Crosshatch Trigger Not Eating

[qstorm]

I have a pair of wild caught crosshatch..I gave them to LFS to QT them. They haven't really eaten since I got them. They are out of QT and in a DT with a puffer and Fox face. We have tried pretty much every food source and nada. Worried that they won't make it if they don't eat... Any suggestions

all different types of frozen foods, live crabs, shrimps nada. Nori nada..clams they picked at once.

 

[Brian1f1]

Lots of questions... You gave them to an LFS for QT? What did they do, did they use meds? How long did they have them? Did they eat while there? How big are they? How big is your tank (critical with these)? How long have they been in your DT?

 

[Charles4400]

If you can get them try live blackworms. Hardly a fish that will turn them down (though none of my dragonets touch them).

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Did you have them before the QT? How long since they haven’t eaten?

 

[qstorm]

Lots of questions... You gave them to an LFS for QT? What did they do, did they use meds? How long did they have them? Did they eat while there? How big are they? How big is your tank (critical with these)? How long have they been in your DT?

They are still at the LFS. They use copper in their water, never had an issue with any other fish. They still have them from I got them since feb 11. They are in the LFS DT which is about 60g. They were just put in the DT on Monday

 

[qstorm]

Did you have them before the QT? How long since they haven’t eaten?

They went straight from the airport to the LFS and been there ever since. Just came out of QT this week from Feb 11

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

They went straight from the airport to the LFS and been there ever since. Just came out of QT this week from Feb 11

Going 3 weeks (minimum) without feeding is definitely in the danger zone. Did you already pay for them?

In my experience, if a fish is going to eat and adjust to capitivity, it’s going to happen by roughly the 14 day point at the latest. If you get past that, the clock is ticking. How do they look? Any emaciation (severely pinched stomach, loss of muscle mass along spine)? Any chance they’re eating after observers are no longer around?

 

[Brian1f1]

How big are these triggers? Crosshatch are typically pretty darn big when they come in. These are pelagic fish, they need space. I bet the QT was tiny, and yeah, copper can suppress appetite too. 60 gallons with a puffer is also likely way way to small... Damage may already be done. You really ought to be looking at tube feeding them soon, because they probably won’t last much longer.

 

[qstorm]

How big are these triggers? Crosshatch are typically pretty darn big when they come in. These are pelagic fish, they need space. I bet the QT was tiny, and yeah, copper can suppress appetite too. 60 gallons with a puffer is also likely way way to small... Damage may already be done. You really ought to be looking at tube feeding them soon, because they probably won’t last much longer.

Female is 6" male about 8". The QT was 30 g. The DT is in the the store. They will be going into a 220 DT

 

[qstorm]

Going 3 weeks (minimum) without feeding is definitely in the danger zone. Did you already pay for them?

In my experience, if a fish is going to eat and adjust to capitivity, it’s going to happen by roughly the 14 day point at the latest. If you get past that, the clock is ticking. How do they look? Any emaciation (severely pinched stomach, loss of muscle mass along spine)? Any chance they’re eating after observers are no longer around?

I paid for them and gave it to my LFS to QT. They look fine. In the DT they were not active, after moving to a bigger tank they are very active but won't eat. I am thinking of taking them to my home and put them in my 220 DT and see if they will eat.

 

[Brian1f1]

Female is 6" male about 8". The QT was 30 g. The DT is in the the store. They will be going into a 220 DT

!!!! My dude, no wonder they weren’t initially active or feeding... Those are large fish, but they are also open ocean large fish... An 8 inch cross hatch with a 6 incher together in a 30 gallon was a major, major, stressor for them and a big mistake. Plus copper treated, it’s clear why they weren’t eating. Moving them to a 60 with a puffer is still way too small and too crowded. Arguably, a 220 is too small for a pair of these, but without knowing how crowded it is, I’m still quite sure it’d be world’s better. Run, don’t walk, get them out of the 60 and into the 220.

Years ago, before LA, before there was a lot of info on this and related triggers, I ordered a crosshatch sight unseen, expecting a reasonably sized fish. I got an 8 inch monster. It frantically paced both a 46g qt and a 110g all alone until it starved to death. Many large tangs adapt to small spaces much better than these guys, both anecdotally and based on info readily available now.

If they appear emaciated, which I’m sure they do, you might want to attempt to tube feed them once prior to introducing them into the tank (other members, have an opinion here? These are pricy, stressed, but certainly starving fish, not sure if a one time force feeding before release would help or hurt #reefsquad ).

 

[jda]

Get them out of the copper. This is a bad idea for most fish, but especially ones that live on the reef.

The only chance that you have is to put them in a larger tank and keep on trying mysis.

Good luck.

 

[Brian1f1]

So what’s happening? Did you get them home?

 

[qstorm]

So what’s happening? Did you get them home?

While on my way to get them, the female ate for the first time then did a big swoosh and died. When we squeezed her gut, orange fluid came out and the most outrageous stench as if she had some bacterial infection. Took the male home and after acclimation he was swimming around like crazy , ate and his doing really well. I should have brought them home along time ago..

 

[Brian1f1]

While on my way to get them, the female ate for the first time then did a big swoosh and died. When we squeezed her gut, orange fluid came out and the most outrageous stench as if she had some bacterial infection. Took the male home and after acclimation he was swimming around like crazy , ate and his doing really well. I should have brought them home along time ago..

Probably just starving... Yeah, should have. The way way too small tanks nearly killed them both. The LFS should have known much better tbh. The 30g was way beyond asinine. Oh well, live and learn. Post a photo!

 

[Brian1f1]

So what was the outcome? Update us!

 

[jsvand5]

This is pretty odd to me. You bought the fish from a different source than your LFS, and the LFS offered to QT them for you? I know the owners of my fish stores in the area well but I’d never ask them to do that. I feel odd even telling them when I bought a fish from another source.

Good luck with the male. Sucks to lose that female though.

 

[qstorm]

So what was the outcome? Update us!

The male is doing wonderful

 

[qstorm]

This is pretty odd to me. You bought the fish from a different source than your LFS, and the LFS offered to QT them for you? I know the owners of my fish stores in the area well but I’d never ask them to do that. I feel odd even telling them when I bought a fish from another source.

Good luck with the male. Sucks to lose that female though.

my LFS does that for a small fee. I don't know the fee but I spend thousands of dollars with them so they don't charge me

 

[qstorm]