Triggers in a reef

[Gator0930]

Are there really any triggers that are reef safe? It is said that crosshatch, niger, and bluethroat are reef safe. I have seen things that are contrary to this. Is this because they eat your snails or is because they eat coral? I am willing to buy new snails here and there if it means having the fish i want. I am looking to stock 2x comb tooth blenny, maybe pearly jawfish, wrasse that max out from 5-6", a tang, bicolor goatfish, and anthias. How big of a tank would you need to house 1-3 nigers, a parr of blue throats, and maybe a pair of crosshatch. IF AND ONLY IF they are actually reef safe!

 

[lion king]

I would say a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch in a minimum of 240g. Do just a pair of blue jaws and you could get away with a 125g. I find the crosshatch over rated and over priced anyway. No matter what you hear a niger will never be reef safe. Possibly a juvi short term but that's it; my niger would kill any blue throat and destroy your reef just for something to do.

 

[Eagle aquatics315]

Are there really any triggers that are reef safe? It is said that crosshatch, niger, and bluethroat are reef safe. I have seen things that are contrary to this. Is this because they eat your snails or is because they eat coral? I am willing to buy new snails here and there if it means having the fish i want. I am looking to stock 2x comb tooth blenny, maybe pearly jawfish, wrasse that max out from 5-6", a tang, bicolor goatfish, and anthias. How big of a tank would you need to house 1-3 nigers, a parr of blue throats, and maybe a pair of crosshatch. IF AND ONLY IF they are actually reef safe!

Blue throat triggers are reef safe, I have never seen anyone have trouble with them, I have one and he is great with the coral and inverts. Little shy but a very cool fish to keep.

 

[Swoody]

Blue throat triggers are reef safe, I have never seen anyone have trouble with them, I have one and he is great with the coral and inverts. Little shy but a very cool fish to keep.

That is pretty good to read as I really like the look of a male Blue Throat...is it recommended to have a pair?? Would def. get juvies and let grow into tank and tank mates....lightly stocked 255g so there is room.

 

[lion king]

That is pretty good to read as I really like the look of a male Blue Throat...is it recommended to have a pair?? Would def. get juvies and let grow into tank and tank mates....lightly stocked 255g so there is room.

The thing about getting a pair is that some don't show their true colors until over 4" likely closer to 4.5". So many times you can end up with 2 males, and when they mature, you'll have a bunch of trouble. It is very advised not to count on the 100% identification as female until over 4" closer to 4.5". I don't think it is necessary to have a pair, It's just fun to watch them pal around.

 

[Burrito]

What if I just want one? Ok to keep 1 blue throat alone?

 

[HB AL]

I currently have a bluethroat and Sargassum trigger in a heavily populated reef, corals of every variety, couple clams, hermits, snails, cleaner and fire shrimp and a couple clams, they don’t touch a thing. They are 100% reef safe.

 

[Dobermanp]

I would say a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch in a minimum of 240g. Do just a pair of blue jaws and you could get away with a 125g. I find the crosshatch over rated and over priced anyway. No matter what you hear a niger will never be reef safe. Possibly a juvi short term but that's it; my niger would kill any blue throat and destroy your reef just for something to do.

I disagree with this. I have a niger I got 3 years ago that was the size of a quarter, now is 5-6 inches from nose to tip of tail in my 90G reef, and he's never killed anything that i've ever seen. even a 1" female golden rhomboid fairy wrasse. Now one thing I have to mention, I have an equal sized blue tang that bosses him around, and I think that keeps the niger in check very well. I also kep my niger VERY well fed.

 

[SPR1968]

I’ve got male and female blue throats who are constantly trying to spawn every few months, and they are completely Reef safe and I have a full blown reef and they don’t touch anything, apart from taking a crab tank surfing if they don’t like it’s location!

My system is around 180g all in.

 

[lion king]

I disagree with this. I have a niger I got 3 years ago that was the size of a quarter, now is 5-6 inches from nose to tip of tail in my 90G reef, and he's never killed anything that i've ever seen. even a 1" female golden rhomboid fairy wrasse. Now one thing I have to mention, I have an equal sized blue tang that bosses him around, and I think that keeps the niger in check very well. I also kep my niger VERY well fed.

It's absolutely ridiculous and unethical to have a niger in a 90g, so anything else believe at your own risk.

 

[Swoody]

So as far as the Blue Jaw...what fish are they not compatible with? I have a couple Tangs, a Bellus Angel, Blotchy Anthias, Bengai Cardinal, Yellowtail Damsel and a 2 Ocellaris Clowns....Any of those an issue?

 

[Dobermanp]

It's absolutely ridiculous and unethical to have a niger in a 90g, so anything else believe at your own risk.

What's ridiculous is you ridiculing me on my fish choice, who makes you the decider on what's ethical and what's not? Nothing. I was trying to contribute to the thread and have a discussion, no lambast people unlike you. Also, you're not the authority on niger triggers becuse you have one.

 

[Joshua2598]

What's ridiculous is you ridiculing me on my fish choice, who the hell makes you the decider on what's ethical and what's not? Nothing, so shut your mouth if you don't have anything productive to say. I was trying to contribute to the thread and have a discussion, no lambast people unlike you. Also, you're not the authority on niger triggers becuse you have one chief.

