Triggers in reef tanks

[nasovlam]

I know that most triggerfish are DEFINITELY not reef safe. However, I have seen reference to a few species being reef safe in a couple of places, one of these at saltwaterfish.com for the blue throat trigger (Xanthichthys auromarginatus). I am a bit skeptical. (I have also seen reference to Pinktail triggers: Melichthys vidua, crosshatch triggers: Xanthichthys mento, and sargassum triggers: Xanthichthys ringens being reef safe.) Does anyone out there have experience with these or other "reef safe" triggers in a reef tank? If so, do they bother LPS, SPS. soft corals, mushs, zoos, shrimp, crabs, hermits, small fish, or anything else that you'd tend to have in a reef tank? It would be nice to try one but I don't want to be faced with the option of wrecking my tank or flushing the trigger (no back up tank to move him to if he doesn't work out).
Thanks.

 

[feixjai]

welcome to the boards. my friend had a blue throat trigger in his reef. it was about 3 inches in his 60 gallon. all the times i took care of his tank i have never seen it bother any corals or inverts. he had mushrooms, zoos, frogspawns, hammers, clams. it was doing great, eating really well, he even got it to eat seaweed when he fed it to his yellow tang and foxface. it never bother any of the other damsels he had. make sure you have a cover for the tank because hes jumped recently when he was away. good luck with your trigger

 

[v-lioness]

I have to agree with Xanthichthys Species (Bluethroat, Crosshatch, Sargassum) are probably your best bet when it comes to triggers in a reef...... Either way triggers are fast swimmers and need space, these are not fish that should be in confined spaces, they can produce a lot of waste and get large. The Pinktail is a trigger I call Hit & Miss........
It would be nice to try one but I don't want to be faced with the option of wrecking my tank or flushing the trigger (no back up tank to move him to if he doesn't work out).
It would not be the fault of the trigger for being purchased and placed in your tank....... If this is something you would consider doing than at least be responsible and consider just corals. Though fish may be listed as reef safe there is never a guarantee.......
Kaye

 

[nasovlam]

Thanks for the info. I am not concerned about the trigger browsing on stuff a bit -- just concerned that it could wipe out the tank and it sounds like the blue chin would be unlikely to do that. I should have enough size for it (sounds like blue chine gets to ~9") -- now I just have to give thought to whether I want to take a chance with the possibility of it squirting water out of the tank -- heard that some of them like to do that.
Thanks again.