trigger in a reef?

[Ocicat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8307800#post8307800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fishfanatic#1
triggers on a reef is a bad idea. they will eat your corals.

I've not heard of triggers eating corals... They may eat snails, crabs, shrimps, etc, and even other fish, but not usually corals. I think they're like a t-rex - if it doesn't move, they won't notice it.

They can disturb the rockwork, and I have read of a pinktail that would pick up a coral frag and swim around with it in his mouth, like a dog with a bone, but he didn't eat it.

Sargassum, blue throat, and crosshatch seem to be the safest (but still no guarantees). The pinktail is more risky w/shrimps, snails, crabs, but also an option if you want to take the chance. I have heard the same of the niger.

My fairly young pinktail (5") picks up snails and drops them, but he loses interest when they close up. I introduced a cleaner shrimp - just one in case he made a snack of it - and he immediately started begging it for a bath.

 

[loup]

my blue throat hasn't touch a thing except for the food i put in. He's a pig and eats everything in site even nori. Never touch any of my coral and begs my cleaner shrimps for a quick clean-up. I have a few small fish even a purple firefish and no problem at all. He's the least aggressive and always follow me begging for food.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8312212#post8312212 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ocicat
They can disturb the rockwork, and I have read of a pinktail that would pick up a coral frag and swim around with it in his mouth, like a dog with a bone, but he didn't eat it.

My Maroon clown does that, as well....

 

[Ocicat]

Sounds hilarious to me, but then I am more into the fish than the corals...!

 

[jpslickorocks]

My bluethroat pair are model citizens. The secret is keeping them well fed. If they are hungry they will look for food.

 

[yeame]

my pink tail plays with snail shells his fav is a 3" queen conch shell he will play for hours

 

[bureau13]

I had a very small Niger in my reef and he was fine, until something got him. However, I've since read all sorts of "Danger Will Robinson" warnings over on wetwebmedia about triggers in general and Nigers in particular, so I'm afraid to buy another. I'm not so worried about corals, but I'd like to keep a cleanup crew. The warnings are all about when they get bigger, but earlier in this thread someone mentioned having one that was 6-7" so maybe it is still possible. Very cool fish.

jds

 

[ReefTank1]

my indian triggerfish, never touched a coral or any invertebrate
he is a food hog though, you can see by how fat he is

 

[uclajay]

clown trigger

clown trigger

so no one recommends a clown trigger in a soft coral/lps tank???

 

[TrojanScott]

Clown triggers are one of the more aggressive, if not THE most aggresive of the trigger fish....so I would not recommend it.

 

[Therhusky]

I think you should still consider getting a trigger for your reef. As I said, I've had my niger for a few years and he is about 6-7". Maybe I just got lucky but mine is being kept with a 1" yellowtail damsel with no issues right now. He also doesn't bother my cleanup crew which consists of astaea, small conches, serpent stars, hermits, and large turbos. Doesn't touch my corals either. (softies, shrooms, lps)

 

[bradleyj]

I just added this pretty little lady a week ago. No problems yet...(knock on water)

 

[vdubfiend]

..

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very nice trigger

 

[mrbncal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8316773#post8316773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bradleyj
I just added this pretty little lady a week ago. No problems yet...(knock on water)

Show off I would love to have a crosshatch.

I have had two types of triggers in my reef (at different times)one was a sargasm and the other a niger. both were model residents. however the sargasm just kind of faded away. it ate from day one but became thinner by the day and finally looked emaciated after about 3 months. it had a great appetite up until the day it died eating silversides, pellets, anything. i suspect cyanide poisoning during collection. the niger was great, he had a taste for bristleworms! Kind of funny to see him swim around with bristles poking out from around his mouth. looked like a beard. the niger was small 2" and grew to 6" before i traded him to a friend, the other was about 4 " when I got him.

Clown triggers are pretty fiesty but I dont think they will eat your corals. . . MOVE them around while looking for food but he wont eat the corals. if the clown was the only inhabitant i'd say try it.
I agree with the earlier post about the bluejaw pair....a full trigger is a peaceful trigger. most of the time

 

[bureau13]

The thing I've always read about clown triggers is they can seem fine when younger, but some day, you will find he's the only fish left in the tank. No personal experience, but it seems they have a tendency to "go postal". They also can get VERY large.

Hey Therhusky, has your Niger developed the red teeth yet? I've never actually seen one that has, but supposedly when they're adults they will.

jds

 

[Ocicat]

ReefTank1, where did you get your Indian trigger? I thought he was a black durgeon at first. Beautiful fish!

 

[Rossini]

not all triggers are coral eaters. Some are planktivores. Niger's certainly dont eat coral.

 

[Joao Monteiro]

The problem is the concept of "reef safe".

If that means not attacking / eating corals - yes, for the triggers already mentioned

If that means not attacking/ eating the small animals usually present in a reef tank - no (admitting very few exceptions)