niger trigger really reef safe?
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Forum Name: Fish
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49737
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Topic: niger trigger really reef safe?
Posted By: will
Subject: niger trigger really reef safe?
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 1:06am
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i was just wondering what everyone's experience with keeping a niger trigger in a reef tank has proven to be... i would really love to get one for my 125 mixed reef tank ...but not if it's gonna eat my coral and/or invertebrates ya know? thanks
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Replies:
Posted By: Snowsrfr
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 7:33am
| I had one, back when I had a larger tank, and he was a model citizen. Didn't bother any coral, inverts or the other fish. He was definitely one of my favorite fish I've owned. |
Posted By: Seth
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 11:36am
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I second what Snowsrfr said. I have had a few of them and none of them were a problem.
------------- 75gal sps dominated reef. Bigger and better coming soon |
Posted By: Josh95
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 12:38pm
| i too agree, great fish, no problems, very agreesive torwards food, and oly torwards food. |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 1:53pm
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So i could have one with firefish and clowns??? ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: P.Kapp
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 3:06pm
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I have one now in my 125, with clowns, purple firefish, tailspot blenny, and some shrimp. So far hes been good. He does go crazy when im feeding though. If I hold a cube of shrimp in the water he will bite my fingers, but with no food he leaves me alone. Fun fish to watch ------------- Preston Kapp 210 Gal Reef |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 5:07pm
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hmm. I really want one. Anyone know where there is one for sale? ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 5:36pm
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I want one too. I know the online stores say 75 gallon minimum, but would it do ok in a 75 you think? I thought I read they get from 12-18 inches long? I want a tiny one to start out with and maybe by the time it is big I will have my 250 tank done. |
Posted By: Marine-Aquatics
Date Posted: June 23 2011 at 10:25pm
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We have a couple of them instock ------------- 7563 S. Main St (700 west) Midvale (801)536-0600 Open Mon-Fri 11:30-8pm Sat 11-8 Sun 11-4 After hour emergency (801)563-0600 |
Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: June 24 2011 at 9:27am
| How small? |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: June 24 2011 at 12:29pm
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How much ;) ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: June 26 2011 at 10:03pm
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They are reef safe with caution., When they get larger (and they do get fairly large) they will take to eating hermits, snails, shrimp, etc. They can also be aggressive towards new additions. That being said, when they are smaller they are great fish won't bother corals or other fish that are already in the tank. P.S. as with most triggers as they age they can get a little nippy so watch your fingers when working in the tank lol ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: will
Date Posted: September 01 2011 at 11:40am
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dudes just wanted to make the update that i bought one and regret it big time... i used to have one in an agressive set up that was the nicest fish in the tank even though he was getting pretty big this lil effer is about an inch in a half and i've watched him pull the arms off my anemone crab, kill my bengi and pajama cardinals by picking their fins down bit by bit till they couldn't swim away fast enough, and shred the fins on my foxface that is 4X it's size. spawn of satan i'm telling you
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Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 8:39am
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A Niger trigger is one of those fish that I would really love to get into my tank as I love them! I think the responses so far to this thread accurately represent what my survey of these fish has been. Several people have good luck with them, but every once in a while, somebody gets a triggerfish that kills all of the other fish in the tank. Is there anyone that can explain this? I don't harbor any ill will towards any of you that had trouble with this fish, but I am curious if anyone can explain this somewhat varied behavior of these fish. Are some just not well fed? I tend to have more aggressive fish in my tank and am regularly bitten by my clown fish. I am actually quite afraid of adding any fish to my tank that cannot hold their own against my clown fish. At the same time I don't want a fish that will kill my clowns, as they were expensive and I love them even though they have drawn several drops of my blood. ------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 8:54am
