alprazo
Active Member
Meanest fish I’ve ever seen. Attacking my hand while acclimating. Attacks glass when I walk in the room and I had to pull the heater in it’s QT because it was biting the cord. Darn thing might as well be rabid.
Spotted or Rough trigger
- Thread starter alprazo
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Reefkeepers Archive
2500 Club Member
Just be glad it's not an undulate trigger, from what I've heard they're the meanest fish in existenceMeanest fish I’ve ever seen. Attacking my hand while acclimating. Attacks glass when I walk in the room and I had to pull the heater in it’s QT because it was biting the cord. Darn thing might as well be rabid.
Reefkeepers Archive
2500 Club Member
That's a beautiful trigger. What size tank is he in?
WheatToast
2500 Club Member
Nice to see that you are finding success with this fish. I absolutely love pelagic species in the trade, like Canthidermis maculata and Diodon eydouxii. I just wish I had a larger tank to house them in!
WheatToast
2500 Club Member
Undulate triggerfish (Balistapus undulates) will actually eat the eggs of rough triggerfish (Canthidermis maculata)! The nerve!
Reefkeepers Archive
2500 Club Member
Yes, but has he ever bitten you?
Is that your tank?
They're definitely neat fish, if you can gain their trust before they decide to bite, what is their personality? I assume very aggressive?
Ks4726
Active Member
No never bitten me. Yes thats my tank.
Still a juvenile. Not aggressive at the moment, but started off extremely shy hiding in the rockwork, but comes out more and more. The miniatus and trigger like hang out, it's a weird relationship. I was hoping if the trigger was introduced at a young age to something, the trigger would just accept it as part of the background.
I know the attitude will change shortly. Just how much is the question. Everyone wants to talk about the species, but nobody really ever had one from juvenile to adult. I wanted to see first hand what is the truth. I understand every trigger is different though.
An account that I cared for in college had one. It was well fed and in a very large tank - like 5k gallons. It got mean as it grew mostly chasing and bullying fish and it eventually required a few people in wetsuits, large nets and lots of patience to catch it. We had a grey and a queen in that tank and they could not tolerate this fish. It lived alone in a 4x4x8 plywood tank for the rest of the time that I knew it.
These are common fish in the warm atlantic. People can get them for you, but you have to ask. They are not common in the trade since they are mean and require more than what most people can provide.
These are common fish in the warm atlantic. People can get them for you, but you have to ask. They are not common in the trade since they are mean and require more than what most people can provide.
0MNSH1ZLLC
Active Member
Thinking about putting a Queen and Rough (if I can find either) in my future 1100...do you think it could work? Not sure why anyone would want a Grey those are just plain ugly to me hah.
Red Sea 500
Active Member
I had a Niger trigger in my tank for a while…..took him out fairly quickly. Ate everything!!
You know the answer, right? Maybe when they are smaller, but risky. Grey grows on you like a Niger, convict tang, french angelfish, etc - the patterns are kinda like an adult chevron. They do get huge. 
The big issue with any of these is that you have nowhere to go with them... nobody will want them and you cannot give them to a larger tank, restaurant display or public aquarium like you can a queen angel, valmingi, etc. If the queen or rough just gets big and kills all of your other fish, are you OK with a 1100 gallon one-fish tank? If not, then I would not get one.
You basically are stuck, or you can grill them and have a triggerfish sandwich. This is crude, but it has been done.
You can get either. There are any number of divers in the gulf who will get you one if you ask, pay and wait.
The big issue with any of these is that you have nowhere to go with them... nobody will want them and you cannot give them to a larger tank, restaurant display or public aquarium like you can a queen angel, valmingi, etc. If the queen or rough just gets big and kills all of your other fish, are you OK with a 1100 gallon one-fish tank? If not, then I would not get one.You basically are stuck, or you can grill them and have a triggerfish sandwich. This is crude, but it has been done.
You can get either. There are any number of divers in the gulf who will get you one if you ask, pay and wait.
