Sick Picasso Trigger

[larcraw23]

Hello everyone,

I purchased a small Picasso trigger fish about a month ago. When I bought him, he seemed fine. He was swimming around fine and eating. I also have a Blue Devil Damsel in the tank which has not been a problem. I noticed the trigger fish not swimming as much a day ago. He was still eating but not swimming as much. The Damsel has been fine. I tested my tank and discovered that my pH was about 7.9 and my Nitrate was at 50. The specific gravity is in the correct range. I also tested for ammonia and nitrite and found nothing. I treated my tank with a pH buffer and some nitrate eliminator. This morning, I noticed that the trigger fish would swim in random circles every now and then. There are no signs of a parasite that has infected the trigger fish. I also have some invertebrates in the tank which are doing fine. Any suggestions on what I should do next!

[leebca]

This may seem an unreasonable question, but where did the fish come from? What ocean/sea was it captured?

These fish are still difficult to catch. The race into hiding places and then jam themselves in tight. The patient collector will destroy corals and rocks to get a it, to sometimes loose it by it swimming off to another hiding place. So, they are often captured with cyanide. There are still places where this is the normal collection method.

The symptoms you've mentioned are those of poisoning. If you can't find it in the tank, then it occurred before you received the fish. Don't assume cyanide until you've done more investigation on water quality. Remember that the things we test for are only a tip of the iceberg of what can go wrong with water quality.

Check your source water. If you are sure it's pure and top quality, then perform a very large water change (over 85%) on the tank and see if the fish response favorably. Since this is a large water change, follow the guidelines given here: How to Make a Successful Water Change

In the meantime, be an investigator. Look for sources of poisons that have gotten into your system. Source water is the primary suspect, then comes cleaning agents, paint goods, bad air, equipment malfunction/rusting, and children who sometimes think the fish needs a Flintstone Vitamin.

;;

[ToddTT]

What size is the tank, and what is in it?

What are you feeding and how often? Have a look here if you haven't yet, and make sure you are feeding a quality diet:

Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

What is your PH now, and how quickly did you raise it? Fish can be sensitive to rapid PH changes.

Assuming your picasso has a chance to grow, what kind of invertebrates? They may become part of his diet one day.