Do trigger fish really "rearrange rock work"?

[Miller535]

I have flirted with the idea of getting a triggerfish for years. The one thing that has really kept me from pulling the "trigger" is that some sites like liveaquaria claim that they rearrange the rockwork. I really don't want that to happen. And none of my rock is glued or epoxied down.

 

[kiet_kat]

I have a Picasso and niger trigger. Neither mess with rock work but the picasso does spit sand all over the tank. I got tired of blowing sand off the corals every day. Re-homed the picasso.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

I have a clown trigger that picks up pieces of rubble and moves around the tank. Does the same with frags.

 

[Waters]

Just smaller pieces normally unless they are trying to dig something out that might be hiding under or behind the structure. I have kept both Picassos and Niger Triggers without them ever touching anything but the smallest pieces or rubble.

 

[nereefpat]

It will depend on size and species of trigger. Some of them do this naturally as part of their hunting strategy. The plankton eaters, blue throat, crosshatch, sargassum, *shouldn't* give you much trouble.

 

[krash7172]

My blue throat has never moved anything

 

[Qasimja]

this is the exact reason thats kept me from getting a triggerfish lol

 

[Miller535]

Blue throat is one of the ones I was looking at. I really the retail also, but do not think I want to spend that kind of money on one.

 

[Miller535]

If it is just small rubble kind of pieces I am probably O.K. I suppose I could always try one, and rehome it if it does start moving things to much. There's just something about watching them and the way they swim.

 

[alton]

I had an Australian clown trigger from The Marine Center based in Dallas once that I grew from a baby in my 200 gallon. When he got to 6”, I placed in my 158 gallon tank at work where he was the only fish. Since he had me and no one else to play with or spit water at, he would pack hermits crabs all day long. Never tried to eat them just picked them up and dropped them in other parts of the tank. One day he picked up a small rock of frilly mushrooms from the right of the tank and moved them 4’ to the left. In a week the mushrooms looked awesome. Sheer luck I guess, I would never thought of moving them.

 

[Miller535]

I had an Australian clown trigger from The Marine Center based in Dallas once that I grew from a baby in my 200 gallon. When he got to 6”, I placed in my 158 gallon tank at work where he was the only fish. Since he had me and no one else to play with or spit water at, he would pack hermits crabs all day long. Never tried to eat them just picked them up and dropped them in other parts of the tank. One day he picked up a small rock of frilly mushrooms from the right of the tank and moved them 4’ to the left. In a week the mushrooms looked awesome. Sheer luck I guess, I would never thought of moving them.

That was sort of the other thing I wondered. How bad they go after the clean up crew.

 

[Mical]

Every Niger trigger I've ever had has dug holes and moved rock - large rock. I can't speak for other varieties, but Nigers WILL "rearrange the furniture".

 

[Miller535]

Every Niger trigger I've ever had has dug holes and moved rock - large rock. I can't speak for other varieties, but Nigers WILL "rearrange the furniture".

That would be bad. When I set this tank up 7 years ago. I didn't know any better. And I put all the sand in before the rock, and didn't glue any of the rock.