Undulate Triggerfish Tankmates

[Clowning_Around72]

I know this is a old 2 year old post, but I wanted to add some insight for the next person. I have a 480DT 540 with sump Mostly FOWLR with the exception of some (soft) corals. Zoas, GSP, pipe organ, and some mushroom that grow where they can. I currently have a 3-4yr old clown trigger 5"-6", 3yr old niger trigger 4", and similar size undulated trigger, queen angle (transitioning), passer angle (juvenile), Emperor angle (transitioning), French angle (juvenile), porcupine puffer 5"+, gem tang 5-6", purple tang 5-6", blue hippo tang 5" , powder blue tang 4-5", convict tang 4-5", blue eye kole tang 4", white tail bristletooth tang 4", 3 female one male lyertail anthias, harlequin tusk 4-5", 6 blue/green chromis, starry blenny, and neon dottyback. This is a bare bottom tank, over 1lb of live rock per gallon. If I remember right it's around 500lbs. There is a lot of caves, hiding spots, over hangs, dark spots, bright spots. I have all of those fish and I get nothing more than a quick dart from one fish to another here and there. I do feed a moderate amount of food. I consider myself an experienced reefer/fish keeper. I just wanted to offer up my experience with keeping the undulated trigger with other fish and other triggers. I also have a 120gallon sps dominant but mixed reef, with Rockflower nems, BTA, and a lot of coral of all kinds and keep a blue throat trigger in that tank. I have had no issues with the blue throat with other fish or coral.
So for any of you out there that are looking to add a "aggressive" trigger to your tank i have had great success or luck. Now with that being said my fish are not huge yet. But I've had most of them in that tank all around 3.5-4yrs. Hope that will help some of you.

I ended up never trying an undy. Actually I got obsessed with damsels and have been keeping mostly clowns, damsels, and wrasses as of late.

 

[boeingn747]

Very cool. There are some really cool damsels out there. If you ever get a itch for a trigger in the future, the undulated trigger is a great choice. I mean don't get me wrong, most of the triggers are beauties, the clown, niger being no exception. It's the striking color that just makes it a great choice. Thanks for responding back. Take care.

I ended up never trying an undy. Actually I got obsessed with damsels and have been keeping mostly clowns, damsels, and wrasses as of late.

 

[Clowning_Around72]

Very cool. There are some really cool damsels out there. If you ever get a itch for a trigger in the future, the undulated trigger is a great choice. I mean don't get me wrong, most of the triggers are beauties, the clown, niger being no exception. It's the striking color that just makes it a great choice. Thanks for responding back. Take care.

Your reply may have stirred up an old itch anyway haha. One day. But not now.

 

[HB AL]

Sorry for the itch, here's 7 triggers, a Clown, Assasi, Pinktail, Niger, Huma, Black Hawaiian and an undulated.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I tried to raise a humu humu from the size of a thumb and it just destroyed the reef. I removed it and the reef tank improved.
It ate all the snails. Shrimp. Lps corals.
Doubled in size before I gave it to another fish store.
Just wasn't a good fit at the time.
Couldn't imagine if I had upgraded.to the 240g cube and added it. Never woulda got him out.
I'm gonna pass.on the triggers in a reef.
D

 

[boeingn747]

Sorry for the itch, here's 7 triggers, a Clown, Assasi, Pinktail, Niger, Huma, Black Hawaiian and an undulated.

Now that's awesome. Funny, you don't see much of a clean up crew, wonder why?
Triggers are awesome!

 

[HB AL]

Now that's awesome. Funny, you don't see much of a clean up crew, wonder why?
Triggers are awesome!

The cuc is fully nocturnal, lights just came on and the hermits and snails started scrambling to there hiding spots!

 

[Thomashtom]

Sorry for the itch, here's 7 triggers, a Clown, Assasi, Pinktail, Niger, Huma, Black Hawaiian and an undulated.

Do the triggers bite the broomtails tail? Awesome tank!!!

 

[HB AL]

No way, the broomtail wrasse is the king of the tank. Funny you mentioned "biting tail" My Miniatus Grouper bites the Japanese Dragon Eels tail!

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Sorry for the itch, here's 7 triggers, a Clown, Assasi, Pinktail, Niger, Huma, Black Hawaiian and an undulated.

Tank must be a warzone when you feed, everybody scrambling for their chunks of food! Funny how the undulated is hiding, figures he's the smallest trigger. Wonder how long his current attitude will last.

 

[HB AL]

Tank must be a warzone when you feed, everybody scrambling for their chunks of food! Funny how the undulated is hiding, figures he's the smallest trigger. Wonder how long his current attitude will last.

