Adding blue throat trigger - am I incorrect in my thinking?

[ilikefish69]

After my own personal searching and researching I have decided to put it up to the R2R intelligence check. LFS says 'reef safe w/ caution' and I am seeing the same advice on forums here. The blue throat trigger is the safest trigger to add to a mixed reef, other than one with a $1800 price tag.

90g standard mixed reef, tons of rocks and caves, tons of swimming space top 1/2 of tank, currently have softies and a couple lps

2 clowns
1 kole tang full grown
1 melanarus 3"

I have placed an order for a 'baby' male blue throat trigger. I haven't paid for it yet, as LFS didn't require payment up front. The 2 they had were 4-5" at least, and I don't want another full grown fish in my tank after the kole fiasco.

Do you foresee any issues with the new inhabitant? Tank is 7-8 months old, parameters in check (0 nitrates still......) and stable.

Want to eventually add another couple wrasse, and maybe a flame angelfish once I decide to take the 'reef safe with caution' risk.

 

[JGT]

My 2 have been perfect citizens with 20 other fish of all shapes and sizes.

 

[Smoke-Town]

We have one in my girlfriend's 160g tank. He's about 4-6 inches. He never shows aggression but I see the yellow tang trying to show him whos boss and hes got a few nips taken out of his dorsal and anal fins which cpuld be the trigger but ive never seen any behavior like that yet.

He's only been there about 2 months though so take that with a grain of salt.

Oh also, of those other fish you mentioned, all of them are in this tank too.

 

[ilikefish69]

We have one in my girlfriend's 160g tank. He's about 4-6 inches. He never shows aggression but I see the yellow tang trying to show him whos boss and hes got a few nips taken out of his dorsal and anal fins which cpuld be the trigger but ive never seen any behavior like that yet.

He's only been there about 2 months though so take that with a grain of salt.

Oh also, of those other fish you mentioned, all of them are in this tank too.

I see the trigger in that picture, what a beautiful fish so jealous of your little hammer garden too. wow. you have quite the list of inhabitants!! someday.... someday

 

[cmozz]

Just ensure to have a lid because they are jumpers.

 

[ilikefish69]

Just ensure to have a lid because they are jumpers.

I have the standard aqueon glass lids, tops covered other than a tiny bit of the overflow, but that water level is 6-9” below the tank. Dude would have to swim into the overflow area then launch half a foot straight up and out. Lol! Not funny sorry

what’s the word on a 90 being too small? My next upgrade is going to be 8’ tank but not for years... or year... or maybe next month. Depends on the wife.

 

[cmozz]

I had mine in a 30L which was 3ft length and eventually in my 6ft length tank, he should be fine anywhere in-between and they like to swim around the top part of the tank. No joke on mine, even with a lid and a 6 inch gap on one side for my feeder, ended up behind my tank stand somehow. Needless to say, I was disappointed he still found a way out and he ultimately didn't make it.

 

[Jedi1199]

Biggest problem with triggers in the reef is not the other fish. Clean up crew are expensive snacks. Triggers are natural urchin predators. They will take out shrimp, crabs and snails as well.

 

[ilikefish69]

Biggest problem with triggers in the reef is not the other fish. Clean up crew are expensive snacks. Triggers are natural urchin predators. They will take out shrimp, crabs and snails as well.

I lost a significant amount of cuc moving from 75 to 90 a couple weeks back. The CUC who remain are 2 conchs, very few cerith/nerite and 2-3 hermits.

I’d rather increase my portion of the CUC responsibilities and have the trigger kole keeps algae to a minimum, conchs stir the sand, I’ll leave the rest up to me and my Turkey baster/razor blades.

never considered an urchin but I’ll keep that in mind. Already have a hard enough time keeping stupid frags in place, don’t need an urchin to move them around on to of my stress! Lol

going to LFS today to make sure my order was received and plausible. No more adding fish that are 7” long

 

[mandyvan]

Even with a lid, somehow ours jumped out the food door and landed on top of the lid.