Trigger stimulation, how do you prevent boredom?

[David M.]

I've got a juvi Blue Throat, maybe ~4 inches, and recently he's been spitting water around the tank even after I've fed. I feed 4 times daily so I highly doubt food is the goal here. I've read they can do this when bored or are just messing around. Moving around the rock work has been suggested but isn't really an option for me, they're loaded with corals. Some folks have recommended "puzzles" for triggers but I haven't seen any examples.

What, if anything, do you folks do to keep your trigger stimulated and happy? Any examples of some cool food puzzles? DIY "toys"? Would love to see what folks have come up with

 

[Duncan62]

I've got a juvi Blue Throat, maybe ~4 inches, and recently he's been spitting water around the tank even after I've fed. I feed 4 times daily so I highly doubt food is the goal here. I've read they can do this when bored or are just messing around. Moving around the rock work has been suggested but isn't really an option for me, they're loaded with corals. Some folks have recommended "puzzles" for triggers but I haven't seen any examples.

What, if anything, do you folks do to keep your trigger stimulated and happy? Any examples of some cool food puzzles? DIY "toys"? Would love to see what folks have come up with

I had a clown that I would give a craw fish fron the creek as a treat. He was completely occupied and well fed. Also fun to watch a trigger do what it's supposed to do.

 

[Lyss]

I've got a juvi Blue Throat, maybe ~4 inches, and recently he's been spitting water around the tank even after I've fed. I feed 4 times daily so I highly doubt food is the goal here. I've read they can do this when bored or are just messing around. Moving around the rock work has been suggested but isn't really an option for me, they're loaded with corals. Some folks have recommended "puzzles" for triggers but I haven't seen any examples.

What, if anything, do you folks do to keep your trigger stimulated and happy? Any examples of some cool food puzzles? DIY "toys"? Would love to see what folks have come up with

So, I keep some freshwater puffers and last year was looking for similar advice with them. Something I read and then settled on trying was that I got some little plastic golf balls with holes in them, and began putting live bladder snails inside them and putting them in the tank so the puffers could have a bit of a challenge to get at the snails. It did seem to keep them occupied, and so does anything that gets them hunting around the tank.

 

[David M.]

I had a clown that I would give a craw fish fron the creek as a treat. He was completely occupied and well fed. Also fun to watch a trigger do what it's supposed to do.

I've considered getting an urchin just for that purpose, but if he doesnt eat it then I'm stuck with an urchin lol.

So, I keep some freshwater puffers and last year was looking for similar advice with them. Something I read and then settled on trying was that I got some little plastic golf balls with holes in them, and began putting live bladder snails inside them and putting them in the tank so the puffers could have a bit of a challenge to get at the snails. It did seem to keep them occupied, and so does anything that gets them hunting around the tank.

This is a great idea! I might be able to stuff some muscle into a wiffle golf ball

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

So, I keep some freshwater puffers and last year was looking for similar advice with them. Something I read and then settled on trying was that I got some little plastic golf balls with holes in them, and began putting live bladder snails inside them and putting them in the tank so the puffers could have a bit of a challenge to get at the snails. It did seem to keep them occupied, and so does anything that gets them hunting around the tank.

I was thinking along those same lines - like the cat feeder ball puzzle toys. Something where the fish knows there's food, but they have to work it in a specific way to get to it.

 

[Peter C]

I have done octopus enrichment before and the two best solutions I have found are live food and puzzles. Shoving clam in a wiffle golf ball is a great idea!! Once the trigger gets bigger (assuming you have the tank space) you could also get a hamster ball and put mysis or some other food in it. Just be careful the food can come out the holes otherwise I might be concerned the trigger would mess up your tank trying to get the food out.

 

[Arego]

Mine just hunt and bite rock, occasionally a hard coral and pick up turbo snails to carry them around. They lose 99% of attempts at eating them but it eventually does happen if they really want it. Other than this and the WORST habit of all that mine has is crop dusting corals.

This fool can gather copious amounts of sand when he grabs something it will then proceed to filter the sand out, over just corals.. its freaking ridiculous, sometimes he'll pick another fish and just crop dust them on the head. Now that I'm writing this I realize what mine does to not get bored....

