Bluejaw Triggerfish Constant Pacing

[TritonsGarden]

We have a male bluejaw trigger for a little over 2 months now. It constantly paces back and forth across the front of the tank all day. It looks healthy and eats like a pig but I am worried that it may be too big for our 100G tank. I knew it would need a bigger tank someday but is only about 6 inches now. Is this normal behavior or is it stressing?

Other inhabitants are small yellow tang, small hippo tang, pair of clowns, pair of banggai cardinals, pair of black bar chromis, royal gramma, and threesome of barnacle blennies.

 

[Dilan Patel]

I think it is getting to big for the tank now. You also have some other fish that take the real estate and he is probably wanting more. Nice show fish though.

 

[lion king]

Just a thought; how's the flow in the tank and do you have enough rock work for him to have a home. I have a pair in a 210 but they really don't seem to take up much real estate. They like hanging out in their condo(two story opening in the rock work) and hanging in the turbulent flow of one of the power heads.

I have heard of this activity from Xanthichthys and Melichthys species triggers; ,sometimes it's attributed to tank size, sometimes not. I also have a pinktail trigger, although blind now; when he wasn't blind he also didn't use alot of real estate. Maybe flow and rock work is more of an answer to these species.

 

[TritonsGarden]

Lots of flow and rock. Maybe too much rock but he does have a favorite sleeping spot in the rock.
I'll upload a video later today.

 

[TritonsGarden]

Here is a video. He does this all day.

 

[lion king]

Yeah I would think the tank is too small for that size bluejaw, If he had grown up that tank he'd probably be ok. I see there are some larger caves and the flow looks very good. After a couple of months he should have calmed down by now; but as in my earlier post this species of trigger can do that, even in larger tanks. I think it happens when they come in at a larger size. Mine are really calm and laid back, I got them at about 4".

 

[falconut]

I've got a 4" female in my 90 gallon and she just swims normal, no pacing. You definitely have more flow than me. Maybe it's something with starting with a larger one. I've heard it's common with triggers.

Mine is going in my newly setup 180, so she should have plenty of room.

 

[mcpeachy]

Just a thought; how's the flow in the tank and do you have enough rock work for him to have a home. I have a pair in a 210 but they really don't seem to take up much real estate. They like hanging out in their condo(two story opening in the rock work) and hanging in the turbulent flow of one of the power heads.

I have heard of this activity from Xanthichthys and Melichthys species triggers; ,sometimes it's attributed to tank size, sometimes not. I also have a pinktail trigger, although blind now; when he wasn't blind he also didn't use alot of real estate. Maybe flow and rock work is more of an answer to these species.

how did your trigger end up blind? how did you know it was blind??

 

[lion king]

how did your trigger end up blind? how did you know it was blind??

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/pinktail-trigger-blind.307747/

My theory is due to copper poisoning. I personally have had 3 blind triggers and a blind harlequin tusk that I knew for sure had went blind. I likely had more than that, you see many times they will just disappear behind the rocks, stop eating, even when out and about, seem to miss the food or just appear to not be eating. They just languish away and die and many times you are just miffed at what happened.

It starts by them disappearing behind the rocks, you can see them bump into stuff, even other fish, and seem to miss some food, then maybe catch other food that is further away. I personally hate using copper and will only use it as a last resort. I have seen so many fish die months or even a a year or more after copper treatment, you cut them open and not even being a vet, you can see the organ damage, even liquefied.

Recently I had to euthanize a niger trigger due to blindness. Last year I had a niger that had to go through 2 rounds of copper for velvet. At the end of the 2nd treatment I told a friend "you watch, in all likelihood, he will be blind in a years time". Sadly, I was right and could never get him to stick feed, and I was not going to watch him starve to death. My pinktail lasted almost 2 years after the 1st signs of losing sight, I stick fed her for a year and and half.

 

[WMR]

Xanthichthys & Melicthys triggers are pelagic triggers for the most part, they need a fair amount of Room. I’ve seen them pace like that for a long time, some of them settle in & don’t pace