Fish Survey: Clown Triggerfish

[frankiej]

Hi,

Just wanted to share my experience with triggerfish if I may...We have a clown and a huma huma(picasso), along with a blue tang, coral beauty, mandarin goby,scooter blenny, tomato clown, and a sally lightfoot crab, all together in our 125 along with over 30 different corals at present.

This spring I planned on getting a much larger tank, mainly for the simple reason of no more room lol, and id like to get many more corals I think, but not more than another fish or two maybe, we have a yellow tang as well but it is in a defferent tank at the moment.

I was thinking of a 500-600 gallon tank and wanted to ask someone with more experience with triggers how big they could eventually become, I know the blue tang could get big, but dont know about the triggers, and so far they havent bothered my corals to much at all, except for one time when the picasso was put in tank, it nibbled on one leather 2 nips, and thats it.

As long as they are kept fed well I dont forsee a problem, but if someone knows different please let me know, because I have had a couple people say when they get bigger, is when they start to show the more aggressive side??? Is this proven fact, or just a more often than not statement???

Anyhow anyone which wouldnt mind sharing thier experiences with them, I would apprecciate it very much, as these guys are one of the more looked at species in the tank when visitors come by, I definitely want to keep them, and therefore need to find out more about them, so thanks and im off to read some more lol.

Frank

 

[Limpit]

I just got mine home about 45 minutes ago and am acclimating him (or her) as I write this message. I have always wanted to get a Clown Trigger but never had a big enough tank. He is the second fish to add to my new 125. The first fish was a V-tailed Grouper. I am also planning on adding a Harlequin Tusk and possibly a large Angel and that should be it. Time will tell if they are going to get along. I am going to keep my fingers crossed!

 

[frankiej]

Sounds like a nice mix though, hopefully all goes well, id like to get a harlequin, but usually they are so much we cant afford one, anyhow thanks for sharing and I hope all goes well, keep us informed.

Thanks and good luck with your reefs.

 

[rsteagall]

58 gal.... and a clown trigger.

58 gal.... and a clown trigger.

Can a Clown Trigger thrive in a 58 gal ? Or is this too small? I'm putting my saltwater back up this week and I've always wanted a clown trigger.... I hope my 58 will suffice.

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[raddogz]

Perhaps a small fish, but as you may have read from the above posts they can grow pretty fast. They will need a bigger tank eventually.

 

[Justin L]

These fish can get up to 24" in the wild and probably a little smaller in aquariums. You could keep a little one in there for a while, but I would give it at least a 150 gal, preferably a 180 gal.

 

[camaro03]

Not to long ago i picked up a 6"-7" clown trigger has lots of personality and love to fight my mag float. He is in a 180 gallon tank with fish his size

 

[Trigger 2]

i love the clown trigger! im planning an 850 gallon system and the ct is on the stocking list. its going to be 2 150 gallon rubber made tubs, a 150 gallon quarintine/holding tank, and a 400 gallon main tank. the main tank will have a picasso trigger, a niger trigger, a blue throat trigger, a dog face puffer, 1 regal tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 emporer angel, and 1 harlequin tusk. im adding in a clown trigger and will have a purple and/or powder brown tang in the holding tank. if the ct gets to aggresive hes going into the holding tank and the tang are going in the main tank.

 

[Trigger 2]

i love the clown trigger! im planning an 850 gallon system and the ct is on the stocking list. its going to be 2 150 gallon rubber made tubs, a 150 gallon quarintine/holding tank, and a 400 gallon main tank. the main tank will have a picasso trigger, a niger trigger, a blue throat trigger, a dog face puffer, 1 regal tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 emporer angel, and 1 harlequin tusk. im adding in a clown trigger and will have a purple and/or powder brown tang in the holding tank. if the ct gets to aggresive hes going into the holding tank and the tang are going in the main tank.

 

[capt. insano]

interesting thing I have been observing in my mixed trigger tank.....my bluethroat, who is newer, smaller, and supposedly much more docile is whooping on my CT which has been in the tank for years, is about an inch larger.......strange

 

[Trigger 2]

that is weird. the ct will get him back eventually. in case the one i get is a bully hes going in the holding tank and the 2 aggresive tangs are going in the 400 gallon.

 

[pmemo]

Mine was begging food all the time...

 

[cthumphr]

Clown Trigger Survey

Clown Trigger Survey

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
My fiance got me my clown trigger from Marine Depot back in Feb 05.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I have been around clown of all sizes, I worked at a LFS in college and clowns around 3-4 inches do well. They should have a study build and not have concave sides. Real small fish aren't as easy to acclimate and real large fish should stay in the ocean.

