Niger Trigger refuses to eat

[pearlela]

I’m seeking answer to troubling behavior of my 9 + years old Niger Trigger refusing to eat and to come out from his hiding spot for over 7 days. He changes his position when I attempt to serve him nori ( use to he was the first one to grab it when offered ) or frozen combo food. When I got him he was mature fish that came with upgrading tank size. 8 months ago I upgraded to larger tank 200 gal system. He got moved with his old tank mates ( blue hippo, purple tang, pair of pericula clowns, six line wrasse and fire shrimp) . Always active eater. Exited to see me at the tank squirting water at me .

Since I added Desjardini sailfin there was aggression between my purple tang and the sailfin. I moved the purple tang to different tank so the sail fin can recover. The Niger trigger continue to eat well and got along with the sailfin during its recovery from battle scars and torn up fins. Then one day the trigger went to hiding and stoped eating . From what I see he has no signs of disease, no scars, still look fat. I have him for 9 years.
Water parameters good
Salinity 1.025
Alk 8.1
Ca 460
Mg 1360
pH 8.1
Temp 78.2

 

[Jay Hemdal]

There really isn't enough to go on here (no pictures or video) to really make a conclusive diagnosis, but it may well be age-related. In older aquarium fish, they often develop Mycobacterium infections that can cause them to stop eating and eventually die. Differential diagnosis might be that it swallowed something hard that it cannot digest and that is causing it not to eat.

 

[pearlela]

There really isn't enough to go on here (no pictures or video) to really make a conclusive diagnosis, but it may well be age-related. In older aquarium fish, they often develop Mycobacterium infections that can cause them to stop eating and eventually die. Differential diagnosis might be that it swallowed something hard that it cannot digest and that is causing it not to eat.

I’m attaching short video of my trigger behind the rock in self made sand hole.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’m attaching short video of my trigger behind the rock in self made sand hole.

Sorry - the video isn't clear enough to see anything. A clear video taken under white light would help, but with the fish hiding in a hole, that may not be possible.

 

[pearlela]

I’m seeking answer to troubling behavior of my 9 + years old Niger Trigger refusing to eat and to come out from his hiding spot for over 7 days. He changes his position when I attempt to serve him nori ( use to he was the first one to grab it when offered ) or frozen combo food. When I got him he was mature fish that came with upgrading tank size. 8 months ago I upgraded to larger tank 200 gal system. He got moved with his old tank mates ( blue hippo, purple tang, pair of pericula clowns, six line wrasse and fire shrimp) . Always active eater. Exited to see me at the tank squirting water at me .

Since I added Desjardini sailfin there was aggression between my purple tang and the sailfin. I moved the purple tang to different tank so the sail fin can recover. The Niger trigger continue to eat well and got along with the sailfin during its recovery from battle scars and torn up fins. Then one day the trigger went to hiding and stoped eating . From what I see he has no signs of disease, no scars, still look fat. I have him for 9 years.
Water parameters good
Salinity 1.025
Alk 8.1
Ca 460
Mg 1360
pH 8.1
Temp 78.2

Update . This morning Nov. 2 video of my trigger lying on its side . I was ready to scoop him up but noticed his eye moved so I let him be. Was easier this time to see his mouth so I did another mixture of garlic, vitachem , selcon and Metroplex .
Second video is him today 12 hrs later back from dead. Swimming fast back and forth , spitting water at the corners of tank. Not interested in eating but being welcome by tank mates as you see in the video. Simply unreal .