Reef safe Trigger Fish ??

[chrisjet]

I am setting up a 90g reef and fish aquarium. I will be using all the same stuff from my nano tank. I really want a trigger or 2. I have heard that a niger trigger is reef safe. What do you think ? Also is there any other reef safe triggers ?

Thanks,
Chris

[chrisjet]

Anyone ???

[virginiadiver69]

the blue chin, Niger, pinktail and Sargassum Triggers are the ones I know of.

[morayeelsrule]

i'd be careful but virginiadiver listed all the ones i could think of the problem you into with triggers is they love to rearrange the rock and tend to crush your corals hope that helps

[gguertin]

I was under the impression there was no such thing????

[alan214]

Crosshatch Triggers are supposed to be reef safe Triggers, too. I'm with the folks that believe you should bear in mind that at the end of the day, we're still talking about Triggers. Just be mentally prepared to remove them should they start exhibiting normal Trigger behavior.

[Lev F.]

There are a variety of Triggers you can obtain that are reef safe.

The most trusted ones are Xanthicthys auromarginatus, Xanthicthys mento, Xanthicthys ringens and (if you could obtain it) Xanthicthys caeruleolineatus. These guys are pretty reef safe, and most individuals will not harm ornamental invertebrates, but there are some individual fish that do. It's a hit-or-miss, but you have a greater chance of getting a well-behaved individual with the species above. this is because Xanthichthys is a Zooplankton-feeding genus and does not feed on benthic invertebrates like other triggers do (in the wild), but rather picks up zooplankton from the water column.

Melichthys niger, as well as Odonus niger are sometimes considered reef safe, along with some other species, but generally these are more prone to eating your ornamental invertebrates, like shrimps and crabs.

Other triggers, not mentioned above are not safe with motile invertebrates, including the Clown, Queen, and The "Picasso" type triggers.

All triggers are a hit or miss with Coral as well. Xanthichthys, again, will almost definitely ignore corals. Some other species, like Clown Triggers and the like, will re-arrange the tank and may injure corals in the process.


I have Xanthichthys auromarginatus, and I'm pretty happy with his behavior. I keep him with a large variety of invertebrates, including the tiny Thor amboinensis shrimps, and he doesn't bother them.

[puffer21]

blue throuts are reef safe

[virginiadiver69]

Originally posted by Lev F.
There are a variety of Triggers you can obtain that are reef safe.

The most trusted ones are Xanthicthys auromarginatus, Xanthicthys mento, Xanthicthys rigens. Melichthys niger, as well as Odonus niger are sometimes considered reef safe.

bluechin (Xanthicthys auromarginatus), crosshatch (Xanthicthys mento), sargassum (Xanthicthys rigens), common niger trigger(Odonus niger)

[sjm817]

I have a Pinktail, and it has been fine. Bluechin/throat/jaw's are supposed to be good as well as Cro$$hatch. I've heard Nigers are a little more iffy.

[Lev F.]

I've had a 1 1/2 inch Odonus niger that I obtained unintentionally. He was first well behaved, but then he started biting the legs off my shrimps. I've heard this is what happens from most people, but some people I know have had them for quite a while.

Nevertheless, they do reach 50 CM, which would put quite a bio-load on a reef tank, as they are messy feeders.

[jmick]

There is no such thing as a truly reefsafe trigger. Some might be less likely to kill your hermits, snails and other critters but there is no guarantee that they won't. I've been wanting to add a blue throat to my reef for some time but I just can't pull the trigger...

[bureau13]

Various people/places will tell you Odonus niger is reef-safe...I had one, a very small one, which was perfectly well-behaved until something injured it and it died. However, I haven't found very many people if any who have kept one that was a bit older and larger. I believe the do tend to get more into eating inverts and wreaking havoc among the rockwork as they get older...which is too bad, because they're really awesome fish.

jds

[chrisjet]

thanks for all the replies

[alan214]

Originally posted by virginiadiver69
bluechin (Xanthicthys auromarginatus), crosshatch (Xanthicthys mento), sargassum (Xanthicthys rigens), common niger trigger(Odonus niger)

Thanks for the translation, virginiadiver69!

[samson78945]

i have a clown trigger in my reef right now and he is one of the most behaved ones. if anyone is considering gettin a trigger id recommend that u get it as a juvi so its not as aggressive towards everything