cdumitru78 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Anyone have any knowledge on this guy? I have a 90 gallon reef tank (4 feet footprint), with a clown pair, flame angelfish, a mandarin and a tomini tang. Reefkeeping magazine had a nice article on these fish and it got me thinking... and wishing. I am worried it might get too big and it might pick on my invertebrates. Any thoughts? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I am in same boat as you. I would love to get a trigger but just can't get enough information to make me feel comfortable with it. I have heard however that Blue throats are one of the only one's that you could get, but at the same time I hear that all triggers pose a threat to inverts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 From my experience with them ANY trigger poses a threat to small inverts. Also small fish as I had a bluejaw trigger suck down a rainfords goby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertareef Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Interesting question... is any trigger "reef safe" and what, exactly does that mean? I have heard Blue Jaws, Sargosa (red tail), crosshatch and potentially nigers mentioned in this context but would be curious as to what that entails. Perhaps none of these have a propensity for going after coral but that may not extend to inverts and small fish! Obviously, every fish is different so there are no guarantees but it would be cool to be able to keep one in a diversely stocked tank... if I ever had one big enough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 IMHO reef safe is a term used to loosely. A "Reef-safe" fish is one who doesn't eat corals. You should ask is X fish reef safe, invert safe and small fish safe? I have seen a pair of Bluejaw (Blue throat) triggers that wouldn't eat hermit, but loved flipping over snails and sucking down the soft snails. But as I love to say "These are wild animals, yours may have been set different at the factory." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 IMHO reef safe is a term used to loosely. A "Reef-safe" fish is one who doesn't eat corals. You should ask is X fish reef safe, invert safe and small fish safe? I have seen a pair of Bluejaw (Blue throat) triggers that wouldn't eat hermit, but loved flipping over snails and sucking down the soft snails. But as I love to say "These are wild animals, yours may have been set different at the factory." well put but if you ask me, i WILL be adding another bluejaw to my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdumitru78 Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 If I am willing to live with the possibility of some invertebrate loss, do you guys think a 90 gallon is large enough for one of these triggers though? I was thinking of finding a small trigger and possibly taking a chance? Thanks for all the responses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CA2OR Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I would think a 90 would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralreefer Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 I've owned 2 blue throats in the last 5 years. They both were "healthy" (evidently not) and were eating fine and then died unexpectedly overnight. I did not own them simultaneously. Having said that, they were both very well mannered and not once did I see them bother fire shrimps, cleaner shrimps, coral (hard or soft), snails or crabs. They loved mysis and krill. While I'm not in the market, I would own one again in my 135 reef. Yes, 90 would be big enough, IMHO(clap). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerv503 Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 When it gets real big i'm always available to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 They get upwards of 6 to 8 inches long. If you get a small one, you should be able to enjoy it in your 90 for a few years, however,in my humble opinion, a 90 is too small for it. Also, make sure you know where the fish is from. The hawaiian triggers are much nicer to the triggers from other lands, and if you get a hawaiian fish, you are guaranteed that it is net caught. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jab502 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 I have a small Niger in my 180 and he is a model citizen. He does not touch any small fish of which there are many in my tank and I have never seen him go after any inverts either. I introduced him last in my tank and he even lived peacefully with 2 cleaner shrimp and several tiny anemone shrimp for about a year. I think with a little luck, if introduced last you would have a decent chance of having a peaceful fish. I also agree with Bob that I think a 90 is too small. I know it sucks but even if you got a small one I don't think it would be happy in a 90 for very long. Just one mans opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdumitru78 Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Thanks guys, given that it gets pretty large I decided to go against it. I might instead get a smaller fish that I know can do OK in my tank in the long run like a wrasse or something similar. I know Patrick gets some really nice wrasses in sometimes, maybe I will go that route, but man, some of the nicer Wrasses look great but are so expensive. Thanks for the responses though, I appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradth Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I have a pair of them. Were in my 29 gal while it was holding all my reef stuff during my 180 set up. They never messed with any of my snails, crabs or shrimp. right now there in my 55 waiting my cycle of my 180. Have heard nothing or read nothing thats suggests they are not a good choice for a reef tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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