trigger fish?

[sciknen]

i took my pet snake to the vet today n they have a trigger
it was with other fish pretty small mostly white
what im trying to figure out if they are safe with other fish
and if there is any kind that is reef safe
i would love to here from people with experience with these fish
it wud be goin in my 1st tank as well 55 gal
with prob pair of clowns
n a firefish and i forget the last one

 

[kjr_trig]

Most triggers are not reef safe...a few exceptions
All triggers grow too big for a 55 gallon tank i'm afraid.
Triggers are great fish, IMO they are the most entertaining fish in the hobby, most do very well in large tanks with large similarly aggressive tankmates...Some (especially the little monster in my avatar) are extremely aggressive, and are typically best off by themselves.
Find out what type the trigger you saw is and we can tell you more about him...but again, I would never recommend any trigger in a tank as small as yours long-term.

 

[sciknen]

hey thanks for the quick reply
do u no which ones are reef safe
i read that the Sargassum Triggerfish is
but so expensive
also i will be moving up to a 125 probably 6months to a yr after i start this one is that okay?
the one that i saw at my vet was most all white with a black line n a lile blue
thanks a lot man

 

[kjr_trig]

Originally Posted by sciknen
hey thanks for the quick reply
do u no which ones are reef safe
i read that the Sargassum Triggerfish is
but so expensive
also i will be moving up to a 125 probably 6months to a yr after i start this one is that okay?
the one that i saw at my vet was most all white with a black line n a lile blue
thanks a lot man
125 would be great....Sargassum and Bluethroat would be the most reef safe triggers both are great, Bluethroat is much more affordable...don't confuse him with the Blueline or Bluespot as both are aggressive, especially Blueline. People have also had success with Niger and Pinktails in reefs, but are considered slightly more risky.
The one you saw is likely one of four triggers...Assasi, Huma, Rectangle Huma, or Bursa, more than likely one of the first two.

 

[greg803]

I agree with the prior posts. The 55 gal is 2 small for them. I currently have a 150 gal reef with a niger so far he has done well. I was thinking of adding a trigger to my 90 gal(would have to buy it small)

 

[ccampbell57]

I would bet the farm that the trigger you saw was a Huma-Picasso trigger. They are the most common trigger in the trade (besides a Niger).
As for the reef, as KJR explained, the Sargassum and Bluethroat have had great success without issues. I have also seen folks with Pinktails and nigers with no issues. On the other hand, I have heard the complete opposite as well.
It is all up to the fish if they will co-operate. If it were me, I would try anything once. If I had a reef, I would add in the trigger that you love and see how it works out. If it doesnt then, pull him and try a new one.