Can I trust My Favorite Fish, A Clown Trigger In A Reef Tank ?

[ClownBubbaJoe]

I've been in & out of the hobby since 1996 and raised a Clown Trigger from a baby to 12". He started out in out 75g reef then at around 8" we bought a 200g tank just for him. .....(kidding) and grew to 12" before dying to glaucoma. We still miss him. He's aka, "Clown Bubba Joe".

We are starting a 125g mixed reef and we're wondering if we can buy another baby and house him in the reef, or is he going to eat corals ?

 

[griss]

I've been in & out of the hobby since 1996 and raised a Clown Trigger from a baby to 12". He started out in out 75g reef then at around 8" we bought a 200g tank just for him. .....(kidding) and grew to 12" before dying to glaucoma. We still miss him. He's aka, "Clown Bubba Joe".

We are starting a 125g mixed reef and we're wondering if we can buy another baby and house him in the reef, or is he going to eat corals ?

They may eat coral, particularly stony corals, will definitely eat inverts like crabs and shrimp and may rearrange rocks. They may (depending on the individual fish) be aggressive to other fish.

 

[ClownBubbaJoe]

They may eat coral, particularly stony corals, will definitely eat inverts like crabs and shrimp and may rearrange rocks. They may (depending on the individual fish) be aggressive to other fish.

I watch a video of Mike Palette's tank that has 2 Niger Triggers and he said one might,...nip a SPS, but not much at all.

 

[ViolentA79]

I wouldn't. There are very few triggers I would trust in a reef tank.

 

[ClownBubbaJoe]

Yeah, it's just that the Clown is out favorite fish. Damn......
If I had the health and money, I might have the 125g in-wall tank as a fish tank and maybe a 40g to75g or so, as my coral and small fish reef tank, but my wife doesn't think with my 2 strokes that I can keep them up. I won't let anything suffer because of my class A personality, good & bad.

 

[griss]

Oh my, so sorry to hear about your health issues.

 

[SantaMonica]

Could always add one small coral at a time and see what does not get eaten. Or could segment off a coral section on the side, or maybe an enclosed frag tray up top.

 

[ClownBubbaJoe]

I can see where he might break off SPS's, and I'll be adding them after the tank has matured. Sill hoping.....

 

[ClownBubbaJoe]

Oh my, so sorry to hear about your health issues.

I'll need quite a bit if help with semi-heavy things. I rely on my right side of my body, as my left side is numb and my hand is weak. I must use my walker because my brain is making me lean to the left. I fall all the time, especially when I go for a walk using my rollanator walker as it's wider, 4 wheels, brakes and a seat that folds down. I still fall on my walks, sometimes real hard, but I won't stop exercising !

I walk a 1-1/2 block now !

 

[game misconduct]

50/50 chance i would say the picasso and couple other triggersi had were nearly as destructive as my dog face puffer in the fowlr i kept always pecking at air line hoses or anything else they could bite at. granted their teeth never quit growing so that couldve been why they always pecked at stuff buut one big picasso in a fowlr tank that size ids pretty cool to though

 

[ClownBubbaJoe]

lol, sounds like you had some bad boys. lol

 

[game misconduct]

lol, sounds like you had some bad boys. lol

Theyre fun to keep along with puffers and morays.they are impressive display pets thoughif my wife allowed it i would've put a massive few hundred gallon tank in the kitchen or living room kept all 3 again

 

[lebowski]

I would stay away. When in doubt take a look at multiple resources on this particular fish (and I mean to look extensively into this fish's natural habitat especially eating patterns). This is obvious logic when it comes to any new "participant" in your Reef Community. There may have been many users, and there may be presently, that have success with putting aggressive fish into Reef tanks, even if this fish is otherwise still naturally in an environment with corals. The logic here is the type of fish and size, which will either remain towards the rock and coral "substrate" (closely" as opposed to being more off in the distance from the "safe haven" otherwise of the reef structure. So think like this fish, just put yourself in his/her position with some imagination and use your noggin. As always, all others are watching (in the fish environment imagination) and whosoever now.