Cleaner Shrimp & Triggers

[Kieran10]

Im thinkin about purchasing a cleaner shrimp but i also want a small piccasso trigger i have seen in my local LFS would it be ok or would the trigger eat the shrimp even though its only a small one.

 

[Eelzor]

The trigger would most certainly go for the shrimp as it's it natural food in the wild. Unfortunatly triggers can't really be kept with any mollusc, echinoderm or most inverts for that matter.

 

[Kieran10]

Tut dats a shame now iv got to decide which one to get now

 

[Eelzor]

I've got a triggerfish myself (Odonus Niger) and I find it a really interesting enjoyable fish to kept (albeit somewhat nasty during feeding) . Still good

 

[Jordon]

Yeah the triggers tend to eat just about anything, including my coral beaty, Green algae and anything else he can fit in his mouth!

 

[Eelzor]

lol I've actually had a few funny occurances with my trigger which didn't result in damage but where amusing nonetheless. Once during feeding my trigger was absent (he never usually misses it) and the next morning he is out more crazed then ever eating everything in his path and even accidently nipping my tomato clownfish fin! Another time I was feeding my snowflake eel a krill on a stick, the eel takes it but the trigger takes it out of the eels mouth and attempts to swim away only to be snapped on the tail! Both become somewhat aggressive during feeding so to stop any clashes during feeding between those two I now feed them at separate ends of the tank. Triggers seem to become much different characters when feeding - mine is otherwise quite passive normally.

 

[Lynden]

I have a Melichthys vidua, and they are reef-safe. They feed on plankton in the water column. Mine is still acclimatizing to his new home, and only eats sporadically Yesterday he took a big chunk out of my male Molly's back, and then I fed him some sardine flesh. Unfortunately, he has spent the entire day today hiding I must try to coax him out.

Melichthys and Xanthichthys are two genera of triggers that are mild-mannered and reef safe. Watch out, though; Melichthys grow very large, with M. niger growing larger than 16''. However, all triggers will eat small shrimp such as Sexy Shrimp, so those are out of the question. From the observations I have made with mine, I would also rule out small, slim fishes such as Amblyeleotris.

-Lynden