Treatment Options for Triggerfish

[Brew12]

We had a member, @MickeysFins , point out that we currently don't offer advice on how sensitive Triggers are to ionic copper, chelated copper, and cloroquine phosphate (CP). As a non-reef safe species we have less information on treating them than we do for other fish. So, I am asking the community for help with this.

I would appreciate as much help participating in the poll as possible. Let's call #reefsquad for some quick feedback but all input is welcome.

*Note: To get more useful information we need to try and focus on what we believe are fish deaths due to copper/CP sensitivity. If you feel your Trigger died directly due to the disease please do not list it as a death or success.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[EmdeReef]

Just recently completed a 2 week prophylactic treatment of my sargassum trigger in copper-power at ~1.8ppm measured with the Hanna checker. No visible stress in my case. No appetite issues.

I would consider triggers generally pretty hardy with most meds. Exception to this are eye and mouth secondary infections likely due to injuries, with which I’ve had poor track record - unrelated to copper but would advise against treatment in copper if there is a bacterial infection.

 

[4FordFamily]

I’ve treated triggers in cupramine without issue, I’ve not found any to be any more sensitive to copper than other fish, from memory.

 

[Brew12]

I’ve treated triggers in cupramine without issue, I’ve not found any to be any more sensitive to copper than other fish, from memory.

And yet you refuse to take part in my poll question, huh?

 

[rkpetersen]

The last trigger I owned was decades ago. Zach the Undulate had his own tank and anything else he wanted. QT was unnecessary, that beast went straight to solitary confinement.

 

[kwan8911]

I have a niger trigger fish, one of the more common triggerfish. I would agree it is a very hardy fish, treated with cooper power with no issue at all.

 

[puffy127]

Treated a blue throat trigger with copper power at 1.75 ppm for 14 days with no issues.

 

[miyags]

Treated a Clown trigger with Cupramine,didn't faze it at all.

 

[4FordFamily]

And yet you refuse to take part in my poll question, huh?

Whoops! Viewed this at work multi-tasking. I fixed it for ya!

 

[drstardust]

I have treated 3 triggers with copper.
1) Niger trigger with cupramine x 30 days. No problems at all.
2) Picasso (humu) trigger with cupramine x 30 days. No problems.
3) Clown trigger with CopperSafe x 14 days with transfer to sterile QT after. No problems (which of course meant he survived to enter my DT and brought chaos, murder, and destruction. What a monster, stupid me for trying )

So yeah I would echo the sentiment that triggers handle copper (both chelated and ionic) just fine.

 

[sdcosta]

treated my red tail trigger with cupramine, no issues.

 

[Brew12]

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who has participated.

I can't help but think we should do a better job leveraging the experience of our many friends here more often!

 

[4FordFamily]

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who has participated.

I can't help but think we should do a better job leveraging the experience of our many friends here more often!

Agree! Aggregating data is paramount to our progress!

 

[Ocelaris]

This was very helpful. Thanks to all who participated. I have a blue throat in quarantine with 6 tangs and he's been hiding almost the entire time and I am starting to get worried about him/her. So as I'm ramping up copper power I wanted to see how other triggers fared. Thanks!

 

[4FordFamily]

My Clown Trigger nor a Blueline showed any issues in Copper recently for @HotRocks and I

 

[mcpeachy]

this thread is so helpful!!!

 

[mcpeachy]

Is there a reason why some people use chelated vs cupramine? I need to treat a hard to find trigger (Kiri) and sooooo nervous to treat him. I saw what I think was one spot. I can’t say for sure. But I generally prefer to treat everything and be ich free. Cupramine? Is that preferred? He is in qt. Not eating just yet. Arrived yesterday.

 

[Ocelaris]

I didn't update the thread, but the copper was really rough on the blue throat, so I put him in a separate tank with chloroquine phosphate and he made a stellar recovery. So when I have the option in the future I'll head straight for cp.

 

[drstardust]

Is there a reason why some people use chelated vs cupramine? I need to treat a hard to find trigger (Kiri) and sooooo nervous to treat him. I saw what I think was one spot. I can’t say for sure. But I generally prefer to treat everything and be ich free. Cupramine? Is that preferred? He is in qt. Not eating just yet. Arrived yesterday.

In general chelated is easier on fish. Chelated copper (Copper Power) is preferred to Cupramine in virtually all cases. I can't think of when or why Cupramine would be preferable. I understand your nervousness with such a high profile fish. I've never kept Kiri, but the Xanthichthys triggers are quite hardy, by and large.

 

[mcpeachy]

In general chelated is easier on fish. Chelated copper (Copper Power) is preferred to Cupramine in virtually all cases. I can't think of when or why Cupramine would be preferable. I understand your nervousness with such a high profile fish. I've never kept Kiri, but the Xanthichthys triggers are quite hardy, by and large.

ahhhhhhh crap. i started cupramine.....i have live rock and sand so i dont think i can just switch it. i didn't see this before i decided i had to pull the trigger (ho, ho, ho). what should i do?? is cupramine that hard on fish??? when everyone said copper, did they mean chelated???!!! dang.