Reef safe triggers (safer that is!!)

[leon]

I really want a trigger in my, what will eventually become a reef ecosystem, navarre said that blue throat and niger are reasonably ok ( niger gets big though!), i was looking at quite a good book in a lfs, but never bought it!, got distracted by the live stock ) , but there were a few that it considered to be fairly reef safe ( all with caution of course!! ) one other was the pink tailed, and another that was yellow, with some kind of pattern began with an E i think, i want one that doesnt get too big (10 inches max ), but at the mo looks like the blue throat is the main option. Any ideas or sites would be very welcome

 

[ste2k3]

I'd go with the blue throat. best for a reef IMO. The nigers are ok but not as safe.

ste

 

[Navarre]

I have heard that the pink tail is reef safe but i have no experience with this trigger at all, nor do i know of anyone who has either )

The Blue throat is definately a better option over the Niger due to size alone. The niger needs a very large tank whilst the Bluethroat stays relatively small (I think in captivity they stay around 8inches)

 

[leon]

blue throat it is then, any idea of what kind of price im looking at, my 2 lfs both seem 2 do some stuff cheap and other stuff expensive, both said they can get any fish i want! we'll see. Are there any uk web sites like liveaquaria.com?? that show fish ect they can do and give a price?
Leon.

 

[Navarre]

I dont know of any shops that will mal out a fish although many i know will mail out corals.

If you order a bluethroat then make sure you get a male. Females are far less colourful than the male so ask your shop to get a male

I Paid £60 for mine. I know of some people that have paid a litlte less.. the cheapest i have heard is £45 and the most expensive was £80. Of course this is all down to size etc.

 

[leon]

i dont want to have a fish mailed out , just something to see what kind of stuff is available in the uk, and something to compare prices with, the only thing ive had mailed out is L.R, microalgeas and snails (yesterday infact!!) the water the snails were in was very cold, even though they were in a polystyrene box, loads of newspaper and heat packs !!, but they all seem to be doing fine

navarre, what stock do you have in your tank?
leon

 

[Navarre]

OK here goes...

1x Emperor Tang
1x Vunesta Angel
1x Female Wattanbae Angel
1x Asfur Angel
2x 6 Line Wrasse
1x Silty Wrasse
1x Banana Wrasse
2x Clowns
1x Algea blenny
1x Dot dash blenny
1x Hektors goby


(Sadly my trigger died when it jumped out the tank recently )


3x Blood Shrimps
2x Cleaner Shrimps
2x Atlantic Shrimps

Blue leg Hermits
Red leg hermits
Astrea Snails
Cerith Snails
IO Snails

2 Sandsifter starfish


um... i think this is the list as far as i can remember

 

[mjw]

I have a 5" blue jaw trigger and 2 - 6" niger triggers in my reef tank.
They leave the corals alone.
But my regal tangs would tear into my colt coral and leather.
Go figure.

The nigers will move a lot of sand around where the blue jaw doesn't.

 

[GuppyDude]

is it rely posible to create an ecosystem in a tank? that would mean evrything would have to feed off of another thing a i right? ur gunna need a huge tank and alot of cash

 

[Navarre]

is it rely posible to create an ecosystem in a tank? that would mean evrything would have to feed off of another thing a i right? ur gunna need a huge tank and alot of cash

Whilst you will never get the variety of life in a true reef, it is possible to have a balance eco system with a vast variety of micro life .

Copopods, Amphipods, bristelworms, tiny brittle stars, planctonic lifeforms and algeas etc.

Very difficult to maintain in a small tank (which is what most people try and start out with alas ) ) as the space required for such life to live in balance is very hard to achieve I had relative success with my 180 ltr tank and was suprised just how much life was in the tank when it was dismantled. My 120 gallon setup is far better equiped. The sump is absolutely teaming with life. I didnt realise just how much iuntil last night. I discovered a crab that i didnt feel i wanted in the main tank so i "sumped it" whilst i got an ID for it. Iwas watching it and couldnt believe my eyes when i saw the sand moving under its feet! Upon very very close inpsection i realsied that the entire surface of hte tank was actually extremly small brittle stars! Their size and colour was making them blend in exactly with the sand floor.

Now i do run my tank a little differnt to everyone else here. I use natural sea water and of course, if this is good water (which it is) then it will have alot of tiny lifeforms in it. but if you are using Liverock and feeding the tank with Live Phytoplankton (can be easily got these days from any good fish dealer) then you will get a very blanaced eco system in all but the very smallest of tanks.