Triggerfish

[CanadianReefer]

Like others have stated, Nigers will definitely eat shrimp and snails. A Blue Throat will attempt to eat them if they're accessible, but not as relentless like the Niger will.

A Blue Throat is your best option for a reef safe Trigger. I've had multiple Triggers living in one tank without an issue (Clown Trigger, Niger Trigger, Picasso/Huma Huma Trigger).

I have a shrimp living with a Blue Throat right now. You MUST give the shrimp an area that he can go to that the fish can't, like a rock with a small gap against the back wall that the shrimp can fit behind, but not the fish.
My shrimps antenna get nipped shorter every so often, but he's been alive for 8 months with the Trigger and a small Puffer with that setup.

Thanks everyone I inquired today at my LFS if he can get me a female blue throat. Perhaps I'll start a predator tank at some point and I'll get the niger and a few other fish I've had my eye on at that point. Now it's all about convincing the hubby that I need another tank lol

 

[Forsaken77]

Thanks everyone I inquired today at my LFS if he can get me a female blue throat. Perhaps I'll start a predator tank at some point and I'll get the niger and a few other fish I've had my eye on at that point. Now it's all about convincing the hubby that I need another tank lol

The predators are definitely the best fish imo. They have the most personality and are very unique looking. The only thing is most of them get way too big.

 

[Mfreddy]

I’ve had a large Niger and large clown together for 22 months in my 240. It’s a fowlr

 

[CanadianReefer]

I'd have to agree - predator fish definitely have personalities. IF I can convince my hubby that I should get another big tank, I'd love to have a variety of triggerfish, a dwarf lionfish, a harlequin tusk, a red coris wrasse, a dwarf golden moray eel, a longhorn cowfish, a miniatus grouper, a goldflake or scribbled angelfish, a dogface or spiny box puffer, a dragon wrasse... ah man... the list just goes on. I would be in heaven!! lol

It's a matter of convincing him that it won't require a lot more power/water/maintenance etc., so really, it's about hooking all my tanks up on the same system. I'm in the process of doing this for my current tanks - at least the ones on the basement level - so you never know?? We are expanding my fish room, building a better RODI and saltwater mixing station, automating water changes etc., so if it won't be a lot more work to maintain, he might let me have one. The equipment I have in my sump currently could likely handle the extra load of a big tank, since I have a tenancy to always buy things much bigger than they need to be (I know myself and I constantly upgrade my systems, so it makes sense to think ahead and buy bigger equipment!). I might have to upgrade the size of my sump, however, since I'm currently using an 80g frag tank and I'd need to make sure that I had a tank that would be big enough to handle the overflow etc. during a power outage.

Ah dangit! Now you guys have me dreaming about a new tank! HAHAHA

 

[Scott.h]

Feiw it's easier to ask forgiveness then permission!

 

[CanadianReefer]

Feiw it's easier to ask forgiveness then permission!

Very true lol

 

[Mfreddy]

The Niger will be fine have had them in all my reef tanks as well as clown triggers

Nice tank!

 

[Darryl]

Thank You!

 

[CanadianReefer]

The female blue jaw has been purchased so Bruce "The Hulk" Banner now has a girlfriend - Betty Ross. Yes, I'm not just a fish nerd lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Blue jaw and Niger only ones I'd trust. The remainder of grouping are either aggressive towards tankmates in time OR will move or gnaw on coral from as little as boredom

 

[Mfreddy]

What are the smaller fish that you have?
I’ve seen some success in tanks around that size.. I would wait until your blue jaw got a couple inches bigger, then find a niger around 3” (If you are still interested in doing a niger). 3” is about the smallest size I’ve seen commonly abailable.
As some have suggested earlier, you could look into getting a 2nd blue jaw for a pair.. I’ve seen some beautiful tanks with those being the main show fish.

In KC LFS it seems like most of the nigers are tiny, about an inch. Cute little guys but I like orange teeth and streamers

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I have a pair of Blue Jaw Triggers and they are model citizens. SPS / LPS reef with shrimp, snails, crabs etc.

