Why is my Trigger digging in the sand?

crosby87

crosby87

New Member
My whole tank is cloudy because my Queen Trigger keeps dipping down to the substrate and kicking up all kinds of sand. He just started doing this today. It's a Queen Trigger that's been in the tank for about 3-4 weeks and he is about 3 inches.
Any reason why he is doing that, or just natural trigger behavior?
 
knichols0313

knichols0313

Member
I have a Humu and Niger. The Humu loves to play in the sand, and I say play because he never eats anything. My Niger (he's my fav) will go to the top of the tank and blow at the water. It's really neat because the water bubbles up and he loves it. He just started this about a week ago. It's really cool to watch them and see what they learn all by theirselves.
 
triga22

triga22

Active Member
Triggerfish quickly learn to solve simple problems. For example, it dosent take long for them to know where food comes from, and established specimens will beg at the surface when your in view. They spit water out of the aquarium; in the wild, they engage a behavior called hydraulic jetting. This is when they blow watter out of their mouth at the sand to uncover prey. In the aquarium, they learn to associate the surface of the water with food (thats where it comes from you).So instead of spitting at the bottom they spit at the top. Although interesting, this behavior can cause several problem if the top isnt covered and electrical is around.
 
95harley

95harley

Active Member
Originally Posted by Crosby87
My whole tank is cloudy because my Queen Trigger keeps dipping down to the substrate and kicking up all kinds of sand. He just started doing this today. It's a Queen Trigger that's been in the tank for about 3-4 weeks and he is about 3 inches.
Any reason why he is doing that, or just natural trigger behavior?

Might want to keep an eye out for Ich too, hopefully not, but scratching is always a sign. Since he has only been there for 3-4 weeks.
 
tankgirl1

tankgirl1

Member
My humu does this in play all the time. He digs a new "bed" everyday. I have had him for years, and he has been consistent with this. He has never been sick or anything. I think it's just their nature to dig and forage. He loves to dig and play, and often engages the Clarkii clown that has been his tankmate for eons in sand spitting and chasing matches...
My trigger will also blow bubbles out of the top of the tank when he can see me, and he "barks" when he is excited or I haven't fed him on time. I have never seen him dig when he was hungry.
Hope that helps.
 
vanos

vanos

Member
My Niger does the same exact thing at the top of the aquarium, I was wondering what the heck or why he was doing it. It can be so loud sometimes that I can hear him doing it from the adjacent room. He mainly does it in the morning and the evening.
 
knichols0313

knichols0313

Member
Mine does it to play. But I've read where they will do it when they are hungry; they have realized that the top is where food comes from.
 
triggered

triggered

Member
All three of our triggers have similar behaviors as those mentioned. Our Pinktail is the rock mover (BIG rocks) and the water spitter (he'd win a distance contest, I bet), the Ungulated is the digger, she likes to move the bottom so she has glass only. What better way to see herself and fight herself? The Picasso just picks up little pieces of sub and spits it back out. It is pretty fun to watch him pick all the little rocks that have gotten in his sleeping spot (in a verticle position in a hole in a rock). He sleeps on his nose.
They are without a doubt one of the most interesting and amusing fish to watch. Always good for a laugh.
 
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