Trigger Fish?

[Ethos]

I have found a new heart for SW. I've decided to try and push aas hard as possable for the 75G.
What I want to do in there is a triggerfish tank. I want a tank that I can spend hours working on, just because I like working to make a better living area fior my fish.

So I want to do a FOWLER tank. I was reading about it in a mag. and thats what I really want to do.

So, I figured I wanta:

Bursa Triggerfish
Humu Picasso Triggerfish
Pinktail Triggerfish
Humu Rectangle Triggerfish
Blue Throat Triggerfish
Niger Triggerfish

Anybody have some info on these?
Anybody know where I could find more (on the cheaper side) trigger fish, or fish that would go well with a trigger?
I think I could only have 3 in a 75G, so I'll be adding clean shimp, and stuff like that.

I was also woundering if anybody had any info on the "Snowflake Eel?"

Thanks in advance, Colin/Ethos

Edit: I just read somthing that says "The snowflake Eel grows up to 24" and reqires only 50 Gallons."
Can that be right?

 

[fraservet]

Triggerfish can be very aggressive - particularly when large, so I would be wary of keeping several in such a small tank.
The niger is one of the most docile, so would be a good starting point.
I think Bluethroat Triggers are ok as well.
Picasso's can be bad.

I would stick to 1 or at most 2 triggers, with suitably robust tankmates - puffers, groupers, large angels etc.

These fish will kill pretty much any inverts you put in with them.

I have a fairly small niger trigger that currently lives with
porcupine puffer
dogface puffer
giant squirrelfish
large domino damsel
masked rabbitfish
blue-line grouper
naso tang





Eels generally need relatively small tanks for their size, they like lurking. The main concern is waste management in small volumes of water. They are also expert escapees.

 

[Navarre]

Nigers are generally considered Reef safe but they do grow huge! A 75 gsllon tsnk is simply too small for it unfortunately.

Bluethroats are one of the smaller triggers and is very docile/reef safe. These triggers can be kept with inverts. shrimps etc with no worries over predation.

The Pink tail is supposed ot be safe although i have never owned one.

The rest are very aggressive and you will need some seriously robust fish that can take care of themselves.

 

[Ethos]

EDIT: Navarre, I am thinking of just doing a trigger tank with the one eel. I have also read in 3 places that the Niger only needs 70Gs. So, I'm sure that if you have the luxery of room to spoare that, you should. But it isn't a necessity.

But, I looked at puffers and they all seem to need atleast 125Gs. Is there a smaller one?
I like the Niger the best I think.
Like I said I want it to be a FOLWER tank, so I dotn really have to worry about it moving things around.

The artical on the Snowflake eel sasid "Provide a secure and tight fitting Hood."
So I can have the eel, just keep a very close eye on it?

 

[fraservet]

It's all a question of whether you want the minimum size tank for a fish where it can survive, or a tank where it can thrive and show normal behaviour.
If you kept it on it's own a 75g might be ok for a Niger, but as soon as you add other fish you need to increase the size.
These fish can grow to about 1 and a half feet long, so a 75g would only be about 3 times as long as the fish.
You are also more likely to run into problems with aggression and territoriality in a smaller tank.

If you can, I would push for a 125g tank - it wouldn't be much more expensive to set up, with the extra live rock needed being the main outlay - and you can always build it up over time.
It would give you much more choice over what to have.

As to puffers, there are several small species (e.g.Tobys) that only grow to 4 or 5 inches, but these may be in danger with a big trigger.

The next group are much like the niger with regard to tank size - ie can be kept in 75g but not perfect.
porcupine puffers and masked puffers grow to a maximum of 1 foot and are great characters.

 

[California Ron]

Ethos,
We have a 55 gallon with a 4 inch Picasso Trigger and a Snowflake Eel that is at least 24 Inches. They do great together. You aren't going to be able to have any shrimp in there though both of your chooses will eat the shrimp. You could ask" Dr. Scrubs" (my cleaner shrimp but he has since turned into FOOD). I love my Eel he is the neatest thing that we have. He will eat shrimp out of your fingers but you have to be careful, he has drawn blood one. We have 3 tanks and he is my favorite. They do get a bit aggressive at feeding time but the Eel will generally back away and let the Trigger have his fill first. The Eel also escaped once Through a very small gap so make sure the lids fit very tight. Good Luck.

 

[Ethos]

What else do you have in that tank? Is that it?

 

[California Ron]

That is all that is in that tank, no sense in pttuing something in there that they will just eat and I figure it is to small for much else.

 

[Ethos]

But doesn't the picasso require 70Gs? And he gets 10"?


I am also intrested in butterfly fish.

Could I keep a butterfly fish tank?
How many could I keep?
I like Heniochus Black & White Butterflyfish, Auriga Butterflyfish, and the Raccoon Butterflyfish.