Here's a vid from a few months ago of a typical night of feeding the animals, feeding frenzy for 5 minutes, I call it
"controlled chaos"!

 

[i cant think]

Anything large and aggressive will do, or even just venomous. I.E.
Foxface, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Waspfish ect…

As for aggressive, go with some damsel species such as Neoglyphidodon, my favourite for aggression in that family is Oxyodon. Anything small and peaceful will be food.
Small and Peaceful fish include Certain Wrasses, Gobies, Most Blennies (Some have a venomous bite), ect…
Good wrasses for aggressive tanks are Rockmovers/Dragons (They get their name for a reason you know…), the whole genus of Coris, the whole Cheilinus genus, most from the genus Bodianus, both species of Gomphosus, most thalassoma species.

I know it’s a 2 year old thread but figured this could help others wondering the same question.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Here's a vid from a few months ago of a typical night of feeding the animals, feeding frenzy for 5 minutes, I call it
"controlled chaos"!

This video is a perfect example of "this guy's really asking for it" lol. I used to do that with my predators, so I get you. Few more inches on some of those triggers and you could be missing fingertips!

 

[unklez]

Thanks posts like this keeps me from making dumb decisions :)

 

[Balikci]

I can share my 2¢ of experience with anyone considering an undulatus trigger:

I introduced a small one (1-3/4") to a 150 g tank with a single 12" porcupine puffer. The only other fish I introduced at the same time was an "old blue damsel" according to the LFS. A dull dark grey-blue colored damsel-like fish, about the same size as the trigger. The store had 3 of them and they were trying to get rid of them at a discount price of $8. I got all of them. The first day in the holding tank was a carnage! The damsels tried to kill each other. I separated them as soon as possible, but only one survived.

When I introduced the fish to the main tank I was worried about the trigger hurting the puffer, but it respected the big guy. However, the "old blue damsel" harassed the puffer like h***. It took a while before I could catch it with a trap and move to "jail", a nanocube 28g that it had for himself. Fast forward almost two years, the puffer passed away (he had been with us almost 10 years). I decided to move the damsel back to the tank. The trigger was furious. It attacked him but the damsel was agile enough to avoid any serious injury. I put a mirror on one side of the tank. The trigger forgot about the damsel and spent all of its time posturing the "other trigger". Eventually it got used to the damsel. Now they swim together. Sometimes the damsel would slap the trigger with its tail!

It turns out the "old blue damsel" is a Victorian Scaly Fin, a large "farmer" damsel. Both fish are now around 4". The scaly fin is a very aggressive damsel that defends its "farm" viciously. However, the most interesting thing is that it is completely oblivious to its own mirror image. Given how aggressive it was to its own kind, I think this fish is aware of self, which is shown in only a few highly intelligent animal species like primates, elephants and crows. I also have a lot of turf and hair algae in that tank. It is very cool to see the damsel clean a patch of the algae to grow his favorite "crop", red algae. It is now one of my all time favorite fish, even though it doesn't have a lot of color.

I decided to add some color to the "aggressive" tank as both the trigger and damsel blend in with the algae and the live rock. I introduced a 4" foxface. It was brutal. The trigger got ballistic. Even the mirror trick did not help. It didn't care if the foxface had poison. It attacked from the side, avoiding the spines. Fortunately I was able catch the foxface quickly and transfer it to the reef tank. No harm done. I guess those two will have the 150g for themselves as long as they are around.

I hope this helps.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Undulated triggers can be kept with other fish, but it does have to be planned out well. Tank mates have to be ones that can defend themselves. Undulated should be bought small. The tank needs to be fed VERY well fed. IME most triggers can become more docile if fed to the point they don't want additional food for the rest of the day. The issues with this is they will start growing very quickly, nutrients can easily get out of control, as soon as you start feeding less the aggression returns to 100%. So it can be done but it does have to be well thought out.

What if you got a clown trigger and an undulate trigger at the same size, let’s say both between 1.5-2”, and they were the only 2 fish added?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Undulated Trigger temperament.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Undulated Trigger temperament.

That’s actually kinda cute…

 

[Clowning_Around72]

What if you got a clown trigger and an undulate trigger at the same size, let’s say both between 1.5-2”, and they were the only 2 fish added?

Looking back on this discussion, it was a fairly stupid question. It can work in huge tanks. Most people are better off never considering tankmates. I also would not leave an undulate alone with 1 triggerfish.

 

[Clowning_Around72]

What if you got a clown trigger and an undulate trigger at the same size, let’s say both between 1.5-2”, and they were the only 2 fish added?

Your other bet aside from a truly gigantic tank is a bunch of damsels or maybe dottybacks, but I would be prepared fo lose any fish added.