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Yes, real small clowns have a different look than the 3" + variety. I think fully grown adults so under some subtle changes.

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
I wish I knew

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Just use common sense - go slow

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Make sure they have a nice cave or two to retreat to always, this will make them fell secure in the tank

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
I would say last, but then again, I don't think this fish is meant to be with other fishes in an aquarium setting.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
Tankmates include hermit crabs and snails to clean up after his mess. Had an emerald crab too for 6 months, but everntually the Clown got tired of him and ate him.

Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? NO
If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)? ATE A CRAB SO FAR, Hermits will be next probably
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Mysis shrimp
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? aways ate frozen
Whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the diet? Mysis, Formula One, Veggies, crab, krill
How much and how often do you feed? 2 times a day

How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Active feeder, comes right out to eat

Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? Yes, it will chew on macroalgae sometimes

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I got mine at about 3.5 inches and it has grown about 3/4 of an inch in a year I think

What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
Right now he is in 50 which is too small for him. I plan to put him in a 120 soon. They like to swim and are messy eaters so the bigger the better


If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
Haven't seen that yet

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I have had my fish about 10 months

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
When I got my fish he got a bacterial infection on his anal and caudal fin. I used Myacin II to kick it (by Mardel I think). It took a a month or two but eventually the infection went away.
I did weekly water changes which I think had a good impact too

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, goes from pale to bold in coloration depending on mood or time of day. Also triggers to get your attention.

Does this fish dig the substrate often?
Not too much.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Active during the day and especially at feeding time

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Dont know, but he will move hermit crabs around if he doesn't like where they are

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? NO

How does this fish sleep? Goes in his cave and locks himself there with his trigger

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? Don't know

How does this fish interact with human? he will interact with my fiance and i, but he is really wary of strangers and will hide if we have other people over at our house

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? NO

Any other interesting observation of this fish?

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 3
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
Any other recommendations/comments?

Clown Triggers are amazing fish. They need to be respected and in my opinion they are enough fish for a tank. I have watched Picasso Triggers and Queen Triggers in the wild meander for food over a shallow reefs and what strikes you is how much they like to move around. A fish tank with other fish in it can be a bad situation for a clown trigger. Knowing what i know I gotta get mine a bigger tank soon cause I am sure he is going to get bored of cramped quarters quickly.

 

[saj01c]

Anyone have a crosshatch trigger? I've had mine for 2 years and she is doing great. She eats everything.

 

[TAZ316]

I've had my CT for 6 months and it is doing great. He is about 12 inches long and gets along with everyone in the tank. I've had to start over in collecting my fish since hurricane Katrina nocked out my power and my tank crashed.

 

[lost1st manty:(]

Ive got only a huma and he is becoming a real terror nipping my lionsfishs fins and trying to kill my green bird wrasse also he doesnt mess with my moray grouper or puffer but has already shredded my hifan snappers hifins down to nothing good luck weith a clown as they are nastier and meaner than huimas ive heard

 

[edwardj]

Mine just came out of quarantine and gave me a scare - he was asleep almost a full day - looked dead. Now he's moving around. I have him in a 100 tall with a huma huma trigger. I'd like to add a few more - any suggestions? I was thinking of a butterfly. Any recommendations? Also, can i have ANY cleaning crew in here - or will he just munch them up? I was thinking of an eel too - or a lionfish - any suggestions? I will fill out the survey in another month when i have more to share. He is eating and swimming around now, and seems to be fine with the huma huma. Mine is about 3-4 inches long. I paid $80 for him - but i think the price was reduced because he has a nip on his nose (or that area right over the mouth - i know they don't have noses). Looks like he just bumped the glass while being moved.

 

[Galilean]

3 clown triggers each 5-6 years

3 clown triggers each 5-6 years

I’ve had 3 clown triggers each one was purchased at 1.5-2” and grew to about 6-8” in maybe 6 months. They all lived about 5-6 years.

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish?
Hand picked, I haven’t bought anything mail order. I like to watch the fish for at least half an hour before I buy it.

Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I haven’t looked very hard, but I doubt it unless you buy from a hobbyist.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS?
Standard stuff: Look for parasites. Check for cloudy eyes. This should be an active fish that eats greedily.

What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I would get a small one (2” or less) and grow it up. But that’s just personal preference.

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Patterns vary slightly, but it’s a very bold and standard pattern. I have seen some that look faded though. Juveniles have 3 thin forehead stripes instead of one wide band and they have large white spot covering the whole body instead of just the ventral half as on adults.

