Niger Tigger tank and clean up crew

[tbcseod]

Several months ago I bought a 120 salt water set up from a couple that came with some fish. After several attempts of putting in snails and such and having them "Vanish" I started learning more about my tank and its inhabitants.
As I read and learned I decided to get the tank going in the direction that I wanted it to head I needed to separate one of the inhabitants, my Niger trigger. Being as how he has such a cool personality I didn't want to "get rid of him" - so up went a 80 gallon set up - just for him.........
Now several months later the origonal tank is doing GREAT! I have added a ref and some live rock, snails, crabs and several other critters and it looks fantastic.
The problem I am having is with "The Trig'tarium" I have tried snails and he devours them, I have tried hermits and he slowly snacks on them - I have been fighting repetitive hair and red slime out breaks and I am having to clean the tank glass at least once (usually twice) a week - I need some ideas on something that he might be willing to leave alone that would help clean the tank, I was wondering what others have used? I was thinking about maybe a few Cucke's? or maybe a star fish or two (though I think I have been told he will eat stars also) Please help me out and give me ideas what others have used with successes
For what its worth I have tried regulating his light schedule, food regiment and not much seems to help (Except for no light, no food - but he seemed to get agitated with that set up.......)
The tank is 80 gal, 30 Gal Ref with 3 or 4 clams, and some Cerths and a ball of Cheto. - the Ref looks great, but the DT is a mess

~TbcSEOD

 

[rcreations]

Good luck with your search, I have 2 triggers (Niger and Huma) in my tank and they've eaten most of my CUC, EXCEPT: emerald crabs, large red legged hermits, large mexican turbo snails. I've also bought 2 chocolate chip stars and so far they haven't been eaten. Hope this helps.

 

[espkh9]

depends on the fish you got to get lucky, you will lose some buy tou need a CC so you just add more and hope most will make it.. theres nothing wrong with feding some hermits to a trigger it breaks down thier growing teeth and the ones larger ones that surive will do a nice cleanup job its necessary or you will alway have red slime algae and high nitrates and amonia and be doing water changes ubtill your back breaks and siphoning out detrerius weekly.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by Espkh9
http:///forum/post/2620497
depends on the fish you got to get lucky, you will lose some buy tou need a CC so you just add more and hope most will make it.. theres nothing wrong with feding some hermits to a trigger it breaks down thier growing teeth and the ones larger ones that surive will do a nice cleanup job its necessary or you will alway have red slime algae and high nitrates and amonia and be doing water changes ubtill your back breaks and siphoning out detrerius weekly.

Yep. Almost all triggers eat almost all inverts, that's their natural diet. This is a very common topic and someone will always have an exception to this. Then, the exception suddenly becomes more & more accepted. IMO, just because that's what some folks want to hear. But triggers and inverts just don't belong together unless you can change their genetic make-up.

 

[el guapo]

Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/2620734

Yep. Almost all triggers eat almost all inverts, that's their natural diet. This is a very common topic and someone will always have an exception to this. Then, the exception suddenly becomes more & more accepted. IMO, just because that's what some folks want to hear. But triggers and inverts just don't belong together unless you can change their genetic make-up.

Its just the nature of the beast . YOu just have to top off your Clean up crew every month or so . GO with the super larger red hermits turbo snails and the starfish . But be prepared to keep buying them . as far as cleaning the glass thats just part of the normal tank cleaning process . I clean both my tanks glass 2-3 times a week .