Trigger agression part 2

[HABS#1]

So we have had our trigger for a little over 2 weeks now and he has managed to desimate some of my corals chew some nice spots of my LR and eat my peppermiont shrimp and 2 starfish among a few snails and about 2 dozen blue leg crabs. So the moral of my story is this experiment has cost just over 110 dollars in livestock not including the 25 bucks for the trigger but alas it was a cool learnig experiment.

 

[Death Shrimp99]

What species of Triggerfish was it? How big was it?

 

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12913557#post12913557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Death Shrimp99
What species of Triggerfish was it? How big was it?

It is a rectangular and he is still pretty small but he eats everything and anything he can get his lips around. It has also been biting at the PJ cardinal and the chromis.

 

[Recty]

I dont know if I'd call it an experiment, because you could have asked anyone who kept triggers and they would have told you that would be the behavior

 

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12915663#post12915663 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Recty
I dont know if I'd call it an experiment, because you could have asked anyone who kept triggers and they would have told you that would be the behavior

Oh I knew of their behaviour I just wanted to see if I got one small enough or young enough if it would take to being in the tank with others as the last fish added it didn't work oh well no big deal he is going back on Saturday for a copperband. I tried to adapt it to my system it didn't work out and I only lost a few corals and some crabs and snails and a couple starfish and one shrimp so no big deal honestly.

 

[Recty]

Yeah, I guess if you dont get attached to your critters it isnt a big deal, I dont like seeing my stuff get eaten.

 

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12916598#post12916598 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Recty
Yeah, I guess if you dont get attached to your critters it isnt a big deal, I dont like seeing my stuff get eaten.

I have no attachment what so ever to me they are just fish so it isn't a big deal if they get eaten or die or what have you. They are pets play things if you will. So experiments like this are kinda interesting to me.

 

[billsreef]

Experiments like that are totally pointless when the knowledge already exists All you had to do is pick up a good book like Scott Michael's Pocket Guide to Aquarium Fish to learn what the outcome would be.

 

[StayPuft]

I'm not really sure you can get ALL the information out of books. For example, I have a Niger Trigger that has been in 2 different tanks, is now almost 5" long and has never touched a hermit crab or invert. Plus, he was in a reef tank for 2 months and never bothered a single coral. He's definitely mean to other fish but shows no interest in inverts and I even have cleaner shrimp in the same tank. So books can give you general knowledge but each individual fish is different.

 

[billsreef]

As a rule Niger's are fairly easy going and your results are a reasonable expectation. In regards the OP's trigger, his results are also easily expected and very typical for the species. In both cases, something a little research in books or right here would show.

 

[StayPuft]

All the books I've read list Nigers as NOT reef safe. They list other triggers like the crosshatch and blue throat as species that might do ok in a reef tank. Anyway, I don't mean to be argumentative. Just saying that knowledge from books is great but nothing beats first hand experience. I believe fish within the same species can have different personalities.

 

[Mike5252]

Yeah, I guess if you dont get attached to your critters it isnt a big deal, I dont like seeing my stuff get eaten.

I once found a suprise green Brittle Star in my 210gal FOWLR tank - at about the same time my clown trigger did!

I couldn't stand to see him eaten, so to this day there is a 10 gal refugium attached to the back of the 210gal with some rock and my "saved" star fish. He's gotten quite big.

I would think a little research could have saved this mishap.

 

[Wolverine]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12919030#post12919030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by StayPuft
All the books I've read list Nigers as NOT reef safe. They list other triggers like the crosshatch and blue throat as species that might do ok in a reef tank. Anyway, I don't mean to be argumentative. Just saying that knowledge from books is great but nothing beats first hand experience. I believe fish within the same species can have different personalities.

There's also plenty of knowledge on the internet. Nigers are maybe, definitely hit-or-miss; for that reason, most books hesitate to label them as reef-safe. That's a very different thing than rectangulated triggers, which are reliably not reef-safe.
Yes, firsthand experience is great, but most of us don't have the time or money to make all the mistakes out there, so it's nice to take advantage of the mistakes others have made.

 

[HABS#1]

Like I said I am not to worried and this was a test to see what would happen that is it nothing more nothing less.

 

[saltyESQ]

I have had several triggers for years and here is my little tid bit.

It seems they are the most aggressive when really young (need more food to survive) and old(get a little crazy and snap). My 5" humu is pretty mellow.

 

[HABS#1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12927528#post12927528 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by saltyESQ
I have had several triggers for years and here is my little tid bit.

It seems they are the most aggressive when really young (need more food to survive) and old(get a little crazy and snap). My 5" humu is pretty mellow.

Ya the one we had was still very young and very very agressive towards all teh other fish it was kinda fun to watch him herd them all into one corner of the tank LOL. He has been subsequently returned to the LFS we got him from along with the foxface we had in the tank. It has been replaced with a copperband butterfly.