Triggers in a reef

[eatbreakfast]

Is the 280 I have on order large enough? I want to minimize fighting and maximize enjoyment for me and the fish i keep.

That should be big enough.

 

[ShadowR55]

I have a blue throat in a 140g mixed reef and he doesn’t bother anything including snails, shrimp etc. I also have a harlequin tusk and he has eaten every shrimp I put in other than a blood red fire shrimp.

 

[Gator0930]

Are there really any triggers that are reef safe? It is said that crosshatch, niger, and bluethroat are reef safe. I have seen things that are contrary to this. Is this because they eat your snails or is because they eat coral? I am willing to buy new snails here and there if it means having the fish i want. I am looking to stock 2x comb tooth blenny, maybe pearly jawfish, wrasse that max out from 5-6", a tang, bicolor goatfish, and anthias. How big of a tank would you need to house 1-3 nigers, a parr of blue throats, and maybe a pair of crosshatch. IF AND ONLY IF they are actually reef safe!

I would say a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch in a minimum of 240g. Do just a pair of blue jaws and you could get away with a 125g. I find the crosshatch over rated and over priced anyway. No matter what you hear a niger will never be reef safe. Possibly a juvi short term but that's it; my niger would kill any blue throat and destroy your reef just for something to do.

Blue throat triggers are reef safe, I have never seen anyone have trouble with them, I have one and he is great with the coral and inverts. Little shy but a very cool fish to keep.

That is pretty good to read as I really like the look of a male Blue Throat...is it recommended to have a pair?? Would def. get juvies and let grow into tank and tank mates....lightly stocked 255g so there is room.

The thing about getting a pair is that some don't show their true colors until over 4" likely closer to 4.5". So many times you can end up with 2 males, and when they mature, you'll have a bunch of trouble. It is very advised not to count on the 100% identification as female until over 4" closer to 4.5". I don't think it is necessary to have a pair, It's just fun to watch them pal around.

What if I just want one? Ok to keep 1 blue throat alone?

I currently have a bluethroat and Sargassum trigger in a heavily populated reef, corals of every variety, couple clams, hermits, snails, cleaner and fire shrimp and a couple clams, they don’t touch a thing. They are 100% reef safe.

I disagree with this. I have a niger I got 3 years ago that was the size of a quarter, now is 5-6 inches from nose to tip of tail in my 90G reef, and he's never killed anything that i've ever seen. even a 1" female golden rhomboid fairy wrasse. Now one thing I have to mention, I have an equal sized blue tang that bosses him around, and I think that keeps the niger in check very well. I also kep my niger VERY well fed.

I’ve got male and female blue throats who are constantly trying to spawn every few months, and they are completely Reef safe and I have a full blown reef and they don’t touch anything, apart from taking a crab tank surfing if they don’t like it’s location!

My system is around 180g all in.

It's absolutely ridiculous and unethical to have a niger in a 90g, so anything else believe at your own risk.

So as far as the Blue Jaw...what fish are they not compatible with? I have a couple Tangs, a Bellus Angel, Blotchy Anthias, Bengai Cardinal, Yellowtail Damsel and a 2 Ocellaris Clowns....Any of those an issue?

What's ridiculous is you ridiculing me on my fish choice, who makes you the decider on what's ethical and what's not? Nothing. I was trying to contribute to the thread and have a discussion, no lambast people unlike you. Also, you're not the authority on niger triggers becuse you have one.

I mean... to be fair that is a pretty small tank

Your niger trigger is still only half grown. And often with triggers their attitude and behavior continue to change as they grow.

Also, 90g is pretty confined for a niger trigger.

To the op, blue jaw triggers are probably one of the safest triggers, but are still a risk with motile inverts.

Willl having a male blue throat and a male crosshatch be an issue? i want to keep pairs, but sometimes 2 males is an issue especially with female present. is this the case with triggers? Should they all be added at once or at similar sizes to diffuse aggression? Thanx everyone for your inputs. I am looking at a 240G (72" x 27D x 29T) debating going up to 280 (72 x 30 x 30)

That's a good question, while I have seen a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch kept in tanks at least the size you are talking successfully; they are both from the Xanthichthys genus. I think what may make it work, 1st off tank size, and the fact a pair of each; if there were 2 males and only one female or maybe even no female, it may be different. I've seen a 50/50 result when people mixed a sargassum with a male blue throat, as I'm not sure if the sargassum can be definitively sexed, so if you end up with 2 males there could be trouble. If your tank can handle it, adding them all at once would be ideal. Although I've never really seen either become territorially aggressive; both species seem to find their own space without much aggression.

