FishProfiles.com Message Forums

i have a freind who owns a very big 3000g custom two part aquarium, its really cool; it resembles half reef and half open sea. every once in a while his clown trigger goes form open sea to the reef and i think that it might kill some fish in it (Happened to me) but can they be kept in a reef. he also has 4 sea horses, 2 pipefish, 1 puffer,
1 Dragon Sea Moth, 7 curious worm fish, 4 Magnificent Foxface, 2 mandarin fish, and a horn shark. he has mor stuff but its to much to say

Where does he live? How is he able to ahve such a colossal tank like that?
Can you get soem pictures?
That sounds SO cool I wish I was able to do something like that.
If I were him I would probably try to get in there and swim with them lol j/k

Maybe one of these days....


Christina

I wouldn't keep a trigger in a reef. They have a tendancy to munch on things.I wouldn't keep a trigger with half the other things you posted, but it is a 3000g tank. There's a lot of things you can do in a 3000G tank that you can't do in tanks 100G and less.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Some triggerfish are less aggressive than others and are reputedly reef-safe, but clown triggers are not one of them. Clowns are big on test-biting just about everything, and they'll consume whatever they think is tasty. Invertebrates are a popular menu item for them, and they will eat what fish they can catch. I sure wouldn't stick a clown trigger in a reef tank, because it would probably just end up as an expensive buffet. Even if the clown is fairly peaceful when young, it will become more belligerent as it ages.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Triggerfish in a reef aquarium? BIG mistake.

Take a look at those mouthparts. Triggerfishes are adapted to crack upon sea urchins and small clams, in the case of larger Triggers they can literally bite a clam clean in two. They'll happily devour just about any invertebrate (with very few exceptions) they can capture. They're also bad news with a range of smaller fishes. In general, Triggers should be kept in fish-only or FOWLR setups with big, tough companions able to look after themselves - preferably bigger than the Triggers, and ideally with similarly predatory habits such as Groupers and big Snappers.

Clown Triggers also suffer from a greater than average variability in temperament, which makes them all the more awkward. While the majority of Triggers have a fairly narrow band of behaviour, in the sense that the level of aggression for a particular species won't vary a great deal between individuals of that species, Clown Triggers are MUCH less predictable. Some specimens can be surprisingly docile, while others can become (particularly as they age) out and out aquarium terrorists and psychopaths. With those clam-crushing jaws, they can also inflict VERY nasty wounds on an aquarist's arms during maintenance.

A big Clown Trigger, if it is so minded, can demolish a reef setup with frightening speed and efficiency.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

its cool because he scuba dives in it to feed the hard to feed fish, the tank set him back $9,000 and the fish set him back $6,000. he also has a very big horseshoe crab.the clown trigger does not live in the reef part but a giant rock on the other side of the tank that simulates open ocean. he has a screen deviding the diferent parts of the tank , it seperated the big fish from the small so only small fish can wander to the reef, but the problem is the trigger watched his Banded Possum Wrasses go back and forth throgh it, so he thoght hed try it and when he found out he couldnt get through he it got frustrated and chewed through the screen. it doesnt eat any thing on the reef because he is well fed but he has tryed to eat his upside down jellyfish but he got stung, he is goung to use a stronger screen.


Last edited by Crazy_Coyote at 24-Nov-2005 13:54

You should really try to post some pictures of his tank and the fish if you can that sounds absolutely amazing


Christina

Now that's an interesting setup ...

Thing is though, he's going to need one seriously well reinforced screen to keep the Clown Trigger away from the reef section as it grows older. Adult Clown Triggers can reach 50 cm (that's around 20 inches), and a 20 inch Trigger is a one-fish naval demolition crew when the mood takes it.

I hope his aquarium has laminated viewing windows toughened to take impacts, because when that fish grows bigger, he'll need them!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Its not at his house but at the place he works at

coudl u get a pic?

Last edited by ku5626 at 22-Jan-2006 16:19