Picasso Trigger playing dead?

[canyoubelieveit]

While going to several local fish/pet stores I came to the realization that Picasso triggers like to turn sideways and float up to the top. I saw this in 3 different, very respectable fish stores. I decided to buy one anyways, as I love how they look. I put him into my parents 55-gallon tank and the fish does this a lot less. At the stores they are in 30 gallon breeder tanks.

Is this fish playing dead? The one that I bought is a very healthy fish, yet he still does this.

Please let me know if this is normal...maybe I should be worried.

 

[3fsh]

Hmmm... that's strange. I've had my Picasso for almost two years now and he's never done that. My Clown, however, has done that (to a small extent) because he has an issue with swallowing air with his food. Silly nut... Just an FYI, Picassos eventually need a 75 gallon aquarium. I bought my baby Kihei without knowing that, and now I'm paying for it!

 

[canyoubelieveit]

Yes, I know he will eventually need a bigger tank. My cousin has a 525 gallon tank and I will transfer him to that when the time comes. He will join a nurse shark (which I give my cousin a hard time about keeping in a tank) and a 14" lionfish. I just really wanted to buy this because I like the way that he looks.
They are really neat fish!

 

[Opcn]

Trigger fish eat lion fish dont they?

 

[Navarre]

Trigger fish eat lion fish dont they?

Yep!

Well to be more accurate, they kill em (I would not say they are mortal enemies)

Triggers... piassos, queens, clowns, undulates etc are extremly skilled at attacking lionfish. Rather than avoid the spines they attack them and bite them off!
They continue to harrass the loifish and nip at it until it dies of wounds (but more usually in a tank its stress) )

As for the lying on its side... all fish act totally different in shop tanks compared to home tanks. the reson for this is down to territory. Most fish shops keep tanks very bare and lots of fish in them. There simply isnt any territory for the fish to squabble over so it doesnt become an issue. In a home tank, fish that seemed to get along just 10 minutes ago suddenly change as they now have trerritory to fight for.
Now im not saying this is a territorial thing, Im merely trying to point out that behaviour changes from tank to tank. THe picasso could be doing the "play dead"act as a sign of stress, it could also be trying to focus on something closer to the bottom of the tank, picassos eye are high up o nthe head and it cannot see very well below it. It might turn on its side to see what might e swimming beow it.. or it could be a feeding thing.. perhaps it has to turn sideway to get at food its found near the water lone(my tang and angels do this).

Just a few thoughts on the mater. Hope this helps.

 

[3fsh]

Please don't put the picasso in with a lionfish! (Unless you are using him as a tasty snack... ) Triggers (especially picassos) can and do eat lionfish in the wild. (In captivity, though, they usually just "tease" them to death or "play" with them, much like domesticated cat does with a bird.) They are also one of the few fish that eat urchins. The reason why they can do this is because their eyes are set so far back on their head.

I also agree with Navarre on the territory point... I had forgotten, but in cramped tanks at the LFS, triggers are usually picked on by other fish (if they are babies). This causes them to clamp their little tail fins and bend their tails to one side when another fish comes near them and "float" or "play dead" on their side to show their "submission" to the other fish. (Both of my triggers did this for a while after I brought them home, but they only do it now when they are arguing.) Your picasso has probably started to realize that he is okay in this new tank and can spread his little fins out and not worry so much about getting picked on!

 

[RamJet]

I have observed this behavior with triggers in tanks by themselves. When given enough hiding places they will pull out of it. One of the triggers at our local LFS was doing this when ever someone would walk into the room. Makes it hard to sell them when they do this. I aranged the rocks in the tank to give him a more secure hiding spot and soon after this behavior stopped.