Looking to get a new fish but have some questions...

[CA2OR]

Copperbanded Butterfly:

a)has anyone been able to successfully keep one?

b)my purple tang seems rather aggressive, would this make for a bad situation?

Niger Trigger:

a)I have heard that they will go after smaller fish, is this true?

b)any threat to corals?

 

Blue Throat Trigger:

a)I have heard that they will go after smaller fish, is this true?

b)any threat to corals?

 

If all of these are bad options what would be a good option? I have 3 false perc's, 1 chromie, 1 purple tang, 1 flame angel, 1 melanarus wrasse

 

72g tank

[CA2OR]

Every site I look at says that the butterfly is impossible to keep, and neither of the triggers are good to own in my kind of reef.

[Rick]

For the Niger trigger they will normally leave small fish alone as long as either they are already in the tank or you are careful how you introduce them. Primarily you need to be careful that the trigger is either preoccupied (I would feed mine on the other end of the tank) or that they are already in the tank. Otherwise they can attack them thinking they are food. A few weeks after I first go mine I stuck a chromis in the same tank without thinking about it and it only lasted about a minute yet I was able to add small clowns, firefish, etc. by being careful and it left them alone. I assume that care must be taken with all of the triggers regarding introducing new fish. As mentioned earlier it always left the corals alone. I plan to get another niger trigger to replace it and while I will keep an eye on it I'm not really worried that it will eat the corals. It was a big eater though and would eat an entire silverside in a few minutes. Loved the meaty foods but would also eat the nori right alongside the purple tang. (The first day I added the trigger the tang swiped at it all day but gave up the second day because the trigger just ignored it, other than both always trying to be the first to get to the nori they got along fine after that)

[CA2OR]

So far I am leaning towards the Niger. I really wanted a CBB but I am reading far to much bad info.

[Rick]

...... and neither of the triggers are good to own in my kind of reef.

Which I believe is nothing more than all of the sites swiping incorrect information from each other. Other than the precaution I mentioned above with introducing new fish I'm pretty sure either trigger would be fine with your reef. Mine would actually go find the red fire shrimp once in awhile just so they could clean it. Kind if interesting seeing the trigger get down next to the shrimp and flutter it's fins while they were doing so.

 

BTW, they suggest having any shrimp in the tank prior to the trigger as well. I did however add the second red fire shrimp after the trigger by doing so at night when the trigger was holed up and sleeping. (They find holes in the rocks and hide there with the trigger locked open to keep predators from getting them while they rest)

[CA2OR]

I don't have any shrimp either....hmm....

 

How small can you get Niger's?

[Rick]

I don't have any shrimp either....hmm....

 

How small can you get Niger's?

 

I've seen them around 2 1/2" although they do grow relatively fast. Mine grew an inch or so in about 4 months. I would try to get one about the same size as your purple tang. Maybe slightly larger.

[Beckie]

I "had " a copperband. Did great, yellow tang spent a week in the sump/refug for his bad natured chacing, worked like a charm. No problem when he was returned to the tank. It showed nothing but great heath,eat like a pig and wonderful addition to the tank. Months passed. I watched the thank with my coffee in the a.m.. Left for the day and came home to it laying on the bottom in reallly bad way. 3 hrs later it was gone. No idea...... NONE. I miss it soooo much but can not bring myself to try again.

 

Beckie

[CA2OR]

well from what I have read on other sites you had better luck than almost everyone else

[kilmca]

I had a CBB in a 72 then it moved to a 120 when i upgraded. I sold the fish with the 120. I had it for about 2 years. That's the only one i ever had and never had a problem with it. I bought it to get rid of aptasia and it did a great job. It always ate mysis and brine shrimp. I also had a sailfin tang that would chase it on occasion so if your purple tang is aggressive it might not be a good idea cause they are very timid. If you do get one make sure it's eating frozen foods before you bring it home.

 

[gradth]

My niger is far more aggressive then my blue throats. 72 might not be big enough for blue throats though since they can get pretty big, and they love to swim. Again, my blue throats have never harrassed any other fish. They are the boss of the tank, but do not swipe or bully any of the fish. When its feeding time is the only time they are aggressive, and thats just cause they are super fast and on the food in a flash.

 

All these folks saying that all triggers are not reef safe, need to do some research. Crosshatches, blue throats, saragassm(spelling) and im told pink tales are all reef safe. Depending on the fish. All I can say is from personal experience with the blue throats. I have a niger in my 55 but its not a reef.