Most times you'll get a bonded pair of crosshatch, but sometimes you'll get unbonded blue throats. I've found it advantageous to keep the pair in qt together until you see them bond. Most times it works, sometimes they will have an indifference to each other. 2 fully bonded pairs will add to the chances of success of keeping them together.

More and more I'm seeing post signing onto the opinion that's ok to keep triggers in 90, 75, or even 40 breeders. This is very delicate and disturbing subject for me, because it just doesn't work. A grow out maybe, for a very short time. You'll find people post success with their 2" trigger and perpetuate more bad choices from other reefers. This will end very badly in like 99.99% of instances, maybe one out of thousands doesn't end badly. It's not that I'm an authority, it doesn't take much to witness this, it's a nasty thing to see a trigger turn.

Does anyone have experience with keeping a Bennett's Sharpnose Puffer, a Blue Spotted puffer, and/or a snowflake eel in a reef tank?

I have a Blue Jaw in my 120 reef and never an issue. He spend most of the time hiding but comes out at feeding time.

I liked the post - it made me giggle. Then I felt bad for liking it when you said it would destroy your reef just for something to do I don't like that obviously but found it funny

I’d say there are lots of opinions on the matter, means that no answer is absolute. vividaquariums and Blue Zoo don’t agree with you. 80 gallons minimize size per vividaquariums, and 75 per Blue Zoo.
https://vividaquariums.com/collections/triggerfish/products/niger-triggerfish
https://www.bluezooaquatics.com/productDetail.asp?did=1&pid=898&cid=288

A large Niger is between 3.5 to 7 inches. There’s plenty of 90 gallon tanks with fish that range between 3.5 to 7 inches.

Liveaquaria says 180 gallons. But that seems overly big. Anyway, i’d say the harsh words in your post were a little strong. And clearly not agreed upon across the industry.

I will add however, blue throats are a better choice long term, especially for a tank that size. I have one in a 110, and it’s her job to protect all the inhabitants from the aquarium keeper (me). She never bothers anything in the tank and I have many different kinds of fish and many kinds of corals, leathers, gorgonians, clams, LPS, and SPS. She only attacks me.

I only have hard shelled CUC, no shrimps, so not sure on that.

A large Niger trigger is 3.5-7"?

They grow to a foot, not counting streamers. Fishbase says max size of 50cm, which is more like a foot and a half.

I have a pair of spawning blue throats in my 150 reef. They dont kill any coral.
They will irritate coral if they are spawning. While the fish are spawning if you have coral or clams on the sand bed they will pick them up and move them. They are about 5 or six inches in length. I have hermits, snails, cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp, harlequin shrimp(added after triggerfish). I also have a video somewhere that shows the triggers getting cleaned by the cleaner shrimp.

Here is a video of mine spawning in my tank.

with that said I am getting rid of them because I value my coral a nd the monthly spawning is causing them to bury everything. I wish I were able to start another tank.

niger triggers are good as well
BUT
I have clown trigger, niger,
humma and undulated in mine

How many snails do you buy a week lol

Yes, according to numerous sites, including the two links I already supplied, the sizes that they sell them by. That’s all I'm saying. They are providing information as to recommended tank size and fish sizes, public information that everyone looks at. You ever seen one a foot in the acquarium world?

All I’m saying is, it’s completely wrong to chastise someone, when there are multiple sources of information that says a 90 gallon tank is sufficient. We can surely state our opinion that 90 is too small, that they typically like to swim around (although mine was lazy) and have space, that they can grow large, that after a few years they will need a new home and there aren’t many aquarists looking to take in a large niger, that a blue throat might be a better long term option (as I stated), basically be a positive contributor/coach to the learnings and growth of our members. Berating them is not necessary. This should be a safe place for all skill levels to ask questions, learn, and become better acquarists without fear or judgement.

I have a goldenback trigger in my SPS reef with no problems.

I have a blue spotted puffer and I tried her in my reef tank. When she was done taking perfect circular bites out of everyone’s fins, she started eating corals. She dined a bit, before she went back into a tank that only has GSP’s. She can eat those to her hearts content, but never does... She is best friends with a Valentini puffer, which isn’t supposed to happen, so the “every tank is different” theory is alive and well. Neither of my puffers get to visit my reef tank - not safe!

