New to Aggressive - making my list...

[beebeelb]

Hi there, all of you who have been keeping aggressive fish, I am not new to salt or reef but have recently lost all my fat & healthy Tangs due to us having to move. In short I have a 60 gallon long 3 yrs established... and now cycling again... so in the time we have and with the loss of our loved babies... we have decided on going for a bit more aggressive tank. I know that I can't have all the fish that I want so I thought that I would seek some feedback to help narrow down my list... keeping in mind that we had always intended to upgrade the size of our tank for our Tangs so upgrading to say 125 is foreseeable in the next two years. Sorry for m longwindedness,...
My wants... A clown trigger... I know- but that's the one that I want... than a puffer probably a stars & stripes or dog face if I find one that wants to go home with me... a lionfish... love the black lion but a dwarf may have to suffice... and an eel cuz my husband just has to have one if we go AGGY... I want a panther grouper but I don't think we will have time to think about his needs so I have pretty much crossed him off my list...
but can I keep even 3 of these is my 60 for 2 yrs? and if so which 3 and should I add them in any particular order or size? I am asking because my success with my tangs came from planning... size timing etc... Thanks to everyone who gives me feedback in advance - I am anxious but patiently researching...

 

[rcreations]

You should go with a dogface puffer. The stars and stripes gets huge. Get a small dogface, a small clown trigger and something like a snowflake eel or some of the dwarf eels. You can be fine with these 3 fish and add the clown trigger last. You probably already know it's agressive, so I won't mention that, but at least add it last.
You shouldn't keep a lionfish with a trigger or puffer because it'll get killed. Lions are too slow and the trigger will nip at its fins until the lion dies.

 

[beebeelb]

Thank You! I read that the Trigger could possibly grow to be the last man standing so to speak so I am really apprehensive about it... but I know that I want a puffer so if in that case I have to cross the Lionfish off my list than so be it. Cool to look at but not a good trade for all the personality and fun of Puffers and Triggers... so does everyone agree that if I raise the two (dog face and clown trigger) together from babies that would be a good pair? and throw in an eel for my hubby...
I have also read that if you don't feed live foods you may be able to avoid that deadly adult thirst for blood...
We are currently planning a pretty large in wall tank in our house but it's going to take a year or more to complete so I am thinking about what I can raise together now. I am sad to cross the lionfish off my list but I would never want to be like some people I see on youtube that I just want to strangle!

 

[rcreations]

Problem with clown triggers is that they're some of the most agressive triggers around and there's always a chance they might snap. Or they might be fine but there's a risk you have to take. Are you really set on a clown trigger? Reason I ask is because there are other less agressive triggers with great personality. Something like a Niger or Humu Picasso. Both of these are agressive but not as over the top as a clown.
Also, triggers get even more agressive in smaller tanks. Clowns and Nigers grow fast. Humus very slow, so you'd have plenty of time to upgrade. I think a small humu will be fine in a 60gal for 3 years.

 

[beebeelb]

Yeah I'm really bummed that God made the coolest fish be the one that has the worst temper... (like my husband) hahaaa... I like the Humu too... maybe someday I'll have a tank just for my clown trigger... for now I don't think I want to take my chances... thanks for the feed back... I try not to think about it but I always do - what happens to all those fish for sale in the store? They all go home to tanks with owners who haven't a clue.
Oh yeah about the Lionfish... wouldn't the Puffer take a bite of the venom and not go back for more?

 

[jag2232]

I got a huma huma trigger last week and he's one of the coolest fish that i've ever owned. I've never owned a clown trigger but unless you are really bent on getting one I couldn't imagine him personality wise being more interesting than one of the smaller triggers.

 

[beebeelb]

All triggers are just full of personality.. I don't think the Clown and Humu differ in size though... Just that the Clowns are known to turn into holy terrors when they mature... All Triggers are aggressive so I'm leaning towards the Clown for it's looks... what can I say I'm a Fashion DEsigner who loves fish!

 

[rcreations]

There are general rules for fish... clown triggers are very agressive, no lions with triggers and so on. But there are always exceptions and each individual fish can have a different personality. Like I had a Niger that was 10 times more agressive than a Picasso and on paper, it should be the other way. My Niger got to be so bad that I had to sell him, which is too bad because he was a great fish, for me. But he terrorized all my other fish to the point that they couldn't even eat anymore.
So you can try to keep anything, any combination of fish. Just be prepared to separate them if something goes bad.

 

[beebeelb]

Yes this is definitely true... I kept 4 tangs that shouldn't have gotten along but with space and being added at the right time and size they all got along famously! But I'm still wondering if the spines of the Lionfish are venomous why would the puffer/trigger nip at them... we were pondering this on the other thread...

 

[rcreations]

I'm not sure how it works with the venomous spines. But I've seen pictures of lions that were completely shredded by triggers. I'm guessing the triggers know where to bite, like in between the venomous spines.

 

[beebeelb]

My list keeps getting shorter...

 

[prime311]

Triggers are just too fast to get hit with a Lions venom. A Lion has to send venom out in an attack, unlike foxface that just require pressure against their venomous fins. A Clown is an overall bad choice, they can potentially grow pretty fast for triggers. I really don't see any advantage that a Clown has over the slower growing, just as cool looking, and slightly less prone to violent Humu's. Especially in a 60 a Clown has no place in this tank as they will likely get territorial fast and once you realize the Clown is getting violent you probably won't be able to upgrade fast enough to stop disaster.