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? I don’t know.

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Standard. I don’t think they need much acclimation. They tolerate a wide range of salinity and temperature. I moved mine dozens of times with basically no acclimation because tanks had to go to school and back multiple times a year.

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? Feed lots of meat.

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
This depends on size and tank mates of course, but a clown trigger is a very aggressive fish so generally it should be last.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?
I’ve kept them with damsels and groupers. Damsels can be quick enough to get away if there is sufficient live rock.

Is it a reef or FO tank?
Probably FO, unless you don’t mind losing motile inverts to predation.

Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
I’ve seen juveniles kept in groups for a short period in the LFS, but like many LFS practices this will not work long term.

Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? No

What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you? Damsels added before the trigger were eventually accepted. A leopard grouper added after the trigger was also OK for a while, but the trigger had to be completly full before the grouper got anything.

Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
No, but it tried.

Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
No

Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Reef hermits were eaten. A Skunk cleaner shrimp was eaten after many months of peace because feeding was neglected while on vacation.

Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?
Flame Scallops were not eaten.

Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?

Pencil urchins and chocolate chip stars were eaten. Sea cucumbers and sea apples were not.

Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?
Bristle worms were eaten.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
I don’t remember it being a problem.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? N/A
What’s the diet? Krill and frozen cubes

How much and how often do you feed? Typically 1 or 2 shrimp and 1 cube once a day.

How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) Naturally it would be an active predator, but in the tank it just waits for food. I trained mine to do barrel-rolls and extend its trigger on command for food. Flexing my thumb and little finger with a straight hand induced the trigger motion. A pointer finger extended, rolling my wrist was the signal for the fish to spin. It learned the trigger thing almost immediately, but the rolling trick took a month of repetition.
(only one of the three fish learned to roll)

Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? No algae was eaten.

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I’ve had 3 clown triggers each one was purchased at 1.5-2” and grew to about 6-8” in maybe 6 months.

What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? The fish lived in 55 gal and a 75 gal. I thought this was too small but that was the biggest I had at the time. I think they would have grown larger and lived longer in a bigger tank.

If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? The change was complete in 6 months.

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? All three fish lived about 5-6 years and died of apparently natural causes. They are very hardy in regards to temperature. They survived 95F water (battery powered air pump running) for a whole day on several occasions due to power outages in the summer. They also can handle a wide range of salinity including permanently living in brackish water if need be for parasite treatments. I never tried keeping them in freshwater, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they could do it.

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
In my reading triggers are not particularly long lived fish even in the wild typically living 7-10 years. I’ve seen a clown trigger about 12” long in an aquarium.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Mine never had diseases, but I’ve seen them get ick and be cured by being transferred to half-salt for a few weeks.

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
It can get very light when scared or very dark when angry but the overall pattern stays the same.

Does this fish dig the substrate often?
Mine did not. But they might.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
This is a very active fish that always stays in the open cruising when it is the top fish in the tank. If there is insufficient room to swim it will still hang in the open.

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?

This fish is very aggressive, but accepted tankmates after a while if It could not catch them and beat them up.

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
Yes, but that was to only to reach food.

How does this fish sleep?
It likes to find a place to wedge itself in a crack, but will float mid-water if there is no hiding spot available.

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Skunk cleaner shrimp would clean sporadically, but it ate one also.

How does this fish interact with human?
As per above comments, it is very personable and can be trained to do simple tricks. Hand feeding is dangerous however without gloves.

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank?
No.

Any other interesting observation of this fish?
This is a beautiful, active fish with a dog-like personality. It’s an excellent FO fish.

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike


Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Yes, if you have a big tank.

Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
My tanks never cycle, because I include plants. They are good enough for corals on day one and I never do water changes. But if you use the old accept-bad-water-as-a-fact-of-life method you may not want to risk a $100 fish on a new tank.

Any other recommendations/comments?
Reef On!

 

[Trigga Fish]

The only clean up crew I kept with my CT was large hermit crabs.

Never had any problems with them. The only thing was they all had short antennae. I guess they tasted good to my trigger. But they were great at cleaning all the small pieces the trigger missed during feeding.

I've never kept two triggers together. In with the CT were:

Emperator Angel
Clown Tang
Porcupine Puffer
Clown Grouper

The fish were in my 300 FOWLR and all fish were adult sized.

 

[caddydaddy]

My Clown trigger is my favorite SW fish ATM!

It has nearly doubled it's size in the few months I have owned it.

It's cool to watch it expand it's body to eat more food.

Kinda makes it look like a toy.

AJ