Reef Safe Triggers

[twistoflime]

Ok so my dad has recently become absessed with saltwater fish, but not coral. Since the big tank is going to be a reef it has been hard to find fish that he likes. (he likes lionfish, triggers, frogfish, large angelfish, puffer fish ect.) Well my dad started talking to Chris and Chis informed us on some reef safe triggers. They were the bluejaw, pinktail, and crosshatch trigger. We defenently want to get a crosshatch trigger pair but we have to make sure it would work with the other fish. My dad would also want to get 1 pinktail and one bluejaw. Would all 4 triggers get along? Would they get along with gobies, blennies, tangs, anthias, and wrasses?
Thanks, Diane

 

[skriz]

Triggers are large and strong. The depth of your tank is going to prohibit you from getting these fish, just like the large tangs.

Even though your tank seems big, the rock structure has taken up so much room that you are actually workinh with a smaller tank than you think.

 

[mojo]

If you get a trigger, don't plan to ever get any corals, clams, inverts, or small fish that you definitely want to keep - no trigger is 100% reef safe, and could turn at any point, and could see any of the above as food. Yes, the ones you listed (as well as the Sargassum trigger) are calmer than the average trigger, but you're still taking a big chance. And with a tank as big as what you've got, it's going to be impossible to remove it later.

 

[washowi]

I just hooked my Niger Trigger and kicked him out...I would not recommend Triggers at all..They get LARGE and bored...Mine was picking up corals and ROCKS and tossing them around the tank....

 

[steve]

Uh, the triggers will more then likely eat gobies, blennies, anthias, and any other small fish. I would not recommend one either.

Get a large angel like an Emperor, Jeremy has a bunch of angels in his 210 so it can be done, but you will just be sacrificing a lot of growth to have one in a reef.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I just got a small pair of crosshatches too. Male about 4", female the same. You can mix them, but as explained, they can predate smaller fish, and may become destrcutive, although with the Xanthicthys species, if is few and far between for them to be a problem.

 

[thearnoldocean]

umm definally not reef safe...

 

[jetchris]

I have had better experiences than most. Crosshatch, bluejaw, pinktail triggers are the way to go. Niger triggers are not reef safe! They need at least 75g's. I would not mix them unless you have 300g or more.

 

[nickskains]

I have a niger in my tank but he was very small when I got him. About 1" long. He doesn't mess with anything really. He will try to eat the dead snails but those are usually the ones that the hermits already got to and murdered for their shell. Granted mine is just a rare exception. I have heard stories about nigers that were not good.

 

[james s_]

I have a Bursa trigger in my reef. He has been a standup guy for the past couple years. I have had horrible luck with Niger triggers, so no more of those for me.

 

[twistoflime]

Only looking into bluejaw, pinktail, or crosshatch triggers right now. The tank itself is a 320g, the hole system is about 420g.

 

[smoothie]

If any I would try the blue jaw. I have heard fewer horror stories and in my opinions the smaller females are a prettier blue/silver. Check out reefvideos.com just to see a few in reef tanks with ornamental inverts.

 

[stevhan]

I have a pair of Blue Jaw Triggers in my reef. Its a 140 and the triggers are about 5". I have a few small fish like chromis, 4-line wrasse, gold watchman. I have serpent stars, fromia stars, polyps, dendro's and all sorts of frilly corals and I have no issues. I do suggest to feed them well however. I feed just about daily 3 cubes of frozen food and mixed pellets. Im sure if I went several days without feeding they may become opportunistic.