clown trigger in 75 reef tank

[Hens4Fish]

So I am thinking about getting a clown trigger for my 75 reef. Only inverts I have is a orange linka, hawaiian cucumber, and some misc crabs/snails. Now I know over time it will eat the crabs/snails, but will a small fish take down a golf ball sized turbo snail? Also, will it bother my corals. Mostly LPS like plate/bubble/torch corals. I have mushrooms and zoas, but dont care if they get eaten. Also thinking about getting a frogfish. Other fish in there are six line wrasse and purple pseudochromis. Any experience would be helpful.
Thanks
Bill

 

[dviper150]

Your corals won't be touched but in time, all your shrimps, snails, crabs, and hermits will be eaten. Clown triggers actually need a larger tank to keep it long term and in a confined space, you won't be able to keep anything with it once it grows and gets more aggressive.

The frogfish will eat your smaller fish so if the clown trigger is small enough, that will get eaten by the frogfish too.

 

[snorvich]

. . . edited . . . Also thinking about getting a frogfish. Other fish in there are six line wrasse and purple pseudochromis. Any experience would be helpful.
Thanks
Bill

Bill,
You have already been provided information on the clown trigger. In the right tank, it is very interesting and amusing, but your tank is not large enough. A frog fish will try to consume any fish that it can so your six line wrasse and pseudochromis will eventually become dinner.

 

[Hens4Fish]

So I will not get the clown trigger then. Sounds like they are pretty mean once they get older. Any other suggestions for a cool fish in my 75? Always wanted a shark, but obviously my tank is too small for one. Thanks for the info.

 

[LisaD]

Dwarf angels are nice fish - coral beauty or flame angel. May not be totally reef safe, but gorgeous fish.

There are smaller filefish that are partway reef safe. To me, they look like little triggerfish. I just got a pair of mimic saddle puffer filefish. I like them a lot, they get about 4". Here is an example.

Some of the sharpnose puffers (tobies) are nice - colorful, hardy, good personalities.

If you really want a "real" trigger for your 75, get an undulated triggerfish. It does not get nearly as big as a clown trigger, but is colorful with lots of personality and trigger attitude. You will not be able to keep anything else with it, so will need to find homes or a new tank for your current fish and inverts.

 

[Hens4Fish]

I heard undulated are VERY agressive and mean. Cool looking, but if I get an agressive fish, I want the clown. As far as angels, I was thinking about getting a small emperor. Always loved them. Thanks for the reply, liked the pics. Just looking for something unique.

 

[LisaD]

Undulated triggers are aggressive with tankmates, but have plenty of personality as a sole inhabitant in a tank. An undulated trigger will be able to live all or most of its life in your tank. A clown trigger will not. Some may disagree, but I believe larger clown triggers are as likely as not to end up as aggressive as an undulated.

I think a 75 is on the small side, but for unique smaller triggers, check out Rhinecanthus (genus with picasso triggers) and Sufflamen (look similar, a lot less common). Bluezooaquatics has a good trigger selection if you want to see what I am talking about.

I have an emperor in a 210, it is not adult yet, and I will have to upgrade in a while. Don't put an emperor in a 75. That would be a bad idea. Check out the variety in dwarf angels.

With your taste in fish, you will need at least a 180 to start.

 

[Hens4Fish]

I am not looking for just triggers. Its just that I have the 75 free and wanted something really interesting in there. But if you have an emperor in a 210, why would you have to get a bigger tank for it? I have seen many people have 3 angels in a 210 and successfully keep them for years. But I was worried that it would outgrow the 75. Never been a fan of the dwarfs. Other than flame angel.

 

[LisaD]

I have three angels in a 210, emperor is 8-9", blue face is ~7 inches, blue spotted is about 5 inches. I also have two eels (2-3'), a small grouper (~8"), and a rabbitfish (~8"). The angels are not adults. I expect to have to upgrade to a larger tank, even if it was only the angels.

If you read posts by LONG-TERM keepers of emperor and blue face angels, you will see that most agree a 210 is a marginal sized tank for an adult emperor alone. They are not just big - they are thick, active and want to completely own the tank.

There are some medium sized angels that might be good in the 75. Do you like the genus Chaetodontoplus? I have a blue spotted angel that I like a lot. Maximum size is 6 inches. They can be tricky to get eating/established, but if you get a healthy one and get it acclimated, they are very tough.

 

[Hens4Fish]

Is that the blue girdled angel? I do like that one, and liveaquria said it required a 70.

 

[LisaD]

it is a blue spotted angelfish, Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus. a close relative is the black velvet angelfish, C melanosoma (pictured). either of these fish stay is small enough for a 75.

black velvet angelfish

BTW, I suggest you not go by LFS or e-tailer recommendations for tank size, they are usually off, especially with bigger fish. remember, they want to make the sale. even liveaquaria, which has generally good information, underestimates tank size with some fish.

these fish are not always available. they are somewhat seasonal, jump on them when you see them. make sure you buy from someone reputable. mine came from LA DD. I have bought two others in the past from other sources and lost both. the price should be <$100 for either one.

 

[Wolverine]

Your corals won't be touched but in time, all your shrimps, snails, crabs, and hermits will be eaten.

I agree with your second point, disagree with the first. I've seen clown triggers eat just about any coral you can name.

In the right tank, it is very interesting and amusing, but your tank is not large enough. A frog fish will try to consume any fish that it can so your six line wrasse and pseudochromis will eventually become dinner.

Agree on both points.

Undulated triggers are aggressive with tankmates, but have plenty of personality as a sole inhabitant in a tank. An undulated trigger will be able to live all or most of its life in your tank. A clown trigger will not. Some may disagree, but I believe larger clown triggers are as likely as not to end up as aggressive as an undulated.

IME/IMO, CT don't get as aggressive, but, because of their size, they get much more destructive than undulated. Just quibbling with different verbiages.

BTW, I suggest you not go by LFS or e-tailer recommendations for tank size, they are usually off, especially with bigger fish. remember, they want to make the sale. even liveaquaria, which has generally good information, underestimates tank size with some fish.

Definitely, even some of the books tend to underestimate tank size for large tanks (I've talked to Scott Michael about this in his books, and he agrees, but has chosen the sizes he says for several reasons that we've discussed in her plenty of times).

 

[LisaD]

Wolverine, what about the many anecdotes of clown triggers that were pretty passive to a certain point, then ate/destroyed all tankmates without much warning?

As I mentioned, for a 75 there are plenty of filefish that stay small enough. Some are colorful, others have attitude. They have similar intelligence and behaviors to triggers, but are less destructive and aggressive, in general.

If you want a bruiser for a 75, get an undulate. You can also consider Rhinecanthus or Sufflamen triggers.

For other triggers, you will need a considerably larger tank.

 

[Wolverine]

Wolverine, what about the many anecdotes of clown triggers that were pretty passive to a certain point, then ate/destroyed all tankmates without much warning?

I'm usually the one spouting those anecdotes, having seen it enough times. As I see the terms, the attitude of the undulated is still generally more belligerent (aggressive). Whereas the CT, still being very aggressive, but just not quite as much, is much more destructive because of the size, so is more capable of destroying a lot more. Like I said, I was just quibbling with words.

 

[LisaD]

yes, I agree with you.

for the OP, for someone with a 75 gallon tank, a clown trigger is definitely out. undulate or maybe Rhinecanthus or Sufflamen triggers could go in a 75. For any of these, despite differences in temperament, I doubt full size adults will tolerate many tankmates in a tank as small as a 75.