Triggers in a Reef ?

[jetchris]

hey I am kinda new to reefkeeping. I i am setting up a 90 gallon and I have heard that the niger trigger is reef safe. Do you agree and is there any other triggers that would be reef safe.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[louis]

While I have never kept triggers in a reef tank I have read in several books that you can keep a few. a pinktail, niger, bluechin, crosshatch and sargassum triggers can be housed in reef tanks. but if you plan on keeping invertebrates I wouldn't put a trigger in there or atleast be very cautious. good luck

 

[xyzpdq0121]

For the most part Chris, the answer to your question is no they are not reef safe. There are personality exceptions in some species but I would not risk it.

 

[george]

I think at the very least you would severely limit the types of corals you could keep in your reef.

IMO, unless you want to showcase a trigger in a reef (which would be cool, if you can afford the damage it might cause), you're better off picking known, definite reef-safe fish so you can snag any of the really beautiful corals you might run across. Nothing would suck more than getting a really nice frag from a member or, even worse, paying quite a bit for it only to have a trigger munch it.

 

[petrasb]

I have a Pink Tail & a Blue Jaw in my 175gal reef tank. I was also concerned, but so far, so good. And I have many types of corals, (sps,lps,softy's,3 types of clams) Each Trigger is about 4" long and they don't bother anyone else in the tank, inverts or fish.

 

[kwl1763]

From my experience blue jaws are generally very reef safe rarely hurting inverts. Pink tails for the most part are and crosshatch generally are. The rest it's total specimen by specimen.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I have had a pair of crosshatches for about a year, and they have been a very pleasant surprise. My male ate 6 of 7 chromis immediately, so I thought the worst, but hasnt bothered a soul since. I even have a legion of shrimp (peppermint and cleaner) which he never messes with. The cleaners actually swarm him at night.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

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[triggerhappy8]

I have an aggressive tank with a trigger (picasso), lionfish, grouper, and lunare wrasse. I was lucky and got green and purple mushrooms, blue and pink ricordea mushrooms, and xenia as hitchhikers from my CBA live rock. Unfortunately, my large green serpent star and money cowry that also came as hitchhikers were munched immediately. Invertibrates IME get munched instantaneously (minus bold stars and urchins which get nipped nonetheless).

Bottom line is that triggers are considered non reef safe due to CUC and other inverts and less so toward corals. They haven't given a second look at my stuff. Good luck and cheers.

 

[nishant3789]

i think like with any predatory fish found in the reefs, the chances are your trigger is going to nip on some stuff, but the larger the tank, the less you are going to notice it, if at all, hence the "reef safe".