picasso trigger tankmates

[slathrum]

I just purchased my first saltwater fish ever, a humu picasso. It looks great and is about 4 inches and ate quite well from the moment it entered the tank. So much for the few zebra crabs I had in there!

I've read posts that conflict quite a bit as to how aggressive these guys are, and I'm just wondering if people have successfully kept one picasso with different types of fish. For example, dwarf angels, larger angels, tangs, etc. These are some of the fish I'm interested in at the moment.

I think my plan will be to drop in a blue tang and yellow tang in together in a few weeks(together to avoid aggression between the two). After the biofilter stabilizes I'd then add maybe a flame angel, and later on I'd like to put a pair of maroon with gold stipe clowns in if I can find a pair that are at least a good 3-4".

Has anyone attempted something similar or is this just not a very good semi-aggressive match at all?

 

[stevebydac]

Well, my advice would have been to put these other fish in FIRST, then add the trigger. An established trigger is usually more aggressive than a newcomer. Of the fish you mention, the flame angel is especially vulnerable to a teed-off trigger. If you can put the trigger in another tank for a few weeks while you put these others in first, I would do so. It will greatly improve your chances.

On the scale of aggressiveness of commonly kept triggers (my experience), the queen and undulate are the worst, clowns are next, then come picassos and nigers, and then come bluethroats. That said, individual picassos have different temperments, much like people. Many are quite tolerable of other fish, while some get very aggressive as they hit the 6-9" range. You roll the dice when you buy a trigger. You don't have the "worst" species, so you have a shot.

I am planning a 180g with a picasso, grammistes sexlineatus soapfish, jewel moray (2 other generally moderately aggressive fish), and (maybe, if they can survive) a couple of predatory starfish and/or extra large hermit crabs. But even though I have kept these fish before, you never know when you get new individuals -- you roll the dice.

Good luck -- and another tip -- DON'T feed the trigger live food. In my experience, doing so heightened the aggressiveness of predators I have kept. Feed dead/frozen food only.

 

[Petstorejunkie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6556803#post6556803 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevebydac
Well, my advice would have been to put these other fish in FIRST, then add the trigger. An established trigger is usually more aggressive than a newcomer.
You roll the dice when you buy a trigger.

Good luck -- and another tip -- DON'T feed the trigger live food. In my experience, doing so heightened the aggressiveness of predators I have kept. Feed dead/frozen food only.

WORD

 

[slathrum]

Well, I decided to go slightly more aggressive with this tank. I just added a small porcupine puffer and 3 small striped damsels. The picasso and puffer happily swim together and when I first put the damsels in the trigger chased them around a bit but quickly lost interest. Hopefully he stays a passive-aggressive trigger there! I plan to introduce a yellow tang and a pair of maroon clowns in the future and that'll make for a pretty nice tank I think. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

[00nothing]

How big is this tank

 

[Mildewy]

I had a Picasso with a Domino, 2 blue devils, Hardwicke wrasse, and 2 false percs. The domino and blue damsels were the first in, Pablo was next followed by the clowns, then the wrasse. The domino was the only problem (of course), and when he got wound up I swear the Picasso would break up the fights. I also had 2 cleaner shrimp in there for a year, and actually have video of the trigger getting a cleaning...then one day they were gone. Picassos are like the girl you want to marry, personality, looks and intelligence.

 

[stevebydac]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6664322#post6664322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mildewy
Picassos are like the girl you want to marry, personality, looks and intelligence.

Well, except that usually your girlfriend doesn't kill her roommates.

 

[Mildewy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6665227#post6665227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stevebydac
Well, except that usually your girlfriend doesn't kill her roommates.

Unless she found out you hooked up with one of them....

 

[LRS078]

Picasso's are like the girl you THINK you want to marry....has good looks, has personality, etc. Everything is great for years. Then one day she empties the bank account, trashes the house, kills the dog, and runs off. She's still a trigger....

Oh yeah, if she doesn't do the above she still gets big and becomes the dreaded "high maintenance"....j/k

PS I would agree with steve's trigger aggression scale. An angel at least as big that is hearty (queen for instance) could handle itself around the trigger. If you want to do tangs I recommend odd numbers 1 or 3. One isn't bad, two fight with each other, three keep the others balanced with kind of a "rock/paper/scissors" effect, and more than 3 requires large living space.