smallreef January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 I think each fish has its own personality...in my last tank (150g) I had 4 triggers;bluejaw, niger, picasso, and clown. None ever went crazy, in fact my niger was like a puppy...I had all of these triggers for over 3 years....would eat my snails and shrimps but that was it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 I think a large emerald is capable of taking a chunk out of a sleeping fish but I doubt it would be able to do harm to both the mouth and top fin without the fish waking up and getting away. I think it is more likely the fish either darted into the rocks or into a powerhead and damaged himself or the trigger decided to eat the crab and the crab defended himself. For peace of mind you can just remove the crab and find it a new home. I think the trigger will heal just fine if left alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 is it possible that you have a hitch hiker in your LR? a mantis or something? I had one for what felt like forever before I could get him out....he did plenty of damage to my fish until I could.....just a thought...mine was in there for a very long time before I walked by the tank in the middle of the night and saw it eating...I had no idea it was in there no clicking or anything... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 (edited) I just took a look at all the pictures you had posted of your fish. There has been some issues with its dorsal fin since the picture you took January 17th. The dorsal fin appears frayed in earlier pictures. Could the trigger have been fighting off fin rot? Edited January 27, 2013 by Jans Natural Reef Foods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 (edited) I had a emerald move a rock the size of a football.....they are the strongest darn things i have ever seen. It might have moved a rock on to it when it was sleeping and it spazed out. The big clawed mean ones are super nasty. They can pop the H-E-double hockey sticks out of bubble algae. My experience with triggers is pretty much what the book is on them they do best in a predator type setup put them in a reef at your peril. Edited January 27, 2013 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 27, 2013 Author Share January 27, 2013 Also...do you have moonlights? If not he could have run into a powerhead? ( I have had them do that before and get ragged fins)... No moonlights, but a good idea to add some ambient lighting in the room (basement). I'll buy your crab for $10 to ease the pain and avoid its demise. Your fish will heal. I see emeralds get blamed for a lot of things in this hubby but rarely is their any actual proof but rather a boat load of assumption. Not too recently on another forum, someone was losing cleaner shrimp and killed their emeralds as a result. Cleaners still went missing and they eventually found their yellow tang with antenna sticking out of its mouth. I know they eat corals including some sps (I seen it with my eyes). I should have never add it. Mike: you are not a quitter. I, too, think that it got the bad end of a Tunze and will get better with tincture of time. I disagree with Basser: I think that your your blue throat will do fine in a mixed reef. Thanks Steve, but the Tunze have covers. I can't see how his mouth would have hit the prop? I doubt the crab did it. I have seen interactions between triggers and emeralds and never has a trigger lost. I am also thinking it got caught in the pump or perhaps chewed the wrong thing. I could see chewing a rock maybe? I gave up on any trigger in any type of reef they get a certain size and they go crazy. I had a CLOWN after 1 years pk up my hermits and crash them into the rocks then start to pk up rocks and hit the glass......Thing went crazy. I tried a NIGER he was find then it went crazy to no matter how much i feed it it attacked everything in my tank including most of my fish. It was killing everything for fun. I heard bluethroats were the safest being a different type of trigger. Planctovor (sp). is it possible that you have a hitch hiker in your LR? a mantis or something? I had one for what felt like forever before I could get him out....he did plenty of damage to my fish until I could.....just a thought...mine was in there for a very long time before I walked by the tank in the middle of the night and saw it eating...I had no idea it was in there no clicking or anything... NO, started with 100% dryrock. I just took a look at all the pictures you had posted of your fish. There has been some issues with its dorsal fin since the picture you took January 17th. The dorsal fin appears frayed in earlier pictures. Could the trigger have been fighting off fin rot? The fins were slightly ragged, but to go from a couple very small areas to 50% gone in 12 hours... seems odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 Possible flukes? They can eat find really quickly and the fish will smash rocks to get them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 (edited) There are a few diseases that can take over overnight. Velvet is one example. I'm not saying your fish has velvet. If your fish has ragged fins and has been fighting off some infection/parasite it wont take much for the disease to take over if the fish gets stressed. Didn 't you just change your lights? Some are more high strung than others. Tangs for instance. You mentioned ich spots too. How to treat is the issue now. If you take it out and place it in a QT will you stress it more? Do you have a UV sterilizer on your system? That can help to reduce pathogens. I know you're very upset. I'm really sorry. I've been there. It's very frustrating. Keep posting. With all the knowledge on this site you are sure to come up with a definitive plan of action. Edited January 27, 2013 by Jans Natural Reef Foods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 27, 2013 Author Share January 27, 2013 Possible