Why aren't triggers reef safe?

[90sShooter]

I bought a tiny niger trigger the other day and love him. He is so cool and has a great personality! I did do SOME research first and figured he was ok except for he might eat some of my hermits. Do these guys eat coral? I have been so busy that I did not feed my tank for the last two (maybe three days)... This morning when I turned the light on, I THOUGHT I saw the trigger pecking at one of my chalices and as I looked at it, I saw that HALF of it was skeleton! It looked like it had possibly been stung by a neighboring chalices feeder tenticles which tend to get pretty long at night and maybe it had been coincidence that he had been down by it or maybe he was pecking at dead flesh that had been coming off or something? I am afraid he will get to one of my NICE chalices but I want to see what you guys say first. I have several chalices and not a single other one has been touched... I am thinking it had just been stung as my lights were off for the last 36 hours since my halide ballast went out... and maybe the feeder tenticles got super long or had more time to do damage, but I don't know for sure.

Any thoughts? or experience with these guys?

 

[savethereef]

Just give him to me to be safe

 

[casademurphy]

The only trigger that I have had any luck with that is reef safe is my pinktail trigger. Good luck with that one!

 

[stephj03]

As a general rule of thumb triggers with mouths facing up are less prone to eating coral while triggers that have mouths facing forward are usually a real problem. The only trigger that is said to be "reef safe" is the blue jaw. But many people have had success keeping Nigers, pink tails and even crosshatch triggers in a reef tank. Most likely triggers are like other non reefsafe fish, some will nip some won't and there is no way of telling if one will until it does.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

You said the N word!

 

[Jadams]

My uncle has a crosshatch trigger in his 300g reef and it never touches any of his corals....Maybe because it's a big tank though?!?!

 

[savethereef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14466314#post14466314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jadams
My uncle has a crosshatch trigger in his 300g reef and it never touches any of his corals....Maybe because it's a big tank though?!?!

Yeah so like i said give him to me to be safe since i have a 225g hehehe

 

[sanababit]

i have a niger trigger in my reef for about 4 months now, i have shrimps, crabs, snails, and corals, nothing has benn bothered, he also eats nori, strange for a carnivorous fish, lol

sana

 

[90sShooter]

Yeah I am going to wait it out, I just built a eggcrate cage for my overprices chalices just incase he gets hungry. I have a feeling that this particular chalice was stung and he may have been cleaning it up? I have not seen him pick at anything else... YET...

 

[vamaro]

Let us know if it eat your cleaner shrimps. My son has a blue jaw, really mellow fish. I was thinking of putting him in my DT, but I do not want him to eat the cleaner shrimps, which I heard it will do.

 

[vamaro]

I also heard that Sargasm Triggers (not sure how to spell) are ok in a reef.

My other issue with putting a trigger in my DT is that I have a stingray. I heard the triggers will eat their eyes, etc.

 

[90sShooter]

yikes :eek1:

 

[300Reef]

Niger trigger is usually safe for coral but may pick at shrimp and other Crustaceans.

 

[RufRidn]

I have a Hawaiian Black Trigger and its been great in the tank for the past year. Have 2 cleaner shrimp that clean him here and there.