I have a blue throat. He was extremely shy at first, but I defrost their food in a red solo cup. Needless to say, he had figured out that the red cup is his bringer of food and has become much more sociable. They are also a pretty intelligent species as well.

So what about mixing a male of one and a female of the other? I am gathering that it easier to keep singular then mated pairs

I keep a mated pair of bluethroats in my reef rank - very active, social fish. No issues with them and the other fish or inverts. 125 Gallon tank.

Yep. I currently have one blue throat male. Eventually I will add a female.

Really depends on tank size there, I bought a pair of blue throats that did the mating dance. But after time, the male would just chase the female. I think the aggression was too small of a tank, even though they both had their own sleeping caves, and plenty of food. Basically all I’m saying is that they are great by themselves if you just want to get one, and or mated pair if all proper conditions exist and they don’t get territorial against one another. Sadly, I did catch the male and take him to my great LFS who was able to find him a new home. He now gets chased by a 2 inch clown trigger. He’s easily 4.5 inches, probably more, so I don’t worry about him too much. . If you are considering two, I would get of the same species, that way they either come mated, or do so later. Having a male of one kind and a female of another (Which is what I think you are asking) doesn’t make sense to me, since you might not get the excitement of a mated pair.

Not to mention keeping a blue tang in a 90 Gallon tank...

In the spawning video I posted, the pair you see is not a mated pair. I purchased the male from LA DD and the female from the LFS. They do not swim together at all. The female is usually found swimming in circles on the left side of the tanks glass.
The male is very curious and is usually roaming the tank picking up shells and making sure no one enters his cave.

I think that trying make a pair will not always work. In the pair that I have I got the male at about 3- 4 inches And the female at 4 inches. They pay each other absolutely no attention. They slept separately, and aggression was present if the female went anywhere near his cave.

They only get together in close proximity when they are ready for mating activities. I know this by looking at the male , his face lightens in color and they both travel the sand bed together blowing/stirrings the sand bed with their mouth and tails.

After re reading @SteadyC post I may have misunderstood your question.

It seems you were thinking of adding a male of 1 species with a female of another. I don't have that experience, but I would guess it could be done depending on tank size and ensuring there is ample swimming space and hiding spaces as they grow. As my pair grew I've had to re aquascape to help them out. I always try to help when I noticed their skin scratched up as they like to sleep in close fitting caves with their triggers extended at night.
Like any thing else, YMMV when it come to the behaviors of a particular specimen. I hope this helps.

Good luck

I have seen niger triggers at a foot or larger.

So what we are seeing is that there are some sources that are more reliable than others. Nigers reach over a foot in length, a foot and a half with the streamers on their tail. LA is correct, the others are not. Keeping a fish that gets that big in a 90g is unethical.


If a fish is not reaching its full size or not growing at the same rate that it should be, than something is stunting its growth. And that is almost always caused by poor husbandry. And I have seen full grown specimens in captivity.

Their are opinions that are based on fact and there are opinions that are based on hopes. @lion king and myself have extensive experience with triggers. Our experiences and recommendations are also backed up by facts( documented sizes of species). Life has value and if someone is going to blatantly disregard what is basic care for a living creature, then a blunt and direct comment is an obligation. You will also notice that in a later post @lion king said that a smaller tank may suffice temporarily for a grow out tank.

In a larger tank it will work. A male and female of 2 different species may behave as a pr if they are of the same genus and are the only 2 members of the genus in the tank.

Is the 280 I have on order large enough? I want to minimize fighting and maximize enjoyment for me and the fish i keep.

People have varied success with different triggers. I have kept an adult clown trigger 6-8" in my reef for over a year. He is relatively reef safe. For the most part does not bother corals, but will bite my monti every once in a while. I believe this is due to him trying to wear down his teeth. Besides that he leaves everything else alone. I feel a part of my success is how much I feed and size of my tank. I feed VERY heavily and he is in a 6'x2'x2' tank. He does eat snails and crabs that he can catch, but some still make it through. Space for triggers is critical. My personal opinion, most of the trigger that have been discussed on here should be kept in a 6' tank at a minimum. When I added my harlequin tusk I divided up my tank into a 4' and 2' sections. The tusk went into the 2' section. That decrease in 2' over a few weeks definitely caused an increase in aggression for my clown trigger. In the perfect world I would say 8' is what he would be the most successful in. Also keep in mind that all these fish have different personalities. I may have been successful with a very aggressive trigger, but that doesn't mean every member of the species will be as 'laid back' as he is. Also recently on the club forum someone listed a purple tang for sale because it ate his acans. That is an abnormal behavior for tangs, and most people would say they are lps safe. Being lucky is as important as being skilled when it comes to picking fish.

