Just got my first aggressive fish- any ideas on roomates?

[a&m '96]

I recently finished cycling my first marine setup- a 65 FOWLR. Being a saltwater novice, I chose to go with aggressives for now (ease of maintainence, etc), but I may change to community fish once I get some experience. Anyway, I purchased a small (1.5") huma trigger this weekend, and all is well- he hasn't bothered my yellow-tailed damsel at all. He has his territory, and the damsel spends most of his time in the live rock, so I don't anticipate any immediate problems. My near-future additions may include either a dwarf lion or false-eye puffer, and a small niger trigger. Any suggestions on who might work out? (I am aware of triggers being cramped in a four foot tank, but I'm planning on exchanging them if they get too large.) Thanks for your time!!!

 

[trigahappynigerog]

eventually the triggers and the puffer will harass each other. triggers dont usually eat damsels until they get bigger and hungry.

 

[clowntrigger2k]

just be careful i started with 3 damsel and added a hum hum and there is only one left , but the one that is left is still alive in the tank even though there is a big lionfish ,clown trigger,hum hum,a big snowflake eel,a big tomato clown,porkypuffer,yellowtang,but don,t trust a trigger they will eat anything if they can!p.s. the damsels name is lucky,lol

 

[eric18]

a&m what about a snowflake?

 

[skirk]

clowntrigger2k, your lionfish can't be all that big, right? I's just wondering because I've never seen a lionfish let a damsel go. None of mine anyway. I have a lionfish that is about 10-11" and I fed him an approx 4" domino the other day on accident. I's holding it for a friend until he got home and it lasted all of about 20 seconds in my tank. I bought it because he wanted a large one. Needless to say, he never paid me for it=) I was however impressed at the ease of which he ate him. Anyways, just curious as to if he really was a large lion that doesn't eat damsels. That's just the nature of a lionfish (to eat small fish that is).

 

[clowntrigger2k]

my lionfish is about 12 inches and he only chasing the hum hum and the tang he won,t catch the damsel because he is too fast and stays away from the lionfish,the clowntrigger goes after the damsel but never get to him , the damsel thinks he is a tough fish ,lol

 

[ozzfan84]

you would be surprised as to how tough damsels are. I had to move my clown trigger because a sgt major was beatin him with his tail! If they get big, damsels can be real tough

 

[out on a limb]

Hey A&M I here snowflake eels are pretty hardy and move around more than some eels. Gig'Em

 

[mark-24]

Well, the problem with putting the trigger in first is that your entire tank is now his territory, and any intruders will be 'politely asked to leave' (chased, alot)
-Mark

 

[justchillin]

ok well first off a 65 isn't big enough for those fish (and the triggers will out grow it)...
also, triggers and puffers don't always mix well (a mean trigger will use a puffer as a chew toy-or so i've heard)...
aside from that mark-24 is right about the territorial issues the trigger will cause by being there first...one way that may help is to rearange the lr just before adding anything and also adding the new fish at night may help too...
good luck