need blue throat trigger tips.

Reeferdude56 · Feb 27, 2015

What i recommend is putting your food (i use frozen) in front a powerhead on the other side of the tank so it blows to where the trigger likes to hide. Also i built my own holder that keeps dry food in one spot. Melev makes one for fifteen dollars. Eheim Chimney | Melev's Reef this allows me to put food in and walk away, but the trigger still has time to go get the food before it all gets pushed into overflow or eaten by other fish.

Triggreef · Feb 27, 2015

I don't really remember mine ever being shy. When in qt he would only hide for a second if I put my hands in the tank. Now in the display he chases my hands around to try to find food. It almost annoying like a begging dog. Try live black worms, oysters on the half Shell, mysis, brine, rods food or reef frenzy as well. Nothing can resist live brine at least to get him eating. I have read a lot about them being hard to entice to eat, just was not the case for mine. Mine even eats nori.

Until you get him eating, I would put the food in and observe from across the room. If that doesn't work, you can try the exact opposite. Feed all your fish from a turkey baster as slow as possible. This way he sees you are only giving food, and the other fish trust you.

Stop being afraid to feed frozen food. Pellets are garbage. I only feed pellets if I'm in a hurry and can't get anything else fast enough.

Arcsenic · Feb 27, 2015

I had a similar problem with my yellow tang and he was shy for about a week but as soon as the trigger learns where that food comes from then suddenly he will be your best bud lol..now when I walk in the room and stand by my tank the yellow tang will come to the glass and just stare at me till I feed him lol

STL · Feb 27, 2015

You might try an auto-feeder set fairly low to provide some baseline nutrition. You won't know for sure if he's eating, but if he swims with the other fish when you're not there, odds are pretty good he'll eat with them too (my blue throat trigger is an eating machine). At least he won't starve while you're working on earning his trust.

jason142 · Feb 27, 2015

My blue throat pair was very shy at first also. All I would do is broadcast feed Mysis with my return pump off but power heads on so that the food moved in the tank and then walked away. After a couple of weeks I guess they started to associate me with food and would start to wait at the top of the water for me to drop food in. As long as you don't see it getting really skinny then I wouldn't worry about it, just give him time to get used to you and the tank. Quick question, how long was he in the store before you bought him and was he eating there?

ReefFreak@ · Feb 27, 2015

jason142 said:
My blue throat pair was very shy at first also. All I would do is broadcast feed Mysis with my return pump off but power heads on so that the food moved in the tank and then walked away. After a couple of weeks I guess they started to associate me with food and would start to wait at the top of the water for me to drop food in. As long as you don't see it getting really skinny then I wouldn't worry about it, just give him time to get used to you and the tank. Quick question, how long was he in the store before you bought him and was he eating there?

Jason i am usually very picky with my fish. i always ask to see them eat. The lfs i bought him from is where i get all my fish and i do trust them, but he was very shy in the store( had to move rock work to even see him) i asked to see him feed but i could tell he was scared and he didn't not feed. My yellow tang was like this as well and i got him feeding at home in less then a week. So i figured i could do it with this guy too. This is one of my dream fish so i just want him to to a ok. and he was new to the shop to. i am i mad 2 mistakes but like a said dream fish.

ReefFreak@ · Feb 27, 2015

ok everybody thanks for all the help. I went to the lfs where i bought him. They have a blue throat in there display so i told the owner my situation and she said hers was shy to. She recommend clam strips. So i picked them up but i also picked up a nori clip and magnetic.( diy magnetic nori clip half the price) So plan of attack is put the clam strip in the nori clip so he has access to food when he's out and ill know if he's eating it. I think its fool proof let me know what everybody thinks.

nicodim55 · Feb 27, 2015

ReefFreak@ said:
ok everybody thanks for all the help. I went to the lfs where i bought him. They have a blue throat in there display so i told the owner my situation and she said hers was shy to. She recommend clam strips. So i picked them up but i also picked up a nori clip and magnetic.( diy magnetic nori clip half the price) So plan of attack is put the clam strip in the nori clip so he has access to food when he's out and ill know if he's eating it. I think its fool proof let me know what everybody thinks.

You just got to be patient with them, once they get use to your presence they'll greet you. The longest I've kept one is 5 years if it wasn't for the big crash I had last year he'd still be in my tank:( Good luck with yours.

ReefFreak@ · Feb 27, 2015

nicodim55 said:
You just got to be patient with them, once they get use to your presence they'll greet you. The longest I've kept one is 5 years if it wasn't for the big crash I had last year he'd still be in my tank:( Good luck with yours.[/QUOTEI'm sorry to hear that. He is a pretty fish am i can't wait till were buds! Do you plan on getting another?

nicodim55 · Feb 28, 2015

Here was my bluejaw trigger 2 years ago:( he was so bright and beautiful and it ate romaine lettuce too he would join in the tangs eating it:)

Kworker · Feb 28, 2015

I have a male and female. They were not very shy when I brought them home with a large hippo. They went into QT for several weeks where they would essentially come up to my hand to feed. However, I have buddies who have this species who witnessed shyness. I think it just comes down to characteristics of each individual fish. Also I believe the fact I have a pair helped that for me considerably.

ReefFreak@ · Feb 28, 2015

update. He's been coming out more and more and my food clip worked!!! I saw him picking at the clam meat I had on the clip. Small steps in the right direction. He still is scared of me though, but swims around when know one is around
.... or so he thinks lol.

ReefFreak@ · Mar 11, 2015

Giving everybody an update. He is now eating and swimming around with me in the room. if i get up or move to quickly he will shoot into his cave. Its funny these fish are supposed to be a fish on the fringe but this has to be my least aggressive fish of the whole tank. Heres a picture of the little guy.

NeuroticAquatics · Mar 11, 2015

That is good news. I have had two and both of mine were very mellow and never showed any aggression at all. My current one is kind of a loaner except at feeding time. Rarely hangs out with my Tangs or Mag Foxface.

jamesm · Mar 11, 2015

Have had one for quite a long time and he is still a little shy. He does get startled pretty easy. He even jumped out of the tank twice when feeding. Great fish though.