flukes? They can eat find really quickly and the fish will smash rocks to get them off. No flukes. I treated with prazipro over a week ago. Def not flukes. Good thought though. Thank you. There are a few diseases that can take over overnight. Velvet is one example. I'm not saying your fish has velvet. If your fish has ragged fins and has been fighting off some infection/parasite it wont take much for the disease to take over if the fish gets stressed. Didn 't you just change your lights? Some are more high strung than others. Tangs for instance. You mentioned ich spots too. How to treat is the issue now. If you take it out and place it in a QT will you stress it more? Do you have a UV sterilizer on your system? That can help to reduce pathogens. I know you're very upset. I'm really sorry. I've been there. It's very frustrating. Keep posting. With all the knowledge on this site you are sure to come up with a definitive plan of action. New lights, no uv. I'm just gonna get the crab out, and keep feeding the fish a lot of food. He is all alone, so there shouldn't be any stress in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 27, 2013 Share January 27, 2013 That was supposed to say "fins" but I guess you caught that. Anyway, if you decide you want to evict the emerald let me know and I will take him off your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 27, 2013 Author Share January 27, 2013 That was supposed to say "fins" but I guess you caught that. Anyway, if you decide you want to evict the emerald let me know and I will take him off your hands. I'm still trying to catch him... I'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve175 January 28, 2013 Share January 28, 2013 I gave up on any trigger in any type of reef they get a certain size and they go crazy. I had a CLOWN after 1 years pk up my hermits and crash them into the rocks then start to pk up rocks and hit the glass......Thing went crazy. I tried a NIGER he was find then it went crazy to no matter how much i feed it it attacked everything in my tank including most of my fish. It was killing everything for fun. I agree with avoiding Clown and Niger triggers as known to be non-reef-safe. Many of us have had luck, over the years, with Blue throats, pink tails, and cross hatches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 28, 2013 Author Share January 28, 2013 I figured the trigger would be the aggresor with the crab, and not the other way around. So much for thinking I know anything. The crab has been mia, but I will find him tonight if I have to move every rock in the tank. I am going to give the tank 3 months to run without any changes/additions and decide what I feel like doing. If worst comes to worst I will just put a single Undy in the tank and call it a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette January 28, 2013 Share January 28, 2013 You sure the trigger didnt eat the crab at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 28, 2013 Author Share January 28, 2013 You sure the trigger didnt eat the crab at this point? Positive. There are snails, tiny hermits, and a cleaner shrimp that would be easier targets, and he doesn't touch them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 28, 2013 Share January 28, 2013 It could've definitely been the emerald. I had a big one that ate several fish in my tank. He'd catch them at night time when they were resting. I would remove any and all emeralds. (From your tank or anyone elses here on WAMAS - unless you want to risk your fish getting eaten by them). Hate those little son of a guns. Hope your awesome blue throat heals up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 January 29, 2013 Share January 29, 2013 A small red emerald is sometimes the only thing that can rip out a patch of hair algae or eat bubble algea. The green ones are not as good cleaners to me but work but once they get big they are bad news. Putting a big one into a tank with very little algae is asking for fish losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 29, 2013 Author Share January 29, 2013 Yup, I am an idiot... Crab has been caught though so that's good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve175 January 30, 2013 Share January 30, 2013 Update on the trigger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 30, 2013 Author Share January 30, 2013 He is actively swimming/eating. What's the expected time frame for fins and a top lip to grow back? The crab has been relocated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette January 30, 2013 Share January 30, 2013 Im going to guess a few weeks. My foxface had his tail being bit pretty good for a little bit and it took him about 3 weeks to grow it back once the biting stopped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence January 30, 2013 Share January 30, 2013 Saw him last night, very stress free environment. He should be healed up within a few weeks. The emerald which we have aptly named Ivan the terrible is now happily picking away at our live rock and being target-fed meaty foods daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve175 January 31, 2013 Share January 31, 2013 I too would expect a 3-4 week time frame for him to heal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 February 8, 2013 Author Share February 8, 2013 He has already made a substantial improvement in just a week and a half. I didn't treat with the melafix, but instead have been feeding JANS FOOD. The bottom fin is almost 100% healed up, and the top is no longer ragged. It's a smooth gap that seems to be filling back in. The mouth has shown marked improvement as well. My guess is 3-4 more weeks for 100% healed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds February 8, 2013 Share February 8, 2013 Awesome. Throw in a few baby emeralds so he can have some payback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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