That should be big enough.

I have a blue throat in a 140g mixed reef and he doesn’t bother anything including snails, shrimp etc. I also have a harlequin tusk and he has eaten every shrimp I put in other than a blood red fire shrimp.

Ok. With everyone’s advice i have compiled my final stocking list for my 280 Gallon Reef tank. It is on order. I will start the build thread as it all comes in.


Filtration

LifeReef sump

Skimmer

Carbon Reactor

Chaeto Fuge

ZEOVIT System

2 Part Dosing


The stocking list is separated into stocking order

1x Black Combtooth Blenny

2x Tailspot Blenny


2x Wheeler’s Goby & Pistol Shrimp


2x Saddleback Clowns


2x Watanabei Angels


3x Lyretail Anthias


1x Brunneus Fairy Wrasse

1x Hooded Fairy Wrasse

1x Girdled Fairy Wrasse


1x Exsquisite Fairy Wrasse

1x Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse

1x Lineatus Fairy Wrasse


2x Yeallowhead Pearly Jawfish


1x Orange Stripe Bristletooth - Ctenochaetus

1x Purple Tang -Zebrasoma


1x Achiles Tang - Acanthurus

1x Lieutenant Tang - Acanthurus


NOT SURE WHERE THESE FIT INTO STOCKING ORDER, BUT THEY WILL BE STOCKED AT THE SAME TIME & OF SIMILAR SIZE

2x Blue Throat Triggers

2x Crosshatch Triggers


NOT SURE WHERE THESE FIT INTO STOCKING ORDER

2x Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

2x Fire Blood Cleaner Shrimp

2 or 3x Tiger Sand Conch (HOW MANY SHOULD I DO)


Any notes of compatibility or issues of aggression are welcomed


THANX AGAIN EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP THUS FAR AND CONTINUED HELP.

 

[ShadowR55]

I had a fire angel and I thought it was coral friendly but my SPS never showed extensions and my wellso was never inflated(was like this for 6 month). Then I got a maxima clam and saw that the angel was nipping at it so I took it to the store for credit. A week later and my wellso is inflated and stays inflated and my SPS is showing awesome extension now. I will never put an angel in my tank again.

I have a yellow tang - great algae cleaner
Purple tang - beautiful but probably the most aggressive
Hippo tang - he bully’s the blue throat every now and then
Desjardini Tang - the best looking imo
Quoyi parrotfish - great colorful fish
Lineatus wrasse - make sure you have a top or he will jump. Jumped once and hasn’t done it again, luckily I was here to rescue him.

Make sure you stock in order of aggression, most aggressive fish last. In my tank, the yellow tang was the first to go in and he would bully all the other tangs, I would have to put him in the sump for a couple weeks till the other tangs got comfortable then put him back in. I waited only 1 week for the purple tang and the purple bullied the yellow for a few days.

I would recommend against the Achilles because they are susceptible to ich very easily. I had a powder brown, powder blue and blonde naso that all died from ich when everyone else was fat and happy and I run an 80 watt UV sterilizer.

 

[murphy357]

Ok. With everyone’s advice i have compiled my final stocking list for my 280 Gallon Reef tank. It is on order. I will start the build thread as it all comes in.


Filtration

LifeReef sump

Skimmer

Carbon Reactor

Chaeto Fuge

ZEOVIT System

2 Part Dosing


The stocking list is separated into stocking order

1x Black Combtooth Blenny

2x Tailspot Blenny


2x Wheeler’s Goby & Pistol Shrimp


2x Saddleback Clowns


2x Watanabei Angels


3x Lyretail Anthias


1x Brunneus Fairy Wrasse

1x Hooded Fairy Wrasse

1x Girdled Fairy Wrasse


1x Exsquisite Fairy Wrasse

1x Johnson’s Fairy Wrasse

1x Lineatus Fairy Wrasse


2x Yeallowhead Pearly Jawfish


1x Orange Stripe Bristletooth - Ctenochaetus

1x Purple Tang -Zebrasoma


1x Achiles Tang - Acanthurus

1x Lieutenant Tang - Acanthurus


NOT SURE WHERE THESE FIT INTO STOCKING ORDER, BUT THEY WILL BE STOCKED AT THE SAME TIME & OF SIMILAR SIZE

2x Blue Throat Triggers

2x Crosshatch Triggers


NOT SURE WHERE THESE FIT INTO STOCKING ORDER

2x Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp

2x Fire Blood Cleaner Shrimp

2 or 3x Tiger Sand Conch (HOW MANY SHOULD I DO)


Any notes of compatibility or issues of aggression are welcomed


THANX AGAIN EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP THUS FAR AND CONTINUED HELP.

