Humu Picasso Triggerfish

sps4mytank · May 27, 2010

Been wanting one for years.

But my tanks are reef.

Recently, I saw one in my friends tank who is majority sps and it seems decent enough to keep in a reef.

Has anyone successfully kept a huma huma nuka nuka in their reef tank.

I want peoples opinions before i bite the bullet.

Jay

inactive · May 27, 2010

I had a huma... meanest fish ever! It bit me.. I added reef stuff, it ate it all.

Acropolis · May 27, 2010

I've kept one in a reef. They're usually not too bad until they get bigger. if you don't mind trading him back in, you should be able to get a couple years out of a small one.
They are readily trained to go into a net or the fish traps work great too. only thing you really need to worry about is replacing hermits.

SeaLifeDirect · May 27, 2010

A small one should be fine. FYI their Hawaiian name is Humu humu nuku nuku apu a'a

sps4mytank · May 27, 2010

small should be ok huh? stay away from large ones

stunreefer · May 27, 2010

Eventually they'll get large, then what

IMO fish should only be purchased to be kept for their entire lives. We're not leasing cars here...

You can always just keep coral that they won't pick on (when you learn what that is, if any, over time). With fish like this (nippers/eaters), you have to make a decision before you pruchase them, fish > coral, or coral > fish, and base your purchase on that.

sps4mytank · May 27, 2010

im not really concerned with my coral. My concern really is my pair of sanjays black photons.

Paul_N · May 27, 2010

Why not try a blue jaw which is peaceful trigger and way more "reef safe". I had a huma when I first started out with FOWLR and it would go after my lion fish all the time. Just a thought. I agree with stunreefer I never put a fish in my tank with the idea of taking it out in a year or two. I want a trigger for my 225 I am setting up and I decided on a cross hatch so that will be the last fish I put in. I also accepted the fact that I probably won't be able to keep any shrimp.

sps4mytank · May 27, 2010

i already have a blue jaw trigger in my tank and thus far no problems. I just love the beauty of the huma huma.

Paul_N · May 27, 2010

I hear ya. It's a unique fish.

sps4mytank · Jun 1, 2010

so i bit the bullet

so far so good. Only eating mysis shrimp.

Only about 1 1/2 inches in size, but definitely stays away from corals and shrimp. Havent seen him trying to nip my snails or hermits yet. been a few days already and I am happy.

Now time to get my flame angel out

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 4, 2010

humu humu nuku nuku apua'a...throwin it the shaka from hawaii. take good care of that little guy. seen large triggers maintained in reefs through the use of hermit crabs.

SeaLifeDirect · Jun 11, 2010

The fish looks great. Sounds like everything is good so far. Good luck!

Adam Gilbert · Jun 19, 2020

sps4mytank said:
so i bit the bullet

so far so good. Only eating mysis shrimp.

Only about 1 1/2 inches in size, but definitely stays away from corals and shrimp. Havent seen him trying to nip my snails or hermits yet. been a few days already and I am happy.

Now time to get my flame angel out

10 years later - How’d the humu work out with your reef? Just set up my first tank and really want a humu but want corals More. Did it work for you?

Shah · Aug 29, 2020

sps4mytank said:
so i bit the bullet

so far so good. Only eating mysis shrimp.

Only about 1 1/2 inches in size, but definitely stays away from corals and shrimp. Havent seen him trying to nip my snails or hermits yet. been a few days already and I am happy.

Now time to get my flame angel out

How is the trigger doing after 10 years??

drmantistoboggan · Sep 19, 2020

Adam Gilbert said:
10 years later - How’d the humu work out with your reef? Just set up my first tank and really want a humu but want corals More. Did it work for you?

Bump because that’s some crazy follow up