Blue Throat Triggerfish Behavior

[reely989]

Hey guys, I recently got a blue throat triggerfish and it's behavior is very odd to say the least. The first day or two it just laid under some rocks on the sand. He's started swimming a bit more, but he tends to just stay in the corner of the tank kind of pressed against the glass. He's not eating much. If I put some food right next to his mouth he'll eat a bit, but definitely not the feeding response I expected from a trigger. I know acclimation is variable and can vary, but I guess at what point should I be concerned that this behavior is indicative of a bigger issue with the fish? He still looks healthy as far as I can tell. Not super thin or anything like that.

 

[LavenderTi]

My first blue throat did this after being added. Ultimately losses him due to starvation/stress. *edit added: I have a yellow tang that isn't friendly to new comers or other larger fish*.

The second I used an acclimation box for a few days. Then released him. I was trying to get him to eat prior to being released. He’s a veracious eater now and swims all over like what you’d expect from a trigger.

Keep trying to entice with foods. Are there any aggressors in the tank? What other tank mates do you have?

 

[DylanE]

I agree, this sounds like a very stressed out fish. My blue throat was out and about immediately and moves constantly. There’s gotta be something else in the tank making him feel like he can’t leave that corner.

 

[reely989]

I don't ever see any aggression. Only other two fish his size are a foxface and a blue Tang. They are active swimmers but I never see them chase the trigger or each other.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hey guys, I recently got a blue throat triggerfish and it's behavior is very odd to say the least. The first day or two it just laid under some rocks on the sand. He's started swimming a bit more, but he tends to just stay in the corner of the tank kind of pressed against the glass. He's not eating much. If I put some food right next to his mouth he'll eat a bit, but definitely not the feeding response I expected from a trigger. I know acclimation is variable and can vary, but I guess at what point should I be concerned that this behavior is indicative of a bigger issue with the fish? He still looks healthy as far as I can tell. Not super thin or anything like that.

Blue throats are actually very shy! Mine hid a few weeks before coming out and swimming around with my other fish! They are not super boisterous like other triggers

 

[reely989]

Blue throats are actually very shy! Mine hid a few weeks before coming out and swimming around with my other fish! They are not super boisterous like other triggers

Hopefully this is just the case! He's a beautiful fish. I love watching him swim around, but he just doesn't do it much. He'll swim for a while, then back to his corner.

 

[littlefoxx]

Hopefully this is just the case! He's a beautiful fish. I love watching him swim around, but he just doesn't do it much. He'll swim for a while, then back to his corner.

I love how triggers swim! And grunt when they see food lol

 

[reely989]

He was swimming around a lot more yesterday, still not a great feeding response, but I do notice that he does a lot better when I'm not near the tank. I guess he's just not used to people yet. I saw him eat some reef jerky out of the water column, and I saw him take a big bite out of my hammer right before he went into his cave for the night :expressionless-face:

 

[1112-425XL]

My Bluethroat is definitely one of my favorites, even though he spits water 2' out of the tank when he wants more food. When I first got him he went in my observation tank (20 gal) and he had a cave he would hide in. He would wedge himself way up inside. He was very shy when we were near the tank. When I transfered him to the DT I moved his cave with him. He would use it at night and if he felt threatened. For the 1st couple weeks in the DT he would crash against the lid if he was startled by anything or nothing. He's been with us for over two years. He's grown out of his cave but found a new spot in the rocks. He's the 1st one front and center when anyone goes near the tank. He eats like a pig and is not the least bit shy. Give yours time and space. Hopefully he adapts and thrives.

 

[reely989]

Just as an update to this in case anyone stumbles across this thread later--- the fish is doing well. He's not as shy as before, but he does still spend a lot of time kind of wedged in his favorite little rock spot. His feeding response has come around, and he's eating pretty much anything I put in the tank. It's my first trigger, so I don't know if this is typical, but he's the clumsiest fish I've ever had. His depth perception is terrible and he pretty routinely bumps into things and misses food right next to his mouth. Either way, I think he's gonna be fine and he's still coming out of his shell more and more so to speak.

 

[DylanE]

Just as an update to this in case anyone stumbles across this thread later--- the fish is doing well. He's not as shy as before, but he does still spend a lot of time kind of wedged in his favorite little rock spot. His feeding response has come around, and he's eating pretty much anything I put in the tank. It's my first trigger, so I don't know if this is typical, but he's the clumsiest fish I've ever had. His depth perception is terrible and he pretty routinely bumps into things and misses food right next to his mouth. Either way, I think he's gonna be fine and he's still coming out of his shell more and more so to speak.

Glad to hear it! Yeah, they’re clumsy. I had to reenforce some frags as mine would knock them over trying to catch food. Weird, awesome fish.

 

[Kaveeks]

Mine hid for the first 24 hours but since comes out and swims quite a bit but after a while he gos to his spot hidden from view. And then he repeats. Every time I approach the tank he’s the only one that hides.