Triggers… reef safe?

[newreef1]

Update guys, the cleaner wrasse has come out of hiding, I can’t blame the trigger, poor guy didn’t do anything.

I spoke too soon..IT WAS THE TRIGGER

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I spoke too soon..IT WAS THE TRIGGER

Sad

 

[muggle0981]

I had a niger trigger

demolished my inverts

and a clumsy guy-knocking into rocks-but that was my experience

 

[littlefoxx]

I spoke too soon..IT WAS THE TRIGGER

Uh yeah Im good, dont want him eating my other fish! what the heck

 

[TrampledByEwoks]

Long time ago I had a 220 fowlr with triggers and they were my favorite fish to keep. I put together my current reef tank and talked myself out of a blue throat for years due to risk. Bought one a year ago now and couldn’t be happier. A missing hermit now and then is worth the trade off IMO.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Yeah I think I might have to pass on a trigger. The guy Im getting the tank from has some very expensive corals in there and I dont want them damaged! Also that story about the trigger biting the eel is nuts! Im excited to get the snowflake and dont want him bullied like that! And he is a little guy, maybe 10 inches max at the moment

Love triggers but also too nervous to try one in my reef (there was a super awesome blue throat at my LFS currently and they seem to have a lot of personality). I value my inverts too much though to chance it - have had my fire shrimp forever, and 3 peppermint that do a great job keeping aiptasia at bay.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I had to put my trigger in a fowlr. He is by far my favorite fish. Comes to my hand in the tank, acts like my Oscar when it's feeding time. Like a dog. Love him

 

[littlefoxx]

I had to put my trigger in a fowlr. He is by far my favorite fish. Comes to my hand in the tank, acts like my Oscar when it's feeding time. Like a dog. Love him

yeah I got a niger two weeks ago and he is awesome!

 

[PhishMonger84]

I only setup salt tanks because of triggers, easily the coolest fish you can keep.

 

[newreef1]

I only setup salt tanks because of triggers, easily the coolest fish you can keep.

I seem to have trouble getting my trigger to eat pellets. It only eats frozen foods and I have to feed him the chunky LFS and spot feed him because the other fast fish will snatch his food before he’s done eating. I want to use an Auto feeder in case I have to go out for a couple days. Do you have any feeding tips?

 

[PhishMonger84]

I seem to have trouble getting my trigger to eat pellets. It only eats frozen foods and I have to feed him the chunky LFS and spot feed him because the other fast fish will snatch his food before he’s done eating. I want to use an Auto feeder in case I have to go out for a couple days. Do you have any feeding tips?

Well i'm currently without any trigs, when i had them i treated them the same way i treated wild predatory cichlids, starve em, eventually they will take what is offered especially if there are other greedy feeders in there.

 

[littlefoxx]

I seem to have trouble getting my trigger to eat pellets. It only eats frozen foods and I have to feed him the chunky LFS and spot feed him because the other fast fish will snatch his food before he’s done eating. I want to use an Auto feeder in case I have to go out for a couple days. Do you have any feeding tips?

So I spot feed my trigger too. But he is fast as hell and gets a lot of the other frozen food I feed the rest of the tank. I enjoy spot feeding him though I spot feed him in his area a few pieces of chunky, then I feed the rest of the tank. I have 3 tangs, a butterflyfish and a juv angel. No issues there. Maybe try feeding all the fish at one end and then feed your trigger? I dont know mine will eat pellets if thats all I have but I can tell he doesnt like them

 

[littlefoxx]

I only setup salt tanks because of triggers, easily the coolest fish you can keep.

I see why! I ended up getting a Niger named Grunt. He is easily my favorite fish and very interactive!! Wont ever not have a trigger in my big tank now… amazing fish.

 

[littlefoxx]

Out of curiosity, have you ever kept a clown trigger??

I only setup salt tanks because of triggers, easily the coolest fish you can keep.

 

[PhishMonger84]

Out of curiosity, have you ever kept a clown trigger??

I haven’t had a tank large enough set up for salt, yet.
I’ve kept rectangular, huma huma, Niger and blue throat

 

[DrapedInVelvet247]

So I have a Niger Trigger, beautiful fish, probably my favorite. He is smooth in the water and fun to watch. Brave. Attacks all food.

Bad stuff:
Two to three weeks ago I added two small torches and a bubble torch and a small/tiny zoa frag. In the beginning it was fine for a day or so but he has a fetish for knocking the zoa frag from the frag holder. Just that one. Over and over immediately after I put it back each time. I have a 8 slot holder and have the 4 pieces there. Then we left out of town for a few days and their feeding pattern changed a bit. When I came home after three days all the frags were on the tank floor and half eaten. Pretty upset but didn't know if my blue tang did it or the niger trigger. After watching a bit I finally caught him doing it. He'd knock the zoa frag out and then attack it all the way to the sand bed. I was hoping he would leave the torches alone to recover but it seems like he had a taste for tearing them apart. Within a day or two the demolished the torches.

I'm hoping the frags/torches will recover ?? First time so not really sure.

 

[newreef1]

Out of curiosity, have you ever kept a clown trigger??

I have, that guy was a pig. Would literally eat anything, from nori to anything else in the tank, never harmed any of my little fishes. But again was slower than the other guys.

 

[newreef1]

So I spot feed my trigger too. But he is fast as hell and gets a lot of the other frozen food I feed the rest of the tank. I enjoy spot feeding him though I spot feed him in his area a few pieces of chunky, then I feed the rest of the tank. I have 3 tangs, a butterflyfish and a juv angel. No issues there. Maybe try feeding all the fish at one end and then feed your trigger? I dont know mine will eat pellets if thats all I have but I can tell he doesnt like them

I do the same right now. I first add food for the rest of the fish which he still ends up eating. Then throw pieces of chunky in front of him. If another fish gets it he’ll go and grab it. I can hear the teeth go click click click. I’m thinking of future though so might have to try the other method. A little wary because he’s an expensive fish and the thought of starving any fish I don’t like.

 

[littlefoxx]

I do the same right now. I first add food for the rest of the fish which he still ends up eating. Then throw pieces of chunky in front of him. If another fish gets it he’ll go and grab it. I can hear the teeth go click click click. I’m thinking of future though so might have to try the other method. A little wary because he’s an expensive fish and the thought of starving any fish I don’t like.

Yeah makes sense! I feed my dude chunky once a day and then feed him globs of krill after he goes nuts with the rest of the food!

 

[littlefoxx]

I have, that guy was a pig. Would literally eat anything, from nori to anything else in the tank, never harmed any of my little fishes. But again was slower than the other guys.

Are they as mean as everyone says?