Reef safe triggers???

[MikeandDee]

Has anybody ever had any success with a trigger in their reef tank? Do they pick and eat at your coral/Frags? Like some of the color variations in the trigger but don't want to destroy any coral either. Any pics, comments and or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Jseimo]

best bet for a reef “safe” trigger would be a blue jaw/throat. Generally the most peaceful. Mine doesn’t bother anyone and even enjoys a good cleaning by my cleaner shrimp.

 

[flyline]

Following

 

[Seanislav]

I've heard in addition to Blue Jaws, that others have successfully kept Niger and Crosshatch Triggers in reef systems. The results sometime vary, but they generally seem to do well...the largest issue is the cost of acquiring Crosshatches, if what Live Aquaria charges is any indication.

 

[artieg1]

Based on much reading, and first-hand experience with a Niger, I believe it is just a matter of time. Once they get big enough, they will start eating inverts. I removed my 5-inch Niger a year ago and it is a whole different tank. Less stress on the other fish (they are scared s&%^*less to be cooped up with a predator). There was less shoaling from chromis and dartfish, but then again they were shoaling because they were terrified. All in all, a much happier tank without the trigger. Mind you, the trigger never ate any fish. But prey fish know perfectly well what a trigger looks like, so I am not sure it matters whether or not it is an aggressive one. My chromis and dart fish don't read Reef2Reef forums, after all...

 

[flyline]

Just out of curiosity with triggers what do you have to worry about them eating the corals or the invertebrates? I always thought it was them eating invertebrates.

 

[MikeandDee]

Based on much reading, and first-hand experience with a Niger, I believe it is just a matter of time. Once they get big enough, they will start eating inverts. I removed my 5-inch Niger a year ago and it is a whole different tank. Less stress on the other fish (they are scared s&%^*less to be cooped up with a predator). There was less shoaling from chromis and dartfish, but then again they were shoaling because they were terrified. All in all, a much happier tank without the trigger. Mind you, the trigger never ate any fish. But prey fish know perfectly well what a trigger looks like, so I am not sure it matters whether or not it is an aggressive one. My chromis and dart fish don't read Reef2Reef forums, after all...

Thought chromis schooled...think they would at least read this form while schooling

 

[jda]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/hcs3/index.php

Other types of larger triggers will chew up rocks and corals just to do it. They do not eat the coral, just chew it to rubble sometimes. Niger is not a X trigger and they act like it when they get larger.

 

[nereefpat]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/hcs3/index.php

Other types of larger triggers will chew up rocks and corals just to do it. They do not eat the coral, just chew it to rubble sometimes. Niger is not a X trigger and they act like it when they get larger.

There it is.

Xanthicthys genus is what you want.

 

[Dragon52]

My Blue Throat doesn't bother anybody or thing in my tank.

 

[Cam_official]

+1 on the blue throat. Mine has never touched my shrimps, fish, or clams

 

[Jesterrace]

Blue Throat or Red Tail are the ones that folks have the most long term success with.

 

[Gary67]

looking to buy a trigger fish and i guess i will . just scared away thinking i could wake up in the mornings and find he was munching on my sps corals i see they say yes for for the most part ok some say the might and i read an article about trigger fish they saythere safe aand then they show a ? next to the article so i just don't know what to do its spooky for me

 

[REEFER-RICK]

If fed fine maybe but they are know to munch out on corals .zoas and others depends what kind of trigger fish you plain on

 

[Jseimo]

looking to buy a trigger fish and i guess i will . just scared away thinking i could wake up in the mornings and find he was munching on my sps corals i see they say yes for for the most part ok some say the might and i read an article about trigger fish they saythere safe aand then they show a ? next to the article so i just don't know what to do its spooky for me

I’ve had a blue throat trigger in my mixed reef for about 2 years. Only issue is he’s a bull in a china shop and will frag your sps for you, never eaten any corals

 

[Gary67]

well i guess i know i have to be very careful with 1 if i buy it at all so many ideas and thoughts on the trigger thank you for your thoughts

 

[Gary67]

If fed fine maybe but they are know to munch out on corals .zoas and others depends what kind of trigger fish you plain on

i have know idea what kind i want just a small one if there is a thing and worried they would eat corals

 

[Gary67]

Thought chromis schooled...think they would at least read this form while schooling

thanks a million i kind of read a few things about the triggers i put the money to good use buy coral or what fish i will buy thank you

 

[JMacedo]

During the past 30 years I tried a couple of triggers. IMHO the Picasso triggerfish is the best one to keep in a reef tank. One of the issues is the constant moving of sand from one side of the aquarium to the other. I found out they do that to bury whatever is covering the sand, so a large patch of the sand should not have corals or a picasso triggerfish will try to bury them.
I suggest to buy the smallest one you can find as they take several years to grow big. The one I have now has been with me for the past four years never touched coral or tank mates but I don't have inverts other than clams. If he becomes aggressive towards fish or clams I will have it traded by a much younger one but so far the only sign of aggression is towards my hands in the tank. This is the second Picasso Triggerfish, the first one died during a tank crash. Previously I tried Blue throat and Clown triggerfish and they quickly started to show aggression towards other fish.
You can see my 4 year old triggerfish in the video in my signature.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Good discussion!