Any info on the Gray Trigger(Sufflamen Bursa)

[jabari]

I purchased it last week under the name Hawaiian Trigger white stripe. I had never seen or heard of this trigger b4, but after calling a few fish store a well informed fish man from Fishman informed me of what it was, and after checking the web, he was correct. He is about 5-6 inches long, about 3 times the size of my picasso and clown trigger. He seems to have the picasso scared, he hangs at the top now and rarely goes below, but he doesn't mess with the little clown, im assuming because of the size. The picasso is about 3 inches and the clown about 2inches. The "Gray Trigger" doesn't appear to be trying to kill anyone...at least not yet, he's just being a territorial bully......They are in a 125g by the way...i know the question was going to be asked...lol.....Any info on these fish? Fill me in

 

[aquaknight]

I've got one!
You probably get more info searching for "Lei Trigger" (what I use) or 'Scythe Trigger.' Grey Triggers usually refer to Balistes capriscus.
On the Lei, I've had for year and a half now. Good fish. I was planning on having him in my 125gal, but he did eat a chromis in QT, so I wasn't risking my clowns. Setting up a 240gal now he will go into. A touch picky at foods at times when he not really hungry (chews it and spits it out). He was a bit skinny when I purchased him, and till just about recently, he's never put on the weight I'd like. I've started feeding NLS pellets (large 3mm sinking) much more heavy, and it seems to help a ton. I still feed clams, shrimp, scallops, silversides, good meaty foods as the main diet. Also he loves nori as well.
Vid of mine eating a shrimp.

Any specific you wanted to know?

 

[jabari]

thank you...that was very informative. I typed in Lei Trigger at the Marine center website and got a ton of info. I was surprised; it said they are more mild in comparison to their other trigger relatives. I also read that they are not usually available often, so if seen u should hop on them. Marine Center sells medium sized Lei's for 119$ large ones for 149$. If u don't mind me asking is that about how much u payed for yours, if so i guess i really lucked up. Mine is about 5 inches and i only paid 40$ for it. Now i really like my Lei and dont want to get rid of him but he seems to be bully'ing my picasso a little much for my taste so im considering replacing my picasso. I was thinking of maybe an angel or wrasse what do u think? Also do u think he will pick on the Angel or wrasse too,if not will the clown eventually beat him up? I also have a very docile 4 inch dog face puffer in there as well, that he doesn't seem to care much about, he leaves him alone

 

[aquaknight]

I have had two issues, other then chromis, with my Lei. He did bite and leave marks on the Burrfish in my avatar. To be honest, I think it would have been just a temporary thing. I just added the trigger and he was trying to show dominance and the puffer just didn't understand and didn't back down. Had I did a properly intro'd him, and give it some time, I'm pretty sure it would have worked out.
The other has been with the Lunare that's in the vid. At times they've fought pretty hard. I previously had them in a 90gal fowlr and that was no way going to work. This time around I divided the tank with some egg crate, and let them get "used to each other" first. I have removed the egg crate (obviously) and they have been pretty good since. Still some issues when the Lunare is hungry, but the trigger himself has been good. That's to be excepted when you cram two 7" fish (the Lunare is probably over 8") into a QT.
The other fish in the QT, the Naso Tang, Whitetailed Pygmy angel, and damsel, he hasn't really even noticed.
To be honest, I'm not totally surprised the Humu isn't working. If you study the 'structure,' how the Lei and Picasso are built, they are very, very similar. Sufflamen triggers and Rhinecanthus triggers seem very closely related (just personal opinion, nothing scientific to back it up). Yea, I have read the same, that Sufflamen triggers are less aggressive then most triggers. In the world of Queen/BlueLine triggers, definitely, however they're definitely not the same as a Blue Jaw or Crosshatch. Some of the common trigger attributes still apply. I bet the angel, and depending on the type of wrasse, will probably work.
For the clown trigger, there are tons and tons of people with Clown's in commuinty fowlr settings. There just are too many stories of them growing up and becoming terrors and killing tankmates for me to try.
I paid $79 from a LFS. Lei's generally are from Hawaii, and thus if you're paying a good bit of change for one, they're from Hawaii. Their territory does extend into the general "Indo-Pacific" area, so a $40 Lei, is probably going to be from there. Another LFS had two $40 Lei's, but they were beat up. But yea, that was over the course of 3 years, and I still haven't seen one locally since. Definitely a rarer trigger.

 

[jabari]

Yeah im thinking about getting a lime green wrasse or Rainbow wrasse...i like their color and i think they would hold their own. Im also debating whether or not i should keep the dog face, he's just so docile and in active. I don't want him getting stressed out liveing with a bunch of aggressive active fish like my a wrasse and my triggers...i just feel bad about taking him back to the lfs because when i got him he had been their for awhile, and i don't want him being stuck in a small fish store fish tank with no hiding places to seek refuge in...again...what do u think?

 

[aquaknight]

Yea, it just really depends on the fish you want to keep/prefer over some others. With the dogface being really passive, being in a tank with that many pretty aggressive fish may not work. If you only had 1 or 2 that you could feed separately from the dogface definitely could work.
If you decide to move on from the dogface, see if there's a local reef club/forum in our area, and offer the dogface for free. This will allow you to take all the offers you get, and pick the best tank for him, instead of having to sell the fish to the first person with the amount you're asking.
A Picasso(if he works out), Lei, Lime Green/Rainbow wrasse, and angel, a 'medium sized' angel IMHO, I wouldn't get an Emp or Queen, would work out for a long time in a 125gal. The Clown trigger should outgrow the 125 in a few years. If you wanted to relocate or have plans for a larger tank, you can get an Emp or Queen angel, just realize they probably grow a touch faster then the Clown.