Niger Triggers & other "peacful" triggers

[TankFabricator]

Can anyone share their experiences with these fish in reef tanks or their behavior in community community tanks

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Most people that keep them rarely have a problem. Niger, Blue Throat, Cross Hatch, and Pink Tail Triggers are the most common reef tolerant triggers around. It's pretty uncommon to hear horror stories about these guys.

 

[TankFabricator]

I'm also curious as to how well they do around smaller fish like gobys, dottybacks, clowns, etc...

 

[TankFabricator]

I know there's plenty of literature that says they're safe, but I was wondering if anybody has any first-hand accounts of these interesting fish co-existing peacefully among inverts and smaller fish.

 

[Triggerfish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7826291#post7826291 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TankFabricator
I'm also curious as to how well they do around smaller fish like gobys, dottybacks, clowns, etc...

very good inquiry you have there and responses will certainly vary.

but...let me tell ya about my bluethroat.. ate 8 chromis, bit tails off both my firefish and bit the entire @ss of my large bangaii.
the firefish hid for weeks even after i got the killer out of there and the bangaii didnt make it.

all triggers are capable of eating smaller fish..some perhaps are worse than others.. too bad, this bluethroat settled right in quickly and was very healthy. ended up selling it.

oh ya..almost forgot..bit half the head off my yellow sleeper..

 

[dirtyreefer]

I wouldn't consider Nigers peaceful either, although they have tonnes of personality. I had one that bit a yellowtailed damsel's tail off

 

[brad23]

My bluethroats are doing fine in my reef. Don't show any intrest in anything in the tank.

 

[cubuffs]

My niger is a perfect reef fish. He doesn't pick at corals, fish, shrimp, snails, crabs, or starfish. Great personality, and so far, so good

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7826309#post7826309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TankFabricator
I know there's plenty of literature that says they're safe, but I was wondering if anybody has any first-hand accounts of these interesting fish co-existing peacefully among inverts and smaller fish.

Many people here keep triggers in their reefs.

IME, nigers are the least predictable of the ones on your list. Many of us have kept them for years peacefully co-existing with everything. Others have had them be terrors as soon as they hit the water.

The Xanthichthys triggers (crosshatch, sargassum, bluejaw) are better bets. If you get one that's on the more aggressive end, there's a chance it will kill some of the other fish. It's not common, but it does happen on occasion.

Dave

 

[TankFabricator]

It's funny how every fish has a personality... I have a yellow watchman goby that's bold and enjoys attacking a velvet damsel which he shares his tank with. I'm thinking of maybe getting a pink-tail trigger, they are quite nice. I'm not much into "open water" fish, however I love how trigger fish swim. Thanks for the replys... lets see if we can keep em coming.

 

[TankFabricator]

It's funny how every fish has a personality... I have a yellow watchman goby that's bold and enjoys attacking a velvet damsel which he shares his tank with. I'm thinking of maybe getting a pink-tail trigger, they are quite nice. I'm not much into "open water" fish, however I love how trigger fish swim. Thanks for the replys... lets see if we can keep em coming.

 

[Psyire]

I tried a Niger to start with, and it didn't work out. He bit a pectoral fin clean off a flasher wrasse. (which swam funny for awhile and then died a few days later) This niger was only 2".

I sold him and went with a bluethroat, which I've had no problems with regarding any invert,coral, or fish in my tank. I've had him for about 3 months now, and he's close to 5"

 

[cham]

Another good experience with blue throats. He is almost 6" long and doesnt touch the tiny green chromis. Here they are in action along with many inverts and a croeca clam. He is very peaceful and will almost eat from my hand (altough Im not sure I like that).

 

[triggerfish1976]

I had a pair of Crosshatch triggers for over a year and I would say they are generally reef safe but you will have a hard time keeping any kind of shrimp in the tank. I had 6 cleaner shrimp when I first introduced mine and they were all gone within a month.
I was able to keep a midas blenny, red sea mimic blenny, anthias,chromis, and some clown gobies in the tank with them w/o any problems. They only sign of agression was when I first introduced new fish to the tank. The triggers would nip at the new fishes fins and cause some extensive damage due to their sharp teeth. I added a small acylic cube with holes in it to the tank and would put any new fish in it for a few hours when I accimilated so the triggers could not pester it. This worked great and never had any problems with them after that.
I ended up losing the female when she jumped out of the tank and then recently got rid of the male when upgraded tanks.
One other thing to keep in mind is they eat a lot of food. I fed mine a mixture of frozen food and nori 2 times a day and they probably would consume over 3/4 of the food I fed the tank so I would have to constantly overfeed to allow the other fish a meal.

 

[Wolverine]

Edited to fix the picture link.

 

[dirtyreefer]

Man what a beautiful pair of crosshatches you got there. Awesome colors.

 

[triggerfish1976]

Thanks.
They were a great pair of fish, I just wanted to seriously reduce my waste load so I decided to get rid of the male.

 

[twon8]

My niger bit the fin off a potters leopard wrasse and my anthias were showing up with nipped fins. I netted the bastard and he's gone now.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

WOW- that female crosshatch is as big as the male! I agree with trigger1976. HUGE consumers (and producers of you know what). I think this of all triggers.

 

[cham]

How much and how often are you guys feeding your triggers? I think mine is starting to nip at corals.