Stomatopod/Triggerfish compatibility

[caynus]

Has anyone had any experience keeping a mantis shrimp in a tank with a triggerfish of the same size?

The mantis shrimp would probably be a spearer, and the triggerfish a clown (B. conspicillum) or picasso (R. aculeatus)

I know that triggers like inverts, and are also prone to moving rockwork around. Which may be a trouble with the shrimps burrow, but I think i may be able to overcome that problem by using PVC piping for the burrow as opposed to LR.

Just wondering if anyone had any comments or previous experience.
Cheers,
Cayne from Oz

 

[mattyice]

well if its a spearer it better be large and be able to fend itself off, or if you got with a smasher like a peacock i have heard that peacocks have killed triggers, i know mine is incredibly smart and doesnt do anything without thinking it out also very investigative creatures! and if the spearer is large and the trigger is a smaller size it could prey on the trigger

 

[Dave Legacy]

They are both very compatible meals. The best solution for keeping both of these species would be to house them in seperate tanks.

 

[DanInSD]

I agree with Dave. The odds are that one of the two will kill and eat the other. If they're the same size, my odds are hands down on the mantis eating the trigger.

 

[caynus]

thanks

thanks

Thanks for replying everyone. Thats what i had assumed I just wanted some more experienced advice. Thanks again.
-Caynus

 

[wickedfood]

So is it true that smashers (like a wennerae) are generally okay with fish? I've yet to remove my mantis which hitchhiked on TBS rock, and he appears not to bother with my royal gramma, which I've had for 2 weeks now. I don't wanna press my luck (or his!) though. Any opinions on this?

 

[caynus]

Smashers are generally fish-tolerant because of the nature of their lifestyle and their preferred food choice (crustaceans/molluscs/other small arthropods. Royal grammas can be quite agressive little fish too and are often territorial too, and that may well increase its chance of survival. That said, i have seen and heard of smashers taking fish. It really depends of the size of both animals and the size and nature of the tank.

 

[mattyice]

a small smasher should be fine, a large smasher like a peacock will kill a fish without a second thought, i had two damsels put in monte's tank within an hour one was dead and the other only lasted a couple days, and the only reason that happend was because he was busy with a couple snails