Just watch the more aggressive fish with blue throat triggers. Blue throats aren’t very aggressive. Basically the LEAST aggressive of the trigger family. They are often picked on. Also, you’ll need to keep and eye on all those fairy wrasse, some often don’t get along with others of the same species.

 

[Gator0930]

Just watch the more aggressive fish with blue throat triggers. Blue throats aren’t very aggressive. Basically the LEAST aggressive of the trigger family. They are often picked on. Also, you’ll need to keep and eye on all those fairy wrasse, some often don’t get along with others of the same species.

So when would you recommend stocking the triggers?

 

[Gator0930]

I had a fire angel and I thought it was coral friendly but my SPS never showed extensions and my wellso was never inflated(was like this for 6 month). Then I got a maxima clam and saw that the angel was nipping at it so I took it to the store for credit. A week later and my wellso is inflated and stays inflated and my SPS is showing awesome extension now. I will never put an angel in my tank again.

I have a yellow tang - great algae cleaner
Purple tang - beautiful but probably the most aggressive
Hippo tang - he bully’s the blue throat every now and then
Desjardini Tang - the best looking imo
Quoyi parrotfish - great colorful fish
Lineatus wrasse - make sure you have a top or he will jump. Jumped once and hasn’t done it again, luckily I was here to rescue him.

Make sure you stock in order of aggression, most aggressive fish last. In my tank, the yellow tang was the first to go in and he would bully all the other tangs, I would have to put him in the sump for a couple weeks till the other tangs got comfortable then put him back in. I waited only 1 week for the purple tang and the purple bullied the yellow for a few days.

I would recommend against the Achilles because they are susceptible to ich very easily. I had a powder brown, powder blue and blonde naso that all died from ich when everyone else was fat and happy and I run an 80 watt UV sterilizer.

So you would discourage the purple tang? What do you think of separating the tangs like i did for stocking?

 

[murphy357]

So when would you recommend stocking the triggers?

I would definitely say before the tangs. Let them establish their caves, then the tangs can come in.

 

[Gator0930]

I would definitely say before the tangs. Let them establish their caves, then the tangs can come in.

Awesome. Thanx man. I was leaning towards the other way since they are known to be aggressive and are huge.

 

[alton]

On the jawfish buy a pair from KP Aquatics

 

[murphy357]

Awesome. Thanx man. I was leaning towards the other way since they are known to be aggressive and are huge.

Tangs are faster and more aggressive than blue throats. Now the crosshatch, I’m unsure of.

 

[ShadowR55]

I would stock all the tangs together to avoid territorial aggression, and definitely the blue throats before the tangs. Otherwise stock the purple tang last and if you end up having a bully, it’s better to put in two or more new fish at one time versus one at a time so he is out numbered.

But fish are like people, each has its own personality, you can end up with a clownfish that’s more aggressive than a purple tang, there is a good thread in here titled something like “tang aggression” worth the read. The purple looks amazing though and I would definitely recommend one.

 

[HB AL]

It's absolutely ridiculous and unethical to have a niger in a 90g, so anything else believe at your own risk.

You really want to talk ridiculous and unethical, its unethical to remove and keep any fish from the ocean in our glass box, even a large tank, add in also the mortality rate from ocean to your tank, probably 100's of thouasands
. But ive been doing it for 30+years so i guess im unethical. Im not gonna post up the 14 fish i have in my 92g cuz you might have a heart attack. By the way havnt had a fish die in the 2.5 years my current tank has been set up and i dont quarantine, just float and plop but i do buy them all from 1 lfs. Attacking people for what YOU THINK is an inadequate size tank for the specimen is just plain rude. Sounds like some posts i read on another website, but this is the only one i post on cuz the community here has got a different vibe(good thing).

 

[vetteguy53081]

I Just acquired a pair of blue throat this past weekend and was skeptical but researched enough positive feedback to say - Do it !!
I have a large coral banded and Harlequin shrimp and a few turbos. been monitoring them and occupants closely and all they care less about is Food. They are eating machines but very peaceful.

