Advice on Triggerfish

[Absinthe]

Many of you know I have a juvenile bursa trigger in my 72g bow. Well, I thought this would be the perfect fish for me. No picky dietary needs, one of the hardiest types of fish you could have AND it was a fun fish.

Well, problem encountered.

I am away for a week at a time somewhat regularly. And, I am away for 2 days at a time very regularly. No issues because I simply hook up the autofeeder and throw some freeze dried krill in the machine.

But the bursa wont eat it. I have tried withholding food for several days to make him hungry. I have tried soaking it in supplements...he just wont take it.

The only thing he will eat it fresh shrimp and squid.

Whats my next step? I fear that I am starving the fish. In fact, he has lost weight since I purchased him. I can easily see the spine running along his entire back.

Any ideas?

 

[Brian]

Have you checked your nitrates? I've noticed that if the nitrates are high that could effect the appetite of fish

 

[Hawkeye]

But it eats the squid/shrimp when you are there right?

My point is that it should be gaining weight while you are home...and in the infrequent times you are away - it will have to go on a diet. I honestly don't see an issue with a fish not eating food 2 times a week...unless it's a grazer that needs to be eating non-stop because it's tummy is tiny.

Otherwise the alternatives I see are finding a good sitter (someone from this board maybe) to help watch the tank while you are away.

 

[mladencovic]

Try inducing it to eat veriety of foods by mixing them with what it ieats without the problem and serving it at the same time. Try various things at the same time, like F1 pelets, flakes dry cyclops-eeze. This helps specially if there are other fish that would go aftre all that food as well.

 

[Brian]

I would still be concerned with it not eating EVERYTHING.

I had a rectangular trigger a long time ago...I was eating some fruit loops..for fun I tossed one in the tank and it ate it! Ok, not the brightest thing to do, but it proves a point that triggers will eat just about anything.

 

[Absinthe]

The fish is voracious with everything that is fresh or recently frozen. Everything that is freeze dried or in pellet for he absolutely stays away from.

I may have to find a sitter.

But as for him losing weight, I honestly dont know how much more I can feed him.

Fish is about 5" long and I feed 2-3 grape sized pieces of raw shrimp every other day, then 2 postage stamp thick slices of frozen squid the other days.