For those of you with Puffers...

[rbredding]

what is your clean up crew?

I assume these guys will devour all shrimp/hermits/small snails they come into contact with..

 

[fish scales2]

May not be issues with serpent stars, I was at a tank today that I set up almost 3 years ago with 4 puffers and he still has all his serpent stars and several other stars for that matter. He also has nassirius snails and 2 cleaner shrimp that survived long term, he usually adds about 25 snails and crabs every month or so.

 

[weaglereefer]

I was thinking Chocolate Chip Starfish, don't know if they'd go after one of those. And then those BIG hermits, you know the ones I'm talking about. Large Queen Conch, maybe? Urchins!

 

[rbredding]

good to know that I've got options...

cleaner shrimp are a little too darn expensive to use as "feeders"...

 

[dakota9]

Cultivate lots of bristleworms....

 

[rbredding]

yeah.. there's already about a hundred in there... (didn't think of those, actually)

 

[fish scales2]

I have some large hemits (5") and a couple of lightning welks that came out of the tank that I housed puffers and triggers in that are now in my LR bin that you are welcomed to. I was not reffering to the cleaner shrimp as food but was suggesting that they can and often do co-habitate. I have another tank I maintain with a porcupine puffer and triggers that has 3 cleaner shrimp and 4 pepps, all have been in there since the setup of cuc.

 

[trigger-happy]

You could try urchins, though I've seen a puffer bite the spines off so that it could gte at the body!

 

[nanojimmy]

So if i get a clown trigger, I can live my cleaner shrimp? Its has a lot of live rock and the trigger I am soon to get is a juvenile. I was planning on putting it in the sump or selling it.

 

[trigger-happy]

Don't count on it. You MIGHT get lucky, but if you're attached to your cleaner shrimp at all, you may not want to risk it. There's still a bloody good chance the shrimp could end up as fish food. Getting a juvenile won't help, except that it won't be able to take on prey as big - juvies are just as voracious as adults.

 

[fish scales2]

OK not all triggers,lol. A clown trigger will have a pretty quick lunch at some point.

 

[nanojimmy]

Alright, Ill put it in the sump. Would a flame angel or 4 clownfish work out? Sorry theres so many questions. Im getting a lot of mix information whats compatible and whats not. I just dont want to lose a fish.

 

[trigger-happy]

Depends on the size of your tank.

 

[nanojimmy]

How many gallons are you talking about?

 

[weaglereefer]

Generally, unless it's a very large system, more than 2 clowns won't work in the long run.

Flame angels are nice, mine never bothered my shrimp.

There are a few triggers who aren't as likely to snack on shrimp (blue jaw, pink tail, cross hatch).

 

[nanojimmy]

Well its a 46 gal. Once it gets larger it will go in a 150 gal. Im afraid the trigger and the angels wont get along. This fish is really picky with its tank mates.

 

[trigger-happy]

It's been my experience that triggers and larger angels get along fine after the initial dominance scuffle, if only because they're both tough, arrogant little jerks. Dwarf angels (like the flame), though, I'm not certain of.

 

[pufferchris]

be ready to upgrade soon i bought my clown trigger at about 2 inches a year ago and he is now 6-7 inches also mine likes to chew air tubes and power cords the up side great personality and for the 1 year i've had him i've only been bit 3 times :yay:

 

[nanojimmy]

Only 3 ? haha Does it do good with coral ?