 

[User1]

Regarding Lt. Tangs. I have one - picked it up from LA earlier this year. Arrived in great condition maybe 3" if that. I followed Mr. Fenner's Methylene blue fresh water bath which I think was more stressful on me than the tang. In any case great fish which I've only had for maybe 4 or 5 months. Eats everything and anything. Pellet, frozen brine, mysis, blood worm, and flake. It was actually downing 2 nori sheets a day. Granted the two little fish smaller sheets but it would eat a full green, then a full purple. Mostly if not all by itself. It is now 6 to 7" in length and plump. Very plump. Fast swimmer, pretty friendly overall, and uses every inch of my tank. Likes to dig for new places to sleep believe it or not. It is down to about two locations that it continues to bounce between. Grazes on rocks and glass.

I can't say much about aggression because I don't have many fish. Pair of clowns, coral beauty, pair of pajama cardinals, and azure damsel. 54" wide x 30" tall x 30" deep - 210 gallons. Great fish, love it. Nice tonal color if that makes sense. The color sneaks up on you since it isn't your typical tang. I am not much of a tang person but I always wanted one of these or the Atlantic blues. Since that seemed to get bigger the more I read I decided to pass on keep this fella.

Lastly - I'm not one to mix a lot of fish that compete for the same food types - especially grazers. So for me that means only one tang. Good luck!

 

[Gator0930]

Regarding Lt. Tangs. I have one - picked it up from LA earlier this year. Arrived in great condition maybe 3" if that. I followed Mr. Fenner's Methylene blue fresh water bath which I think was more stressful on me than the tang. In any case great fish which I've only had for maybe 4 or 5 months. Eats everything and anything. Pellet, frozen brine, mysis, blood worm, and flake. It was actually downing 2 nori sheets a day. Granted the two little fish smaller sheets but it would eat a full green, then a full purple. Mostly if not all by itself. It is now 6 to 7" in length and plump. Very plump. Fast swimmer, pretty friendly overall, and uses every inch of my tank. Likes to dig for new places to sleep believe it or not. It is down to about two locations that it continues to bounce between. Grazes on rocks and glass.

I can't say much about aggression because I don't have many fish. Pair of clowns, coral beauty, pair of pajama cardinals, and azure damsel. 54" wide x 30" tall x 30" deep - 210 gallons. Great fish, love it. Nice tonal color if that makes sense. The color sneaks up on you since it isn't your typical tang. I am not much of a tang person but I always wanted one of these or the Atlantic blues. Since that seemed to get bigger the more I read I decided to pass on keep this fella.

Lastly - I'm not one to mix a lot of fish that compete for the same food types - especially grazers. So for me that means only one tang. Good luck!

I really appreciate the input. I appreciate the personal experiences.

 

[Gator0930]

I Just acquired a pair of blue throat this past weekend and was skeptical but researched enough positive feedback to say - Do it !!
I have a large coral banded and Harlequin shrimp and a few turbos. been monitoring them and occupants closely and all they care less about is Food. They are eating machines but very peaceful.

Thank you for your input. I appreciate the personal experiences.

 

[lion king]

So when would you recommend stocking the triggers?

Regarding the Xanthichthys triggers, these guys are just not like classic triggers; they don'y really even register on the richter scale when it comes to aggression at all. I would be more concerned with the purple tang and the achilles tang

 

[eatbreakfast]

You really want to talk ridiculous and unethical, its unethical to remove and keep any fish from the ocean in our glass box, even a large tank, add in also the mortality rate from ocean to your tank, probably 100's of thouasands.

Despite how high mortality may be for fish collected for aquariums, mortality is waaay higher in the wild. In captivity they don't have predatory pressure and are provided effort free meals. In the wild, most everything is conspiring to kill/eat/outcompete everything else. Only a fraction of a percent of wild fish make it to a year.

 

[User1]

Despite how high mortality may be for fish collected for aquariums, mortality is waaay higher in the wild. In captivity they don't have predatory pressure and are provided effort free meals. In the wild, most everything is conspiring to kill/eat/outcompete everything else. Only a fraction of a percent of wild fish make it to a year.

You raise a pretty interesting point. Still, isn't Mother Nature a real *****??? I mean seriously, go watch some national geographic and their coverage of Zebra's - talking about a vicious animal.