clown trigger reef safe?

[ninjamini]

IS a clown trigger reef safe? With corals? snails? hermits? shrimp?

 

[rldavisou]

Not with corals, no. In the wild, triggers use their beak to take bites of live hard corals. They then digest the meat and poop out the skeletons, making some of the most fertile sand in the world. I've never heard of someone being able to get them to prefer prepared foods over corals. Even if they do wind up taking prepared foods, they will always nip at corals too. Clown triggers are stunningly beautiful fish, but should only be kept in FO tanks.

 

[reefforbrains]

This is one of those odd times in your life when you find yourself saying you agree with the pelvic thrusting stormtrooper.
I agree

 

[zanoshanox]

lol, agreed^

 

[ninjamini]

Originally Posted by rldavisou
... but should only be kept in FO tanks.
How if they dont take prepared foods?

 

[mike22cha]

Well first off, you're going to need a pretty big tank for a full grown clown trigger. Second, that'd cost a lot of money to fill with corals and such if it was a reef tank. Third, why would you want to risk so much money invested in the corals?

 

[rldavisou]

Originally Posted by ninjamini
How if they dont take prepared foods?

They do take prepared foods readily, but not if there's coral present.

 

[maxalmon]

The Sargassum Trigger and the Pink Tailed Trigger are considered reefsafe, I've been reading up on them, asking questions and the general view is that they are safe with precautions, you have to keep and eye on them for any bad behavior.
Blue Throat Triggers are another option, they tend to leave inverts along and will eat prepared food. Blue Throats are probably the safest option as they are considered to be the safest reef Trigger.

 

[bradig]

I have read similar things regarding the sargassum, blue throat, and pink tail triggers. I have actually been doing research on them for about three years. I have never owned a trigger. They are great pets from what I hear, and can be pretty nasty, as far as fish behavior goes. Obviously when it comes to fish behavior, like people, every specimen has a different attitude.
I have always read that if you truly value your inverts do not put any kind of trigger in with them. This of course is all in theory.
I will be setting up my 75 gallon reef tank within the next six months or so. I have a 29 gallon reef at the momment and can't wait to get bigger. If you end up with a trigger please let me know how it goes. I am dying to hear from someone other than past posts, and what I have read in books. Maybe your experience will persuade me.
Also the only sargassum triggers I have seen have retailed for well over a hundred dollars. That would make me hesitate.