sargassum trigger acting weird

[Wowkuh]

Hey guys not sure if I posted in the right section but here it goes...

I got a redtail trigger yesterday. Drip acclimated him for about 45-60 mins and introduced him to my tank. He's acting weird (Please see vid) he would always have his triggers extended or flared. Bumps into walls wave makers etc...

Tank mates are

Harlequin tusk
Purple tang
2 blue hippo
Yellow tang
Gold rim tang
Banggi cardinal
Blue green Christmas
2 tomato clown.
And all acting and eating normal.

No one picks on him tank mates leave him alone.

He looked fine at the fish store. I saw him eating shrimp so I know that's a good sign. But he was acting a little strange, passing back and forth in the tank on the bottom. But I figured it was because he was in a small tank with an undulated trigger so I figured he was just stressed and trying to get away from him. He was being bullied by the undulated. I got the redtail for a steal and wanted to rescue him lol

Oh and please don't bash me for not having quarantining him first. I don't need that lesson right now lol.

 

[cracker]

welcome WO , Looks like Ya posted in the right place.. Does look alarming .others with more knowledge will be along I'm sure .

 

[Humblefish]

That doesn't look good at all. Two questions:

1. How long was he in the bag for before drip acclimation?
2. What is the SG of your tank and the SG of the store you bought him from?

Could be acclimation stress...

 

[Wowkuh]

That doesn't look good at all. Two questions:

1. How long was he in the bag for before drip acclimation?
2. What is the SG of your tank and the SG of the store you bought him from?

Could be acclimation stress...

Less than 30 mins

My tank is at 1.025 checked this morning.

As for the store I'm not sure. I figured almost an hour of dripping was more than enough....

@Humblefish

 

[HB AL]

You mention it was acting weird already in the store, it definitely has something wrong with it, maybe an internal infection/parasite, causing the issues. It has nothing to do with not quarantining or acclimation time. In all the years of having triggers I’ve never seen that, I have a Sargassum and bluejaw now. Hopefully someone has an idea of what is causing it and a remedy, most likely your gonna need to isolate it in a tank to treat it with meds.

 

[Wowkuh]

You mention it was acting weird already in the store, it definitely has something wrong with it, maybe an internal infection/parasite, causing the issues. It has nothing to do with not quarantining or acclimation time. In all the years of having triggers I’ve never seen that, I have a Sargassum and bluejaw now. Hopefully someone has an idea of what is causing it and a remedy, most likely your gonna need to isolate it in a tank to treat it with meds.

Right. I saw him eat so I figured his action at the LFS was simply because of the undulated trigger. In my defense, I've watched the tank with the sargassum and undulated for well over 10mins, and I saw the undulated pin the sargassum in the corner not letting him go no where. So from that point told them to bag him up. Again. I thought his actions were simply because of the undulated.

But like you said hopefully someone can chime in on this action so I can pull him out and put him in a safe place and treat as necessary.

 

[Wowkuh]

and an update....


I went to the LFS with a water sample and my water params are perfect. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and to my surpise 0 nitrate. They told me if he dies within the next few days I'll get store credit for him. Which I'm happy about. Because they have a nice crosshatch im eyeing. lol

Fwiw, my tank is a 180 G. With a large sump with chaeto, live rock and a skimmer

 

[HB AL]

Is it eating in your tank, if it is feed him extra, maybe it will go away on its own, if it’s not eating now time is of the essence with some form of treatment with meds. Good luck

 

[Humblefish]

Less than 30 mins

My tank is at 1.025 checked this morning.

As for the store I'm not sure. I figured almost an hour of dripping was more than enough....

@Humblefish

It depends upon how much difference in SG between your tank (1.025) and the LFS (???)

Some LFS like to keep their SG low, and it is hard on a fish going up in salinity too rapidly (osmoregulation).

 

[Wowkuh]

It depends upon how much difference in SG between your tank (1.025) and the LFS (???)

Some LFS like to keep their SG low, and it is hard on a fish going up in salinity too rapidly (osmoregulation).

Just checked today....

Mine 1.024
Theirs 1.020

And he mentioned that he has copper in all his tanks....or did he say he uses copper before putting up for sale..... Not sure. Regardless copper is in its system.

