Large Undulate Trigger

[Darth_Kirk]

Some may have seen, there is a large 7.5 Undy available online. I think this fish has been overly vilified on the message boards. Curious if anyone has kept an Undulate that size and how it was. I kept a small one years ago, it was the most reclusive Trigger I’ve ever kept, but it topped out at 4 inches and was in a tank with some bruisers.

My FO tank is 465 gallon, 7 inch Passer is the Alpha, I do have an almost 8 inch Indian Trigger, and the fish I’m most concerned with would be the almost 5 inch Gold Heart Trigger (needless to say an expensive fish).

Anyone kept a big Undulate?
Thanks

 

[LPS Bum]

Some may have seen, there is a large 7.5 Undy available online. I think this fish has been overly vilified on the message boards. Curious if anyone has kept an Undulate that size and how it was. I kept a small one years ago, it was the most reclusive Trigger I’ve ever kept, but it topped out at 4 inches and was in a tank with some bruisers.

My FO tank is 465 gallon, 7 inch Passer is the Alpha, I do have an almost 8 inch Indian Trigger, and the fish I’m most concerned with would be the almost 5 inch Gold Heart Trigger (needless to say an expensive fish).

Anyone kept a big Undulate?
Thanks

Haven't kept one myself, but back when I was in the aquarium maintenance industry, one of my clients had one in a 300 gallon FOWLR that I maintained. It was by far the meanest, most aggressive fish I have ever laid eyes on in an aquarium. Killed several fish and terrorized some of the others.

You certainly have the space for it, and if you're adding it last to a tank with large, aggressive fish and LOTS of rock and hiding places, it could work. Every fish has their own personality, but be forewarned. It could come back to bite you (pun intended).

Good luck.

 

[Sean Clark]

My undulate was deserving of its reputation. I would get another in a heartbeat.

 

[lion king]

My 1st 3 fish over 30 years ago was a picasso, niger and undy. In a 180 I kept the trio with a volitan lion, dogface puffer, and emporer angel. At about 4.5-5" he became relentless in his attacks, the lion had his fins always ripped and the puffer was always puffing up. I gave him to a bar that was a local hangout with a 1000g tank, he quickly became the crowd fav and lived there many years with no complaints. BUT, it is never a good idea getting any of the more aggressive triggers just from the wild that size, it's one thing growing up one then keeping him in a large tank. They are assassins, no doubt, even in your size tank it would be a great risk. In the wild they travel many miles each day and devour or thrash anything in their way, at that size he is wild through and through.

 

[Darth_Kirk]

Thanks for the responses. It’s interesting, I even found the email I sent Bob Fenner before I got the smaller Undy asking his opinion on this fish. He ranks the Undy a 7 on a scale of 1-10 for aggressiveness. He ranks the Clown a 10, I kept a Clown Trigger for 10 years without any incident whatsoever, granted I had a monster Sohal Tang in that tank that didn’t put up with any shenanigans from other fish. I think the Undulate Trigger is one of the most beautiful fish in the hobby, but I am nervous to add one that large.

 

[lion king]

Thanks for the responses. It’s interesting, I even found the email I sent Bob Fenner before I got the smaller Undy asking his opinion on this fish. He ranks the Undy a 7 on a scale of 1-10 for aggressiveness. He ranks the Clown a 10, I kept a Clown Trigger for 10 years without any incident whatsoever, granted I had a monster Sohal Tang in that tank that didn’t put up with any shenanigans from other fish. I think the Undulate Trigger is one of the most beautiful fish in the hobby, but I am nervous to add one that large.

I've grown up many baby triggers, a few clown triggers, and some were kept for 10 plus years in tanks as small as 180g as model citizens. BUT large clown triggs fresh from the ocean is another story. Even with that said I would say his comparison is reversed. The undy and blueline once mature are the most deadly. The queen is on another level, just as aggressive with alot more size. The sohal tang can be a demon also, I think the key is mad, mutually assured destruction, all of the tank mates need to have attitude. Your passer will have no problem, but the Indian and gold heart are on the milder side.

 

[Darth_Kirk]

I've grown up many baby triggers, a few clown triggers, and some were kept for 10 plus years in tanks as small as 180g as model citizens. BUT large clown triggs fresh from the ocean is another story. Even with that said I would say his comparison is reversed. The undy and blueline once mature are the most deadly. The queen is on another level, just as aggressive with alot more size. The sohal tang can be a demon also, I think the key is mad, mutually assured destruction, all of the tank mates need to have attitude. Your passer will have no problem, but the Indian and gold heart are on the milder side.

I agree, the Queen Trigger due to its size is the most non community Trigger there is. I have found in “aggressive systems” there can only be one Alpha, I had that Sohal for 12 years, he was around 13-14 inches, he was a perfect fish, he didn’t allow aggression from other fish. I had a Mac, French, Koran and Queen Angels as well as a large Clown Trigger all together for over 10 years, best tank I will ever own.
I’m mostly nervous about this Undy because he is so large already, he is a gorgeous fish though.