Triggers vs lions/groupers/tusks

[frankb]

I have a 90 gallon tank. I have a 4" Clown Tigger, 3.5" Picasso Trigger, 3.5" Undulate Trigger, 3" Niger Trigger and an Snowflake eel. The triggers seem to get along ok. They chase each other around a bit but no wounds or damaged fins. I had a 4.5" Dogface Puffer which did very well with the mix.
I wanted to try a new fish so to prevent overcrowding I traded in the Dogface for a Porcupine Puffer who ate ok but did not do well with the triggers. I tried a Harlequin Tusk 3.5" but he did not seem to be compatible either. I then tried a Volitan Lion. He lasted for 6 months and got to be 5+". He was doing well but it seemed when he got too large to hide well the relentless chasing got to him. I tried a Meniatis (sp?)Spotted grouper and he too grew to 5+" and then ran into trouble hidding.
THE PET STORE CLAIMED THE GROUPER AND LION WERE AGGRESSIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN OK FOR SURE. IRONICALLY THEY DID MUCH BETTER WHEN THEY WERE SMALLER AND COULD HIDE/REST. I WAS TOLD LARGER THEY WERE THE BETTER CHANCE THEY HAD?? DO I JUST NEED A TANK WITH MORE SPACE? WOULD A TUSK, LION AND GROUPER MAKE IT WITH THE TRIGGERS IN A 150 GALLON?

 

[saltwater4me]

So let me get this strait? You knew when you got the fish(grouper), that it would hide, trying to stay away from the triggers. Why would you get a fish that would be hiding all day from the triggers?I wouldn't add anymore fish to your 90 gallon. That's a cool tank already. But, you will probably need that 150 when your triggers get big. But, I'd get rid of the undulated, then I bet you can add that tusk in a 150.

 

[frankb]

Saltwater, the grouper tended to rest under some rocks at the bottom of the tank (as groupers tend to do). When it got larger it just seemed it was harder for him to avoid the triggers.

 

[saltwater4me]

O sorry, misunderstood.

 

[grouperhead]

ok first off, that tank is a bit overstocked. get rid of some of te triggers or the eel, or get a bigger tank soon. even when you do get a 150, no more fish should be put in there. a clown will get 18", niger 16", picasso 12", undulate 14", snowflake eel 30-36".so i think you should just keep your tank the way it is, dont add anything, but you could take back some of the triggers. dont even think about adding a tusk, lion and a grouper to that tank when its a 150. that will be WAY to many fish. if the triggers killed the fish why did you keep adding more fish? dont add any more fish, even to the 150 unless you take some out. bo

 

[frankb]

Come on! The thumbs down is a little harsh! I have only 18" of fish in a 90 gallon tank. I thought that was ok?? Certainly if I get a 150 gallon with a kick as filter I can add a fish or two? Please tell me that I can add a fish or two! I 150 gallon tank can have only 4 fish and an eel?

 

[grouperhead]

no, 18" is about your stocking limit on a 90g. if you think 5g per inch you are filled. and when you think you can add a fish or two to your new tank, you are not considering how large the fish you have now will get. your 150 will be fine if you keep what you have, you will not be able to add anymore fish. bo

 

[lionfish]

LionFish says.......
Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. You see, I meet a lot of people saying to me that it is wrong of me to tell them that they can't add anymore fish to an aquarium. Honestly now, you have 4 triggers, and you have 2 very mean ones at that. You are only thinking of them at this time, where as, you should think abou the future. Those fish aren't gonna stay that size you know. I don't care if you do get a 150 gallon, you still can't add anymore fish. You have gotten yourself into a hole with 4 triggers. Cause there is just no way to addanymore fish with an Undulate trigger and Clown trigger, not to mention the other 2. You either get rid of a couple trigger or you live with what you got. Not trying to be harsh but that is just as simple as it comes. You can't think that 4 fish that can get up to 10 inches easily and have a bad atttitude are just gonna let any fish enter their domain. Also, this is something not many people ever metnion but is true. Undulate Triggers have been known to attack eels. Just a warning. You better upgrade anyways and you still can't add anymore fish. You could have up to 58 inches of fish. If you were going by the 4 inch rule that would need nearly a 250 gallon tank (240 gallons to be exact). Just make sure that you don't end up with a bunch of dead fish. Get a bigger tank and eventually get rid of the Undulate.

 

[craigj]

Oh c'mon now. I'm by no means an expert and I'm sure that you guys know way more about the subject than I do, but I still have a few problems with your argument. Although I do agree this 90 is way overstocked, you guys went to extremes on specie sizes. A clown trigger 18 inches? While I don't doubt that they exist this size, do you know how many years it would take to reach 18 inches? And if it did make it to this length, how big of an aquarium you'd have to have to keep this giant fish? I know you guys mean well but the way you put some things discourages people from getting some really awesome fish. I mean with my 72g, realistically I couldn't house a single trigger bc they all reach large sizes. But I am still going to get one and when he reaches say 8 inches or so, I'll take him to the aquarium down the road and let him live out his life in a 10,000 gallon aquarium. Better than letting him suffer in some rathole LFS til he dies from copper solution. Again, I don't mean to step on anybody's toes but thats just my opinion on this matter. I believe in keeping fish responsibly, but this doesn't always mean the same thing for everyone. What works in one person's tank might not work in another person's tank. Ok sorry for being long-winded. God bless.

 

[frankb]

Craig you are spot on. I realize one of the hardest things to avoid is overloading your tank. We invest all this time an money to get in the hobby to observe FISH (the more the merrier)! That is why people have such a strong reaction to potential overstocking.
Now I realize that I have been a fool for trying so hard to get that one additonal fish/species in the 90 gallon set up. Because the additional fish thrived in some cases for 6+ months I thought it would work. I am investing more time and money to do it the right way with a larger tank. If 18" is all I can put in it it is a waste. I maintain very good water conditions. If the fish get to big I will find them a new home. I should have a few years of enjoyment with them don't you think?

 

[craigj]

Well maybe my point didn't come out just right. While I may have some disagreements with your opposition, I still agree with them on the fact that your 90 is overstocked. It has nothing to do with inches is my main point. You could easily have that many inches of peaceful fish in a 90, but w/ triggers, its different. Think about it like this: if you use the inch per 5 gallons rule, you could have 18 inches of fish in your tank. Say you put 9 two inch triggers in there. Would it work? NAH. I'm saying every situation is different. Theres no set rule on stocking fish. Trust me, I feel your pain though...I'd LOVE to have 4 triggers in my 72 but it just can't happen without big trouble. I couldn't even imagine what feeding time is like. But anyways, I would for sure get rid of the undulate. I know they're awesome fish, but they are serious trouble. Other than that, I'd stick with what you got. Good luck.