Good-looking triggers! Do you have a build thread? I'd follow it

 

[duromega]

My niger was a pain
Killed a bunch of fish

 

[CanadianReefer]

So I had some sort of an odd issue with my male blue jaw and was worried that I'd end up having only the female... but alas he pulled through (no one on the forum was able to positively identify the issue - it was the strangest thing I had ever seen) and I have now added the female to the DT to join him. They look very sharp together, I must say!

Wouldn't You know it... shortly after having purchased the female, didn't I FINALLY find a gorgeous crosshatch pair (and a hybrid blue jaw/crosshatch, for that matter). Too bad - I had already bought these guys so they are staying and I had to pass up the crosshatch.

They seem to have gravitated towards one another so he must be happy to have a girlfriend Now!!

 

[jda]

Must read for anybody considering reef-safe triggers:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-05/hcs3/index.php

 

[RtomKinMad]

I'd have to agree - predator fish definitely have personalities. IF I can convince my hubby that I should get another big tank, I'd love to have a variety of triggerfish, a dwarf lionfish, a harlequin tusk, a red coris wrasse, a dwarf golden moray eel, a longhorn cowfish, a miniatus grouper, a goldflake or scribbled angelfish, a dogface or spiny box puffer, a dragon wrasse... ah man... the list just goes on. I would be in heaven!! lol

It's a matter of convincing him that it won't require a lot more power/water/maintenance etc., so really, it's about hooking all my tanks up on the same system. I'm in the process of doing this for my current tanks - at least the ones on the basement level - so you never know?? We are expanding my fish room, building a better RODI and saltwater mixing station, automating water changes etc., so if it won't be a lot more work to maintain, he might let me have one. The equipment I have in my sump currently could likely handle the extra load of a big tank, since I have a tenancy to always buy things much bigger than they need to be (I know myself and I constantly upgrade my systems, so it makes sense to think ahead and buy bigger equipment!). I might have to upgrade the size of my sump, however, since I'm currently using an 80g frag tank and I'd need to make sure that I had a tank that would be big enough to handle the overflow etc. during a power outage.

Ah dangit! Now you guys have me dreaming about a new tank! HAHAHA

Hi! Love your wish list! Sounds like ours. We have a 300 reef with 9 tangs. But we couldn’t resist the predators either, so got a 180 and adopted old returned large fish.
Have 10+ yr old porcupine puffer, 10+ yo Koran angel, 10+yo Sohal tang ( who is model citizen btw) then loved the red tail trigger, niger (doubled in size in 3 months! But beautiful) and Picasso trigger, harlequin tusk, Fox face, scopas tang, juvenile emperor angel, adult majestic angel, grouper, and lastly a jeweled eel! Everyone gets along except at feeding time the Koral kind of chases away the other angels but they get their share. Feed most of them Krill by hand even the eel. Our Puffer will jump up head out of water for shrimp! Definitely you should get another tank, it’s so much fun to have both. Good luck.

 

[Joshua Kerstetter]

I've had 2. My first died during a green algae bloom, I believe he started simply because he wasn't getting to the food in time and was such a active fish he died off before I could fix my biological issue. My second I've had in my new 220 for about a month now. He's peaceful, never messed with my invertebrates and all day swims back and forth along the rear of the tank like a champ. I'm really pleased with him, I know he can get big, but I'm sure I'll enjoy him for years.

 

[airvicconcre]

2 quick questions... what are your experiences with a niger triggerfish in a reef environment (snails, shrimp, smaller fish etc) and has anyone had good/bad experiences with a niger trigger and blue jaw trigger in the same tank?

a beginner in this hobby with a 150g dt. 2 vlamingii juveniles and a hippo tang. was planning on adding a pink tail trigger as i love to watch them. did you add any of those in your system, if yes how did they fare?

 

[vetteguy53081]

a beginner in this hobby with a 150g dt. 2 vlamingii juveniles and a hippo tang. was planning on adding a pink tail trigger as i love to watch them. did you add any of those in your system, if yes how did they fare?

I find them to be peaceful as long as not too large compared to your current occupants. They feed well and few gwet disease

 

[airvicconcre]

@vetteguy53081 i live in india and the available livestock is at the minimal. the guy i get my fish from said pink tail triggers are reefsafe. is thaat true or should i try to get Niger (easily available) or the blue jaw? i dont have any invertebrates in the tank.