Clean up Crew with triggers

theirr

Member
Looking to get a clean up crew for a 100 FOWLR tank. 35 lbs LR, 100 lbs LS, wet-dry trickle filter, and protien skimmer. I have clown, pink tail, huma triggers, marroon clown, wrase, hippo and yellow tangs and a damsel.
I did dose with copper 3 months ago and now it reads 0. But I did leave the rocks and sand in there. I've been changing the carbon. I'm I still safe to get a clean up crew? And what should I get?
 

f1shman

Active Member
In my FOWLR tank my triggers eat ALL my cleaning crew, so I dunno if yours would too? I have a picasso trigger and an undulated trigger
 

moto757

Member
triggers and clean up crew don't mix just like oil and water. I wouldn't waste your money just run a uv instead in the long run you would probably spend the same on replacing your clean up crew trust me.
 

salty chee

Member
I'm surprised that the fish mix. As for the clean up crew, it would be possible with any trigger in the tank. He/she would eat them like there's no tommorow. :eek: . I don't have any triggers, so I'm not exactly sure what you should do. I'm guessing you should at least do all neccisary cleanings each 3 days or a week. This is still just a guess so you should ask someone who knows more. Sorry.

BTW, you mind showing the trigger? I alway loved humas. :)
 

haze123

Member
yeah I wouldnt try it. It would just be a watse of money but its a good way to feed them sence its there naturel food soruce lol. I would do what MOTO said and just get a UV and clean the hell out of the tank once or twice a week and see how that does. Good luck though I love to see some pics of your triggers they are amazing fish, very smart.
 

shoimen

Member
I have a Niger Trigger, often referred to as the most mild-mannered trigger. It is currently about 3-4 inches long.
I have this with 2 chocolate chip starfish, several small hermits, a larger hermit(about an inch around), 1 emerald crab, 2 peppermint shrimp, and 1 camel back shrimp.
I know the trigger has taken out 3 peppermint shrimp, because I put 5 in the tank. =)
The other peppermints have been fine for several weeks now.
The trigger is quite small and I am not exactly sure what to expect in the future. I'm hoping he wont be too violent with my inverts.
 
M

matt_m

Guest
I have a Picasso trigger,about 5", he loves to eat snails, crabs, etc.`
BTW, if anyone is interested, he needs a new home.
 

vanos

Member
Did you say you dosed your tank with copper. You can't put any inverts in there because of that even though it reads 0. The copper stays in the sealant of your tank and will leak out killing your inverts.
 

nickyblase

Member
I have a 5-6" Picasso Trigger, and he goes after the snails, but not the crabs. I also have in there a spiny black urchin & a brittle star & they are doing fine. I would be VERY leery about putting inverts in with copper in the tank though - A UV sterilizer would be a better investment in my opinion - that way you can control algae AND parasites if you have the right wattage & flow. I just got one used from another member who didn't need it anymore - I'd try to look in the classifieds on this site and any others you may belong to, so you can possibly get one for cheap.
 

swfishonly

Member
i have a rectangular trigger and before i bought him i had about 8 emerald crabs now i only have 3 they only come out when the fish isnt there but once they see him they all go into the rockwork so i wouldnt waste your money on it
 

bret61081

Member
I have a small Blue Throat trigger(2-3") and she doesn't bother any of my hermits, cleaner shrimp, pepermint shrimp, emerald crbs, snails nothing....I try and feed her atleast 2x a day so she doesn't get hungry enough to go after them! she is very doclile and so far wouldn't hurt any of the other fish or cleaning crew!
 

fishfanny79

Member
Originally Posted by Bret61081
I have a small Blue Throat trigger(2-3") and she doesn't bother any of my hermits, cleaner shrimp, pepermint shrimp, emerald crbs, snails nothing....I try and feed her atleast 2x a day so she doesn't get hungry enough to go after them! she is very doclile and so far wouldn't hurt any of the other fish or cleaning crew!

That doesnt surprise me, I've heard that the blue throat trigger is actually reef safe. Many people think the niger trigger is...but the blue throat is more so...
 

gamedawg

Member
I was reading about the cleaner shrimp, and it says "The Cleaner Shrimp gladly provides this valuable service to even the fiercist predators." So, would this shrimp have a pretty good chance with a humu that is pretty docile?
Would a hermit be okay, since they have a hard shell?
 

bret61081

Member
Originally Posted by Gamedawg
I was reading about the cleaner shrimp, and it says "The Cleaner Shrimp gladly provides this valuable service to even the fiercist predators." So, would this shrimp have a pretty good chance with a humu that is pretty docile?
Would a hermit be okay, since they have a hard shell?
I read on here b4 that the best bet is to have it b4 you add the trigger. Thats why I made sure myshrimp were all in and had their territory established before I got my trigger. The trigger doesn't really mess with any of the fish or inverts so far. the Maroon is always trying to fight with him for food is all and the cleaner shrimp sleeps in the BTA at night with the clown so who knows what would happen if he even tried to eat him! hehe...the maroon would prolly go crazy!!

I am not sure about urchins...I had a small one come on some live rock and it made its home in my over flow...been in there several months so nothing really touches it....
 

55gsw

Member
In my 75g FOWLR I have a peppermint shrimp, a sandsifting starfish, 2 small blue legged hermits and a large turbo snail. All of these were added long before I got my little picasso. So far he leaves everything alone and has even let the shrimp clean him! BUT, the hermits are AWOL, haven't seen them since so he may have eaten them. When I tried to add some nassarius snails to the tank, he went after them as soon as they hit the water......
I don't know how long this will last but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Bubba sharing a clam....
 

sw65galma

Active Member
Long spined urchin....Best Agressive clean up crew...Nothing will Bother it...Unless it wants a venemous spine up it's a**
Taken from a site:
"The Black Longspine Urchin, also known as Long-spined Sea Urchin, has a body which is predominately black with a red eyespot in the center. The spines on these urchins are long, thin and completely black. They are a very delicate looking urchin, which are actually very capable of protecting itself. These urchins are excellent algae controllers for an aquarium housing aggressive fish."
 

sw65galma

Active Member
Originally Posted by moto757
triggers eat urchins they blow them over and go to town on them sorry I already tried
I don't disagree cuz i've never had them together, but...
Mine is about half the size of a basketball and sticks tothings like crazy...Don't know how exactly it'd "blow it over" :notsure:
 
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