trigger

[ERIC]

How about a niger trigger for a reef tank?

[RazerCorals]

Wow that thing will probably rip your finger off. It won't be reef safe.

[Pineapple House]

Actually, they are reef safe.

They will usually not bother any corals, and are perfectly fine with corals. Many discoveries, as well as fellow hobbiest, haven't ever found any coral of any sort in its stomach (so far), although very few may nip at everything.

But, they are known for eating snails, shrimp, crabs, and other sessile inveribtrates. So, it depends what you call reef safe. As long as they aren't around invertibrates such as snails, crabs, shrimp, some feather duster worms, scallops, and sometimes clams, they will probably be fine. I have seen quite a few in reefs without any invertibrates. I have never seen a niger trigger eat coral.

They are known for moving around the rockwork, which might not be too good, esspecially in a reef. I find it funny how they make the low pitch 'Grunt' sound, which is quite normal for this trigger. Probably the Pinktail Triggerfish (Melichthys vidua) , or the Blue Jaw trigger would be the best for a reef.

PH =)

[RazerCorals]

They are not reef safe like I said. Snails, crabs, etc are part of a tank.

[Chryocon]

No....a reef tank consists of a reef......you could very easily have no substrate and not need snails etc..... or you could use CC and use a gravel vacuem to cleean it..... If you really want to keep a puffer in a reef tank go for it but I suggest you use no substrate or CC, otherwaise you will have to use larger invets like fighting conches to clean the sand. Personally I would have no substrate with a puffer, but that is only my opinion..... even if something is not recomended it doesn't meen that it ca't be done

[RazerCorals]

We are talking bout a trigger. Actually my friend has had sucess keeping a puffer in a reef tank though. It had xenia, LR, snails, hermits, and macro algae.

[Chryocon]

I know we are talking about a trigger.... but why would you not be aboe to keep a trigger in a tank with no substrate and no inverts or a few large inverts and some corals and rocks alive....? If you secured all the rocks well you wouldn't have to worry about the trigger knocking them over and like PH said they do not eat corals.....so why wouldn't it work?

[Samurai]

From what I have read on the Niger Triggerfish I would only put one in a FO tank. This is not to say that it could not be kept succesfully in a reef tank, but you would have to secure the live rock and keep other aggressive fish with it. It also grows to be a large fish and that means a lot of fish waste that inverts might not tolerate so well. Also since it gets big you are going to need a big tank for it. It would be cool in a reef setting, but I generally think of a reef tank as being full of small and often delicate creatures. A Niger trigger and small delicate creatures probably would not work out too well.

[RazerCorals]

I was trying to make the point that it was not a reef fish. Thanks Sam

[Zack]

I just came back from trading frags and this guy had a small one in there and it was just fine :wink: always depends on the fish :)

[Chryocon]

Who says a reef has to be all small fish.....? there are several larger inverts that a trigger would not kill and as for algea problems, if you have a bare bottom tank you won't need snails, only a gravel vacuem. As for the rock, you could always reinfroce it with PVC Pipe and silicone, it is ALOT of extra work, but if everything is done right I don't see why you couldn't keep one. In the ocean reefs involve larger creatures to, so what's the harm keeping a trigger if you follow all the necesary precations? I think people sometimes get a 1 sided opinion when they never are open to new ideas, so what's the harm keeping a trigger :roll:

[Zack]

I never said it had to be small, on that topic by having a large trigger I think that it can be good because it can knock down corals can eat inverts, yes you could make a reef with one but I like inverts/snails and all that :wink:

[Samurai]

I just came back from trading frags and this guy had a small one in there and it was just fine :wink: always depends on the fish :)

The operative word in that phrase is "small". Once that fish gets bigger it is going to be a bigger problem.

I do think that it would be possible and that if everything is done right then there wouldn't be any harm. The harm comes if everything is not done right. It is an interesting idea and could make for a great setup. Just remember that if you keep that fish then there is going to be a lot of things that you cannot keep. Something to consider.