Trigger Safe Clean Up Crew?

[seamantimmy]

Can someone help give me some advice on a celanup crew that will survive my clown trigger? I had a Red Vol. Lion, Wolf Eel, Panther Grouper with a cleanup crew consisting of a variety of filter feeders, snails and hermits. All lived in a happy little ecosystem.
After adding Gacy, my new Clown Trigger, to the mix, I've noticed that the snails have all become tasty snacks and the hermit population has been decimated.
I need ideas for a cleanup crew that will survive Gacy's taste for violence.
He seems particularly fond of picking up the snails/hermits and bsahing them against the live rock to crack them open like coconuts

I was thinking about a couple of urchins for the algae on the glass and some sand shifting inverts for the substrate, but I'm wondering if anyone else has better ideas.
Any thoughts are welcome!
Sure is fun watching the mayhem, though

 

[lion_crazz]

Urchins are a natural part of the clown trigger's diet. They would be a very bad idea to add to the tank from your standpoint.
The sand sifters would more than likely be eaten as well, especially the more aggressive sand sifters such as stars and nassuarius snails.
The only animal that might work is some of the larger snails/hermits like the mexican turbo snails and larger species of hermits. Even then, you are taking a huge chance with such a nasty animal like a clown trigger.
My best advice is to begin to keep it clean yourself.

 

[limitedslip]

I agree w/ lion, a razor blade will quicky become your best friend.
I had a tiger cowry that my fish never messed with, but it died at the LFS while they were babysitting my fish

I plan on getting another one though,
Id say get either a cowry or an albalone, because the triggers wont be able knock em over because of their suction power.

but even then, you manually cleaning the tank will do the best job

 

[blue oasis]

Would a cleaner wrasse work with trigger?

 

[renogaw]

cleaner wrasses clean fish, and generally don't live long in our systems.

 

[seamandrew]

Like a tiger cowry, you can also look into getting some chitons, but they're hard to get and are impossible to peel of any surface!

 

[seamandrew]

Like a tiger cowry, you can also look into getting some chitons, but they're hard to get and are impossible to peel of any surface!
Unfortunately, triggers love invertebrates! I love triggers, but I had to give them up because of that nasty penchant of theirs for devouring prized inverts! I had such a beautiful Lagoon Trigger...

Hurt to give him up to the LFS, and for what, a Thank You. Those cretins!

 

[kjr_trig]

Originally Posted by seamantimmy
Can someone help give me some advice on a celanup crew that will survive my clown trigger?

The only good cleanup crew for a Clown Trigger....................................Is the Clown Triggers owner

 

[seamantimmy]

Yeah, I have no problem with cleaning the tank, and do regularly. I just liked the self-healing system I had before Gacy moved into town. I guess I named him aptly - he's a freaking serial killer

Thanks for all the responses! I'll try a few heavier snails or maybe an abalone or two and see how they do. I'm betting they will eventually become escargot, but what the heck - circle of life and all

John

 

[chilwil84]

and when you resort to manual cleaning watch your hands many triggers like to nip

 

[seamantimmy]

yep. between him chewing on me and the lion's spines, it is becomng a real test of my dexterity

turns out, I'm not allergic to neurovenom!

 

[kjr_trig]

Originally Posted by chilwil84
and when you resort to manual cleaning watch your hands many triggers like to nip
Amen to that...That is "Sumpter" in my avatar...he thinks I taste like chicken!!!

 

[stingrayman]

I`ve had good luck in my aggressive tanks using chocolate chip starfish.
that`s the only thing they just seem to leave alone. you have to clean the walls down yourself though, scraping algae and such. good luck

 

[seamantimmy]

Thanks all for the replies. I bought a couple of large Mexican Turbos; Gacy is still a juvi, and these puppies are pretty big (about 1.5 inches across), so maybe my banda des vatos are hardy enough to survive Gacy's onslaught for a little while

So far, they're doing well. It's been a week now and they've only been harassed once (the night I put them in the tank). They're smart enough to lay low during the laylight times, and start cleaning at night. I know that once Gacy gets bigger, he may decide he wants an escargot snack.

Chocolate Chip star is a good idea. I'll consider it if Pancho and his gang lose their badges (we don't need no steenkin badches...).