Electricity and Triggers

[hchellette]

Hi all, I posted this question in the Aggressive Fish section, but was encouraged to also post here, considering my question is also about the equipment and not just the fish.
I have a question about a particular Trigger behavior that was recently brought to my attention. I called a worldwide pet specialist company to inquire about their availability of a fish and I got into a discussion about Triggers somehow. The woman I spoke to mentioned that if I plan to house Triggers, that I cannot have any electrical cords in the tank (heater, power head, etc.) because the Triggers will snip the lines and electrocute the entire tank. She said that this happens just about every time a Trigger is put into a tank with exposed cords.
I have never heard of this and am worried about my own tank, because I do have power heads with obviously exposed cords. My heater is in my sump, so I don't have to worry about it, but what about the power heads? Has anyone had this happen to them? What are some ways that I can avoid anything like this happening?

 

[wattsupdoc]

Actually, it's the aliens that pose as copopds in the live rock that do that. They only do it in tanks with triggers, it's a conspiracy you know.

Sounds like a bunch of balony to me, like they just go after cords for some reason. Never, ever heard of it, but I suppose it could happen from time to time. I think the person you talked to had just done some peyote or something.........But since I said this, someone will come along to prove me wrong......

 

[scsinet]

Triggers are large, powerful fish. The one thing they have been known to do is break heaters by ramming them against the side of the tank.
I've never heard of them actually biting open power cords... it would have to be a REALLY big trigger like an Undulated, Titan, etc.
If you are worried about it, snake the wires through PVC pipes up to the equipment in the water.

 

[kjr_trig]

I agree with SCSI, I would worry about the big boys, Queen, Clown, and so on, I wouldn't put it past a trigger to chew on anything they don't think should be in their tank though...A large puffer I would never have anything like that in the tank, I learned this when mine destroyed 2 thermometers (keep it in the sump now

).
I saw your post in the aggressive forum, I would have to say Sargassum, Bluechin, or Huma would be fine, they are manageably sized and not very aggressive (at least compared to some others)

 

[hchellette]

Yeah, from the responses I've received, it appears to be a fairly rare thing that happens. I'm going to take the precations anyway, just because Murphy's Law follows me, but I'm not going to really worry about it. Plus, like you said, kjr_trig, the Triggers I plan to house are the Blue Throat, Sargassum and Picasso, and on the agressive scale, they are lower than most. (I hope)

 

[scsinet]

I had suggested PVC above... another thing you can do is use spiral wrap (Radio Smack sells it. You can also get it online for way less from MCM Electronics or Parts Express). It's a really tough plastic and you won't have trouble with the plugs like you would with PVC pipe.
It also comes in different colors so you can blend things in.