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I have had one for about 4 months now and here is what I think: He does chase fish around if he is hungry, but really doesnt attack them. He is territorial and likes to have a hole to live in. I saw him kill one of my two watchmen gobies, but at the same time the goby kept trying to go in the hole that he was already in, so I guess he was asking for it. He doesn't touch any of the inverts or even act like he notices them. He will move things if they are in his way too, but that's it. I will probably take him out sooner than later, but to be honest the anthias are more aggressive than he is. ------------- Defending Reefscape Champion (I Think) |
Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 8:58am
In response, my trigger doesnt even look at my clowns. He has never chased them off or done anything to them. He doesn't like the anthias, but they are annoying to everyone in the tank. The yellow tang dominates the trigger and always has, so maybe that is why mine is pretty good. Even when he was tiny, the trigger didnt come out hardly at all in the 75 gallon and was much more territorial/ aggressive in that tank. In the 180 he just swims around and is a pretty good tenant. I would probably say he is like the grumpy old man on your street. Annoying, but mostly harmless. I think the aggression comes from too small of tanks, under feeding, and fish that may like to try and share space. Oh and a final note, if a fish is sick or having a slow acclimation, he will nip at them. Like a shark, I think he senses the weakness and sees easy prey. ------------- Defending Reefscape Champion (I Think) |
russianrick wrote:Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 9:34am
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So it sounds like my tank might be a little on the small side since I only have an 80 gallon tank, but I do have some decent caves that my fish take shelter in at night and such. Right now my Yellow tang is the largest fish in my tank about about 4 inches long and followed closely by my clown fish. My problem is that I am torn between desire to have a Niger trigger and fear of a disaster. ------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 9:40am
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^I guess just make sure you get a good deal on one so you don't feel bad when you have to sell it and are the one giving the good deal. If I can catch mine you can buy it ;) The big issue is they are hard to catch, and pretty fast. If your yellow tang is healthy and you get a small enough trigger it may do what my tang did and just pummel the trigger into submission. ------------- Defending Reefscape Champion (I Think) |
Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 9:46am
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My tang looks really healthy, but he has been behaving somewhat aggressive recently. Not quite the same defensive behavior that I am used to seeing from my tang when he is sick. I am used to seeing him act defensive, but also to kind of back himself into a corner and act a little lethargic. I'm thinking that he might be still a little aggressive from when I wasn't feeding them for about 3-4 days, even though I have been feeding my fish regularly and plentifully for the last week or more. ------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 10:51am
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Yeah I guess you could just check and see. I would only try if you are not too attached to your rock work (may need to pull it down to get him out), and if you have time to monitor him for the first little while he is in there.
------------- Defending Reefscape Champion (I Think) |
Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 11:10am
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Unfortunately it wouldn't be the first time I had to take out all my rocks to get a fish out. I had purchased a juvenile regal tang and a royal gramma that were both smaller than my clowns and my clowns would have killed the both of them had I not taken them out of my tank. ------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 11:17am
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Not the one I got... LOL Got one after commenting on this thread and it is a huge dick. Maybe 3.5 inches and killed a 4 inch potters angel, a lawnmower blenny and has beat up a couple of firefish really bad. I would be careful. ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 12:42pm
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I'm thinking that I should probably just pass on the niger trigger and get a bunch more green chromis damsels to add to the two I have.
------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: fishnfresh
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 1:46pm
| They are deffinatly not reef safe, reef caution maybe. But yea once they are adult size I would think 90% of them become aggresive. I had a niger and a huma huma both were not to bad till they became adults then started picking off the weaker fish in the tank. Took the huma huma to a LFS and he killed two of there fish in there aggresive tank. Go with the blue jaw or cross hatch imo most safe you can get with triggers |
Posted By: Tanuki
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 2:23pm
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Damsels will be just as bad or worse ------------- Defending Reefscape Champion (I Think) |
Posted By: russianrick
Date Posted: September 16 2011 at 2:25pm
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Why do you say that? I already have two, and they are the most peaceful fish in my tank.
------------- In Soviet Russia, Fish collect YOU!
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Posted By: Saltwater Trish
Date Posted: October 14 2011 at 2:25pm
Will, bout fell out of my chair laughing at your "spawn of satan" remark! 
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