I mean... to be fair that is a pretty small tank

 

[eatbreakfast]

I disagree with this. I have a niger I got 3 years ago that was the size of a quarter, now is 5-6 inches from nose to tip of tail in my 90G reef, and he's never killed anything that i've ever seen. even a 1" female golden rhomboid fairy wrasse. Now one thing I have to mention, I have an equal sized blue tang that bosses him around, and I think that keeps the niger in check very well. I also kep my niger VERY well fed.

Your niger trigger is still only half grown. And often with triggers their attitude and behavior continue to change as they grow.

Also, 90g is pretty confined for a niger trigger.

To the op, blue jaw triggers are probably one of the safest triggers, but are still a risk with motile inverts.

 

[Gator0930]

Blue throat triggers are reef safe, I have never seen anyone have trouble with them, I have one and he is great with the coral and inverts. Little shy but a very cool fish to keep.

The thing about getting a pair is that some don't show their true colors until over 4" likely closer to 4.5". So many times you can end up with 2 males, and when they mature, you'll have a bunch of trouble. It is very advised not to count on the 100% identification as female until over 4" closer to 4.5". I don't think it is necessary to have a pair, It's just fun to watch them pal around.

I currently have a bluethroat and Sargassum trigger in a heavily populated reef, corals of every variety, couple clams, hermits, snails, cleaner and fire shrimp and a couple clams, they don’t touch a thing. They are 100% reef safe.

I’ve got male and female blue throats who are constantly trying to spawn every few months, and they are completely Reef safe and I have a full blown reef and they don’t touch anything, apart from taking a crab tank surfing if they don’t like it’s location!

My system is around 180g all in.

Your niger trigger is still only half grown. And often with triggers their attitude and behavior continue to change as they grow.

Also, 90g is pretty confined for a niger trigger.

To the op, blue jaw triggers are probably one of the safest triggers, but are still a risk with motile inverts.

Willl having a male blue throat and a male crosshatch be an issue? i want to keep pairs, but sometimes 2 males is an issue especially with female present. is this the case with triggers? Should they all be added at once or at similar sizes to diffuse aggression? Thanx everyone for your inputs. I am looking at a 240G (72" x 27D x 29T) debating going up to 280 (72 x 30 x 30)

 

[lion king]

Willl having a male blue throat and a male crosshatch be an issue? i want to keep pairs, but sometimes 2 males is an issue especially with female present. is this the case with triggers? Should they all be added at once or at similar sizes to diffuse aggression? Thanx everyone for your inputs. I am looking at a 240G (72" x 27D x 29T) debating going up to 280 (72 x 30 x 30)

That's a good question, while I have seen a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch kept in tanks at least the size you are talking successfully; they are both from the Xanthichthys genus. I think what may make it work, 1st off tank size, and the fact a pair of each; if there were 2 males and only one female or maybe even no female, it may be different. I've seen a 50/50 result when people mixed a sargassum with a male blue throat, as I'm not sure if the sargassum can be definitively sexed, so if you end up with 2 males there could be trouble. If your tank can handle it, adding them all at once would be ideal. Although I've never really seen either become territorially aggressive; both species seem to find their own space without much aggression.

Most times you'll get a bonded pair of crosshatch, but sometimes you'll get unbonded blue throats. I've found it advantageous to keep the pair in qt together until you see them bond. Most times it works, sometimes they will have an indifference to each other. 2 fully bonded pairs will add to the chances of success of keeping them together.

 

[lion king]

More and more I'm seeing post signing onto the opinion that's ok to keep triggers in 90, 75, or even 40 breeders. This is very delicate and disturbing subject for me, because it just doesn't work. A grow out maybe, for a very short time. You'll find people post success with their 2" trigger and perpetuate more bad choices from other reefers. This will end very badly in like 99.99% of instances, maybe one out of thousands doesn't end badly. It's not that I'm an authority, it doesn't take much to witness this, it's a nasty thing to see a trigger turn.

 

[Gator0930]

Does anyone have experience with keeping a Bennett's Sharpnose Puffer, a Blue Spotted puffer, and/or a snowflake eel in a reef tank?

 

[Colin Fowler]

Are there really any triggers that are reef safe? It is said that crosshatch, niger, and bluethroat are reef safe. I have seen things that are contrary to this. Is this because they eat your snails or is because they eat coral? I am willing to buy new snails here and there if it means having the fish i want. I am looking to stock 2x comb tooth blenny, maybe pearly jawfish, wrasse that max out from 5-6", a tang, bicolor goatfish, and anthias. How big of a tank would you need to house 1-3 nigers, a parr of blue throats, and maybe a pair of crosshatch. IF AND ONLY IF they are actually reef safe!

I have a Blue Jaw in my 120 reef and never an issue. He spend most of the time hiding but comes out at feeding time.

 

[User1]

I would say a pair of blue throats and a pair of crosshatch in a minimum of 240g. Do just a pair of blue jaws and you could get away with a 125g. I find the crosshatch over rated and over priced anyway. No matter what you hear a niger will never be reef safe. Possibly a juvi short term but that's it; my niger would kill any blue throat and destroy your reef just for something to do.

I liked the post - it made me giggle. Then I felt bad for liking it when you said it would destroy your reef just for something to do I don't like that obviously but found it funny