Quarantine Shy Blue Throat Trigger

[Ocelaris]

So I have 7 tangs and a blue throat trigger in quarantine and I'm worried about the blue throat. He/she is about 3" and seems just shy, no heavy breathing, but I haven't seen it eat, but it has been out and about when I came in, but just barely above the PVC tubes and immediately shot back into them when I came by.

I have a Big naso, a vlamingi, yellow (medium), magnificent foxface, tiny hippo, tiny yellow eye kole, small desjardini and medium chocolate (mimic) tang. I'm worried about the blue throat as he/she has been basically hiding and rarely ever coming out of the PVC tubes. Aggression with the tangs is amazingly calm, only the yellow has somewhat wiggled at the Desjardini and chocolate, but never a chase. It's been 3 days and the other tangs have been eating heartily on a mix of nori, LFS fish frenzy/herbivore frenzy etc... Copper Power started at around .75, SG at 1.020 and I've brought the Cu up to 1.40 over the past 4 days. I'm planning on keeping going to 1.75 as everyone else seems to be taking it pretty well. It's a 5'x 18" x 24" tall 110 gallon with ~30 gallon sump. I've got an ammonia badge and everything seems to be fine. I've done two 25 gallon water changes the 2nd and 4th day as I've been feeding heavily and the bioload is ramping up and it's cloudy.

I have a separate system with 2x 40 breeders connected, I could remove the small blue throat to that, but I'd have to start over with it at a later date. It doesn't appear to be in trouble except to be very scared.

Funny, As I started this thread he came out and is hovering around the other fish warily. It's not a feeding frenzy or anything, but just worried about him eating. The only other scared fish is the kole who is tiny and is just by him/herself nibbling all day in the tubes. I'm going to try and pick up some live blackworms later, but any other advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[andrewkw]

I think it's probably okay. In November I had a small blue throat and a small swallow tail angel in a 10g qt. Initially the trigger was the one always hiding but before the end of qt I had to separate them since the trigger was harassing the angel to the point where she wouldn't eat. Fast forward another month in my display tank the trigger is still the one who hides the most where as the angel is acting as normal as my other fish I've had for years. The trigger is eating well however and comes out for every feeding and spends maybe 50% of it's time hiding.

One thing you could do if you don't see eating soon is the next time you do a water change take the trigger out with the water change and fill up your other 40g just as high as the water change will allow you to. That way you don't have to restart the copper cycle and for sure have the levels at the same as the original qt tank.

 

[Ocelaris]

Thanks, the other systems I was keeping for coral quarantine, but I may be able to split the two tanks if the trigger is still really shy and I don't see it eating. That's a good idea, thanks!

 

[andrewkw]

Thanks, the other systems I was keeping for coral quarantine, but I may be able to split the two tanks if the trigger is still really shy and I don't see it eating. That's a good idea, thanks!

You can always pick up a 10g tank. If you have a heater and air pump or small powerhead that's really all you need. Maybe one more ammonia alert badge.