Any Trigger reef safe?
- Thread starter nycfish
- Start date
- Location
- The Big City
First, a 55gal tank is too small for a trigger, especially a reef tank with rocks and coral. Even a small trigger will out grow the tank pretty fast.
As for the triggers that are reef safe:
Red Tail
Blue Throat
Niger
Crosshatch
Pink Tail
These triggers aren't as aggressive and do well in a good size reef tank. Niger can be somewhat aggressive so you need to be careful, especially as they get large.
As for the triggers that are reef safe:
Red Tail
Blue Throat
Niger
Crosshatch
Pink Tail
These triggers aren't as aggressive and do well in a good size reef tank. Niger can be somewhat aggressive so you need to be careful, especially as they get large.
There was a great article in Freshwater and Marine Magazine in the October 2009 issue ... you should pick up a copy of it ... they discuss each class of trigger fish ... from Terrors to "reasonably safe triggerfish"
Besides the tank being to small ... I think Marrone should add ... they will more then likely chow down on your inverts. I tried a Blue Throat Triggerfish along time ago ... magically all my CUC started to disappear.
Besides the tank being to small ... I think Marrone should add ... they will more then likely chow down on your inverts. I tried a Blue Throat Triggerfish along time ago ... magically all my CUC started to disappear.
Reef 'safe' in a manner of speaking (coral safe, maybe not invert safe) : crosshatch, bluethroat, pink tail, sargassum
Wow somebody that listens to the advice they ask for. NOW THAT IS REFRESHING!!!!
- Location
- Long Island, New York
+1..... Although lately my crosshatch has been shot-putting snails...:splitspin
- Location
- lindenhurst,ny
So I thought niger triggers weren't reef safe
- Location
- Overland Park, KS
...sadly, no reef fish is exactly reef safe... It's all a matter of degrees. If you don't mind losing some inverts, then triggers are "reef safe." If you don't mind losing some feather dusters, then butterflies are "reef safe." If you don't mind losing starfish, then harlequins are "reef safe..." It's all a matter of what you want to protect on your reef! if they (the fish) didn't eat what was on the reef, then they wouldn't live there!
That said, if you don't care to keep what they eat, then the answer is - YES - they are (your) reef safe
happy reefing!
That said, if you don't care to keep what they eat, then the answer is - YES - they are (your) reef safe
happy reefing!
Nicely said... May i add that the ocean is a vast place and you never know exactly were the fishes are coming from. Every fish has a different personality and sometimes you just take a chance with some exceptions though.A fish that you think is reef safe can one day turn on your best corals for some reason you and i can't understand....sadly, no reef fish is exactly reef safe... It's all a matter of degrees. If you don't mind losing some inverts, then triggers are "reef safe." If you don't mind losing some feather dusters, then butterflies are "reef safe." If you don't mind losing starfish, then harlequins are "reef safe..." It's all a matter of what you want to protect on your reef! if they (the fish) didn't eat what was on the reef, then they wouldn't live there!
That said, if you don't care to keep what they eat, then the answer is - YES - they are (your) reef safe
happy reefing!
Last edited:
- Location
- Southampton UK
Very well put by Daisy imo...it is quite simply a question of avoiding temptation in alot of cases where mixing certain species of fish with inverts is concerned, mixed with a good ingrained understanding that many of the oportunistic feeders will also start to try other stuff out if you dont keep them well fed...some fish will sit there and wait...others will go hunting for a between feed snack.
re the triggers, one trait you can look for in reef safe triggers is the mouth. if the fish has an extended lower jaw which forces the bite angle into an upwards posture, then the trigger is generally a planktivore feeding from the open water column. whereas those with an even jaw and centerd bite generally predate on a host of crustacians, echinoderms and other sessile or slow moving inverts.
heres my Niger trigger whose a model citizen (although it is a big tank)
Do a search in google images for those species named above, then do a search for the following and you'll see what i mean.
Clown trigger
Picasso trigger
Queen trigger
Undulatus trigger
Bursa trigger.
regards
re the triggers, one trait you can look for in reef safe triggers is the mouth. if the fish has an extended lower jaw which forces the bite angle into an upwards posture, then the trigger is generally a planktivore feeding from the open water column. whereas those with an even jaw and centerd bite generally predate on a host of crustacians, echinoderms and other sessile or slow moving inverts.
heres my Niger trigger whose a model citizen (although it is a big tank)
Do a search in google images for those species named above, then do a search for the following and you'll see what i mean.
Clown trigger
Picasso trigger
Queen trigger
Undulatus trigger
Bursa trigger.
regards
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