Predator Reef?

[msn711]

I'm wondering if it would be possible to put together a predator/agressive reef. I know inverts would be out of the question, but for example, picasso triggers are always labeled as not reef safe. But do they actually eat corals? And if they do, are there certain corasl they would avoid? I keep seeing the phrase "noxious soft corals," which seems to include mushrooms. But what else?

Can you have more than one trigger in a tank, specifically a niger and picasso?

Has anyone done something similar? I'm thinking along the lines of a trigger, eel, and tang in a tank with corals but no inverts.

Just sort of a vague idea at the moment, but I figured someone here might be able to help me out.

 

[AquaKnight]

I am working on my predator reef at the moment. The key to keeping corals with large fish will be filtration and circulation. Put the biggest skimmer you can cram in there and run all the other types of filtering you can. I'm running AquaC XP+ phosban reactor, UV, refugium, and nitrate reactor(not yet, when I add some more fish). Also, you'll need strong flow to get all the debritus out of there and filtered, at least 40x turnover rate. The catch with that, is it might limit some of your stocking options. With 60x turnover in my 125gal, there's no way I'd put a lion in there (not to mention the halides would probably make him blind).

As far as picasso's, they fall into the 'not reef safe' for a reason group, they will most likely munch on corals when they feel like it. Any of the fish with beek mouths are usually a no no, puffers, parrotfish, etc. There are some triggers that are nearly reef safe, bluejaws, nigers, pinktails and crosshatchs. Almost all will left corals alone, they might move and bother small frags, but not eat them. Tangs really aren't 'predators' IMO, (though mine will have a yellow, transient from my other tank).

 

[LisaD]

My "predator reef" includes Hawaiian leaf fish, wasp fish, a green wolf eel, devilfish (inimicus), and (for now, until it gets a bit bigger) an angler. The reef part is mostly softies - cabbage leathers, polyps, mushrooms - plus a few hardy LPS - fox coral, Turbinaria. I also have some Porites. Water flow is moderate-low, light is moderate (PCs).

To address your question, an eel and a tang will work out in a crab- and snail-free tank, but I would say no to a trigger, unless you try a blue throat or close relative. Niger or picasso are not good bets.

 

[tb27272]

My tank has a large Volitan, a Powder Blue Tang, a yellow tank, a lunar wrasse, a porcupine puffer, a niger trigger, a huma huma trigger, a spotted grouper, a spotted hawk, a maroon clown, and a blue damsel. And no aggression. The BPT was just added, the yellow bullied him for the first night and since then no more issues, the BPT is a little smaller, gives the yellow the right of way. The lion is getting real big, he will probably go to someone with a larger tank than my own. No body is too big at this time and I know that the tank will have to be upgraded as they do.

 

[clekchau]

i guess i'm doing a predator reef too, i have a marine betta, h tusk, sunset wrasse, porcupine puffer, princess parrotfish in mine, they don't even bother my coral banded shrimp.

 

[m3nac3]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10847554#post10847554 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AquaKnight407
I am working on my predator reef at the moment. The key to keeping corals with large fish will be filtration and circulation. Put the biggest skimmer you can cram in there and run all the other types of filtering you can. I'm running AquaC XP+ phosban reactor, UV, refugium, and nitrate reactor(not yet, when I add some more fish). Also, you'll need strong flow to get all the debritus out of there and filtered, at least 40x turnover rate. The catch with that, is it might limit some of your stocking options. With 60x turnover in my 125gal, there's no way I'd put a lion in there (not to mention the halides would probably make him blind).

As far as picasso's, they fall into the 'not reef safe' for a reason group, they will most likely munch on corals when they feel like it. Any of the fish with beek mouths are usually a no no, puffers, parrotfish, etc. There are some triggers that are nearly reef safe, bluejaws, nigers, pinktails and crosshatchs. Almost all will left corals alone, they might move and bother small frags, but not eat them. Tangs really aren't 'predators' IMO, (though mine will have a yellow, transient from my other tank).

How ever a good friend of mine has a preditor tank/ reef. has a 6 inch lion with 3 large tunzes. and 4 400 watt lighting ( i know its insane) and the lion does great in the high flow.

 

[danorth]

send a pm to reefer334, he's got one going now.

 

[AquaKnight]

Know which type of lion?

 

[mattsilvester]

Just a comment I suppose really - 6 months ago I started out an 8x2x2 tank, intended to be an sps reef with big fish.......at the moment I am considering removing the corals and reverting to FOWLR.

A comment that was offered to me by a very experience peron was that "big reef tanks with big fish are for those whom are deep of pocket and have alot of spare time" ....... a very true statement that I thought I understood, but did not.

There should be penty of softies that a picasso trigger won't touch.... leathers, mushrooms, star polyps etc. Triggers being triggers, they might take chunks out of corals if they get it in their head that food lies beneath..... or they may do it out of boredom..... its just a chace you have to take really.....

Matt

 

[latazyo]

thanks Matt,

so far my picasso has left all of my corals alone....he is in a tank with only SPS and a frogspawn (no clams or softies)

he's pretty well fed so hopefully he avoids the corals, but I'll be sure to post if I see any evidence of him biting anything