 

[4FordFamily]

An undulated is going to tear up most other triggers that aren’t very aggressive, that LFS was not very responsible.

Also, drip acclimating often causes more harm than good the bag water fouls quickly and the poo turns to ammonia as soon as the bag is open. I assume your drive from the LFS isn’t too long but long acclimation can still cause more harm than good. I’d do small cupfulls in to buckets over a 15 minute period instead. This provides lots of oxygen, brings up the salinity and temp in small stages, and is shorter/sweeter.

 

[Wowkuh]

An undulated is going to tear up most other triggers that aren’t very aggressive, that LFS was not very responsible.

Also, drip acclimating often causes more harm than good the bag water fouls quickly and the poo turns to ammonia as soon as the bag is open. I assume your drive from the LFS isn’t too long but long acclimation can still cause more harm than good. I’d do small cupfulls in to buckets over a 15 minute period instead. This provides lots of oxygen, brings up the salinity and temp in small stages, and is shorter/sweeter.

Thanks for your advice. However the undulated and sargassum are no longer together. They were in the LFS. Now hes the only trigger in my 180

And as far as drip acclimation goes, he was in the bag for 20 mins or less. (LFS is a 15 min drive) and I power drip (meaning my air line hose isn't fully tied off to where its an actual drip, more like a continuous slow stream) I know, as soon as you open a bag with ammonia in it and allow oxygen in, it causes ammonia burn. But that is mainly for fish that have been in a bag for hours, not minutes.

See... I'm a lurker, a fish keeper that has been in the fish keeping hobby for over 20yrs, but prefer to stay off forms. I research as much as I possibly can before reaching out. this has me baffled.

Hope I didn't rub you wrong.

 

[Humblefish]

Just checked today....

Mine 1.024
Theirs 1.020

And he mentioned that he has copper in all his tanks....or did he say he uses copper before putting up for sale..... Not sure. Regardless copper is in its system.

Going up 4 or 5 points in just an hour is pretty intense for most fish. He would probably benefit from a 30 min MB bath: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/methylene-blue.257467/

 

[HB AL]

And here I’ve been dropping and plopping for 30 years with great success, but all those fish came from the same lfs. Being that the fish seemed to swim oddly at the lfs I would concentrate on and internal infection or parasite creating a problem with its nervous system.

 

[Wowkuh]

Update... He's was still acting weird sitting on the bottom of the tank. So I caught him and fresh water dipped incase it was flukes, for whatever reason. (didn't see any flukes come out). Threw him in my sump and fed him. He ate like crazy. Lots of mysis shrimp with vitachem. Then finally i wanted to give him more meaty pieces of actual grocery store shrimp. He ate about 3-5 large pieces like the one in the vid.


Thoughts? Acting weird but has a large appetite?

 

[HB AL]

Great sign he’s eating, I would keep him in his current location and feed him as much as he will consume, get him nice and chunky(maybe a couple weeks) then if he seems to be acting normal release him back into your dt. It’s possible that with the nutrient from the food he can fight off and eliminate whatever the issue is. Good luck

 

[Wowkuh]

Thanks sir. I hope he pulls through. Its my dream trigger fish other than a cross hatch lol

 

[HB AL]

Throughout the years I have pretty much owned every kinda of trigger that’s available in the trade, and my Sargassum is at the top of the list. I love triggers, my absolute favorite fish. I haven’t added a fish in over a year and I’m maxed out right now but in the next few months I’m gonna add a small clown trigger as it is #1 on my list. Hopefully he doesn’t eat my corals but if he does oh well, I truly like my fish more than the corals.
Just keep feeding that sucker as much as he wants and he will probably end up ok.

 

[Wowkuh]

Will do. Should I possibly add something to his food? Since he's eating. Other than vitachem.

Also I don't want a debate here. But I have vitachem on hand. Should.I start using selcon instead?

 

[HB AL]

I feed my fish all variety’s of Hikari frozen every day and once a week or so Hikari pellets. I don’t add any vitamins to there food. I think that if your water is prestine enough to grow corals especially acros, that’s all the fish need along with a good diet an well fed to stay healthy. My fish are all nice and chunky, colorful, and a ripped fin grows back within a few days. Just feed em good food, have prestine water and the fish will be fine and happy. That theory has worked for me for a very long time.