Shame on you for not quarantining! I would recommend moving him to a separate tank and feeding him a variety of foods every day until he takes. He will eventually. The other fish you have in the tank may be stressing him or at very least not giving him enough time to come out and eat. These fish can be extremely shy. I have a female that is probably the shiest fish in my tank.

Also, they don't tend to eat very much nori. Mine eats some, but they generally like the meatier stuff. They are, however, planktivores, so whatever you feed it, make sure it's small and it sinks slowly. They will eventually be willing to eat chunks out of larger stuff, but the smaller stuff is what they're more used to in the wild.

 

[rfields]

Any updates on eating yet?

 

[ssbreef]

happy to report, mine started eating!! two weeks later!!

 

[jcgso]

Still no luck with mine. I just don't get it. It's been 10 days now.

 

[wshive]

Have you separated him like suggested?