Reef safe??

[kajhurley]

I have always wanted trigger fish and puffers in my reef tank, but they are listed as not reef safe. I also have seen pics with reef tanks with puffers and triggers. Can I put them in my reef tank or not,. Very confused...

 

[SoloChromis]

I have always wanted trigger fish and puffers in my reef tank, but they are listed as not reef safe. I also have seen pics with reef tanks with puffers and triggers. Can I put them in my reef tank or not,. Very confused...

Xanthichthys triggers (blue jaw, sargassum, crosshatch etc.) are by far the safest triggers available. Most people don't have issues with them, and the only thing at risk (and very low risk at that) would be mobile inverts, like shrimp, crabs, snails etc. Nigers and pink tails are also kept semi frequently in reefs, but they're normally more aggressive than triggers hailing from the Xanthichthys genus, and also present a much higher risk towards mobile inverts. I have yet to meet someone who's had issues keeping triggers and coral together successfully, it's really just small fish and mobile inverts that end up as casualties. There isn't a puffer that I could recommend for a full blown community reef (containing shrimp, crabs, clams, snails etc.) as being less of a risk than others. Although you will hear stories of people who have porcupine puffers that let their cleaner shrimp ride around on their backs, but this certainly isn't the norm unfortunately :facepalm:

 

[Sapelo]

We have a Niger in our 300 gallon without issue. When he was in our 90 gallon he was a nightmare. Not only did he rearrange rock work (and any coral he could manage to move), he also terrorized snails and crabs.
Some of it is going to depend on the individual fish and some of it is going to depend on what else is going on in your tank.

 

[kajhurley]

Just got a small niger trigger. He was in a persons tank at the LFS. He assured me it was compatible in a reef setting. He had no problems with it. I will be keeping my fingers crossed

 

[AUFishGuy]

I have a Valentini puffer in a mixed reef. He will take down the occasional hermit crab but no other issues. Never had any shrimp so not sure what he would do

 

[mattcoug]

Just got a small niger trigger. He was in a persons tank at the LFS. He assured me it was compatible in a reef setting. He had no problems with it. I will be keeping my fingers crossed

Just be careful over time, the older and bigger they get, the more willing they are to eat their friends.

 

[BeanMachine]

I had a niger trigger for about a year. It didn't really bother anything, but it was relatively small when I got it. It was a glutten and grew fast so I rehomed it after a while.

 

[scooter31707]

Pinktail, Hawaiian Black Trigger, and Bluethroat are considered reef-safe with caution. They don't mess with corals, it's mostly arranging the rockwork and maybe eating crabs, snails, and shrimp. I say you will be ok with the Bluethroat. Any shrimp should be added before the Trigger and there may be a greater survival rate.