Triggerfish

JohnniG

New member
Is the niger trigger a very broad concept, because I keep seeing them in different colors?

I was thinking about getting a niger trigger, pinktail or bluejaw, since these are more social/calm and reefsafe at most times. However, can I mix them all og get them in pairs?
 
I have a pair of blue throats and a pink tail in my 180 and they all have been model citizens. Zero aggression to any other fish in the tank.
 
Niger colors vary according to mood, size,lighting, etc. They are fast growing fish and shouldn't be considered nearly as peaceful as a Bluejaw. My Niger may be my favorite fish and gets a ton of attention from visitors; he's also about the cheapest fish I own. BTW, any triggers will eat most small inverts.
 
I think Niger Triggers get more attractive with age for sure......I will say this about Trigger Compatibility, NO Triiger (that's 0, none, nada) are always compatible. Niger for me are the best example of the bigger and older they get, the nastier they get. I have kept 2 Niger's for 5 + years (different tanks), a 2 inch Niger is a very different fish from a 5+ inch Niger. My Pinktail and Niger were in a nasty fight when they first got together, both got beat up pretty good, but they have settled things out and get along fine now.

I will get some disagreement on this one, but I have now kept 4 different Huma Triggers (Rectangle and Picasso), they are easily the LEAST aggressive Triggers I've kept. Huma's I've kept are only concerned with one thing, food.
 
Awesome feedback. How about a setup of 1 niger, 1 pinktail and 1 bluejaw? Could it work?

I see no issue there....Personally I would do Male Bluejaw and Niger in first at the same time, find a small Niger which is rarely a problem. Then add the Pinktail a month or so later. Seems Pinktails are rarely available in small sizes, 3 to 5 inch seem the most readily available. As the Pink would be the largest most likely, add him last IMO.

Like Mr. Tuskfish said, these 3 may be considered "reef safe", but doesn't mean they are "crustacean and small fish" safe.....Triggers will be Triggers.
 
Thank you mate. Really want these fish. How much do they cost in the US?

A small Niger is about as inexpensive as it gets, 1.5 inch for $20 typically. Pinktail and Male Bluejaw a bit more, typically $60-80. My Pinktail is considered a "variant", it has an orange tail, it was $149.:(
 
So much depends on tank size and the individual trig...generally speaking lagoon trigs (Rhinecanthus) are mellower but I have seen some crazy ones that dont tolerate any tankmates...Pinktails do have reputations of being easy going but the one I just got rid of, a Hawaiian I had for 4 years was a total lunatic....BT are very shy, almost painfully so, especially when just added and are seldom seen, which frustrates many owners...
In terms of aggression, def avoid undys, clowns, queens...fuscus are a wildcard but typically larger ones are real pitas...what size is your tank?
 
have you thought about a sargassum trigger? IMO nicer than all the ones mention and has a good reputation with tank mates...Ive had mine for 4 years and has seen fish come n go and doesnt show aggression.
 
Yeah the sargassum is a beauty! Can anyone else confirm that it is compatible with tankmates ?

Sargassums are very outgoing once acclimate, much better in comparison to bluejaws. As many have stated, disposition changes from fish to fish, I got lucky with one that's living peacefully with its other tankmates. However, it is one of the smaller fish of my group and it's the last addition to the tank.
 
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