 

[David M.]

I have done octopus enrichment before and the two best solutions I have found are live food and puzzles. Shoving clam in a wiffle golf ball is a great idea!! Once the trigger gets bigger (assuming you have the tank space) you could also get a hamster ball and put mysis or some other food in it. Just be careful the food can come out the holes otherwise I might be concerned the trigger would mess up your tank trying to get the food out.

That's an awesome idea, I'm actually in the process of building a 150g 4ftx3ft so space will be plenty in ~1 month. I was thinking of maybe hanging the "toy" from the lid with fishing wire or something so I dont have to worry about a wrecking ball running through my corals. A hamster ball sounds intense lol

 

[Peter C]

That's an awesome idea, I'm actually in the process of building a 150g 4ftx3ft so space will be plenty in ~1 month. I was thinking of maybe hanging the "toy" from the lid with fishing wire or something so I dont have to worry about a wrecking ball running through my corals. A hamster ball sounds intense lol

Hanging it from the lid is a great idea! The hamster ball is just convenient because you can easily open it to clean and refill it. I would worry a wiffle ball might be tougher to get food in and might become nasty.

 

[Lyss]

Hanging it from the lid is a great idea! The hamster ball is just convenient because you can easily open it to clean and refill it. I would worry a wiffle ball might be tougher to get food in and might become nasty.

I was referring to those practice golf bolls with all the holes -- they're cheap and you can just throw them out/replace with new if they get super gross. I put live snails for puffers in mine so mostly it's just a matter of shaking them so any shells of eaten ones fall out, and sometimes I soak them in white vinegar and then rinse w/RODI before reusing -- I imagine they def could get dirtier and harder to clean/reuse with food that isn't alive shoved in there.

 

[JumboShrimp]

My Clown Trigger plays with cracked-open mussel shells long after it has been eaten-clean; but neither of my Blue Throats seem interested.

 

[David M.]

My Clown Trigger plays with cracked-open mussel shells long after it has been eaten-clean; but neither of my Blue Throats seem interested.

I feed muscle on the half shell and mine wont touch the empty shells either. Doesnt seem to bother any snails/crabs/shrimp either. Maybe he just likes being bored.

 

[Arego]

Huma Huma here. He's also sketchy at best during the day if I have to put an arm in as he only charges and then backs off but blues only is definitely not the time to get wet.

 

[Duncan62]

I've considered getting an urchin just for that purpose, but if he doesnt eat it then I'm stuck with an urchin lol.


This is a great idea! I might be able to stuff some muscle into a wiffle golf ball

That is a great idea. That'll be fun.

 

[Duncan62]

I feed muscle on the half shell and mine wont touch the empty shells either. Doesnt seem to bother any snails/crabs/shrimp either. Maybe he just likes being bored.

My clown killed anything in a shell.

 

[HB AL]

Get more, I have 8 there never bored especially at feeding time!

 

[JumboShrimp]

Very healthy looking fish!!

 

[David M.]

Get more, I have 8 there never bored especially at feeding time!

Wow! Incredible tank. I think you know my next question, how do they do with your coals? You've got some unquestionably "not reef safe" triggers in there lol. I do love seeing folks push the boundaries of reefing "rules"

 

[Duncan62]

Wow! Incredible tank. I think you know my next question, how do they do with your coals? You've got some unquestionably "not reef safe" triggers in there lol. I do love seeing folks push the boundaries of reefing "rules"

Very nice!

 

[HB AL]

Wow! Incredible tank. I think you know my next question, how do they do with your coals? You've got some unquestionably "not reef safe" triggers in there lol. I do love seeing folks push the boundaries of reefing "rules"

They don't touch any corals except the Clown trigger, if I add a small frag he recognizes something new(smart guy) he picks it up swims across the tank and drops it, I put it back and this repeats itself for 30 minutes then he finally leaves it alone. As he grows bigger I'm sure he will have some snacks but my fish are more important than the corals. All the other triggers don't even look at the corals.
And yes trial and error over the last 35+ years has helped tremendously, thus I do break alot of " reefing rules" but I like doing it my way. I gotta go feed em now before I leave for work.