reef safe?

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sacktheqb65

Active Member
My girl and I have had some big conversation about adding this fish or that fish and it always comes down to me saying that type of fish is too aggressive, or that type of fish will eat our corals/shrimp/crabs.

But I wondered if I am being too general by saying no trigger is reef safe. I recently heard my LFS say that a certain type was reef safe and when I looked it up on Live aquaria, it does say Reef Safe with caution.

I am just wondering if there are any triggers, puffers or boxfish that you would say are typically reef safe and you might give them a go in a 65 gallon tank???

Thanks!
 
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sacktheqb65

Active Member
Maybe valentini or blue spot puffers? im not really into triggers so those can stay as unwanted really, the girl likes them though :) But maybe a cow fish of some other box fish???
 
mtsully71

mtsully71

Well-Known Member
I have a valentini puffer in my mixed coral tank, gets fed every other day like everyone else and appears to be a model citizen. Be careful with the box/cowfish thing. They get stressed, they will wipe out your fish from the toxins.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Some people do put blue throat triggers in their reef. They may not bother your corals, but it's still a trigger, and it will eat any crabs, snails, shrimp and such that it can find. Also triggers get big. Do you really want to devote that much of your tank to a single fish? I wouldn't recommend one in a reef. If you just got to have a trigger, I recommend you set up a dedicated large tank for one.

I agree with @mtsully71. Adding a cowfish or boxfish is putting a time bomb in your tank. Again, dedicated tank, if you got to have one.

Some puffers are ok, but they also tend to eat any crabs, snails, shrimp in the tank. You would have a chance with one though,, but you never know.

With all the safer choices out there, most people are better off getting other kinds of fish.
 
mtsully71

mtsully71

Well-Known Member
DaveK said:
Some people do put blue throat triggers in their reef. They may not bother your corals, but it's still a trigger, and it will eat any crabs, snails, shrimp and such that it can find. Also triggers get big. Do you really want to devote that much of your tank to a single fish? I wouldn't recommend one in a reef. If you just got to have a trigger, I recommend you set up a dedicated large tank for one.

I agree with @mtsully71. Adding a cowfish or boxfish is putting a time bomb in your tank. Again, dedicated tank, if you got to have one.

Some puffers are ok, but they also tend to eat any crabs, snails, shrimp in the tank. You would have a chance with one though,, but you never know.

With all the safer choices out there, most people are better off getting other kinds of fish.
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+1 to piggy back off Dave here........I also have seen him pick a time or two at snails, but based on my snail population and feeding regime, I am not overly concerned. Maybe he thinks the snails taste like chicken. If he eats or picks at the few hermits I have, I don't really care.

I agree it is truly a roll of the dice, my puffer had never been with corals and always had prepared food and been with larger shrimp, so that was my gamble. Has yet to pick at corals, but snails appear to draw interest.
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
I had a blue throat in my reef for several years. He never bothered any of the crabs or my coral banded shrimp nor corals. That said, each fish is unique, and if it is your goal to get a trigger in your aquarium. Perhaps your fish store is willing to work with you if you get a mean blue throat. For as much money as I have spent at my local fish store - they are very accomodating for simple requests like that. If I do bring home a mean fish that is not a good fit. I just bring it back a week later, and sometimes they'll take a restocking fee or whatever, but at least I get a fish that won't kill anything and cost me more.

Jeff
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
I missed that 65 gallon tank size, I somehow read it as 165G (nonstandard). That tank size would definitely rule out a trigger. Triggers love to swim back and forth, sometimes pretty quick, and he would get very cramped. If he's cramped, he'll probably find a new hobby other than swimming, like munching on stuff he shouldn't be munching on.

Jeff
 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
sacktheqb65 said:
Reef Safe with caution
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I've found that this term can mean several different things. It all depends on what country you're in and what vendor you are buying from.

It can mean that the fish will pick on/eat crabs or shrimps or snails. Or it can mean that the fish will pick at/eat soft corals or hard corals.

Or it can mean that the fish munches down on rock as part of their natural behavior, but if the rock also happens to have a coral on it, then the coral can also get munched (i.e. the old huma trigger I used to have)

It can also mean that the invert (i.e. mantis shrimp) isn't safe in a reef tank b/c it will also eat other crabs or shrimps or snails, as well as fish
 
Steve Lane

Steve Lane

Active Member
I`ve kept triggers in reef tanks in the past with little or no problems but you have to be very lucky and introduce them in the correct order......shrimps are probably not a good idea although the Niger will live among them fine.....usually!
If only it were as easy as this:
 
SubRosa

SubRosa

Well-Known Member
The entire genus Xanthichthys, at least those seen with any frequency in the trade usually work well in reef aquaria. They may eat shrimp, but normally leave snails, hermits, and sessile inverts alone. This includes Blue Throats, Crosshatches, and Sargassums.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
That was a cool video. each fish has it's own personality and will eat what it wants. Now I "think" if You fed them what they want and of course enough ,they will be less likely to munch on your inverts and corals.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Steve Lane said:
I`ve kept triggers in reef tanks in the past with little or no problems but you have to be very lucky and introduce them in the correct order......shrimps are probably not a good idea although the Niger will live among them fine.....usually!
If only it were as easy as this: ...
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that in the video then are keeping babies, so multiple triggers will live together at that point. If they carried the video on for a few years, the tank would be down to one trigger or possibly a mated pair, and they would have killed most of the other fish in the tank. Adult clown triggers are very aggressive, not the worst for this, but way up there.
 
Steve Lane

Steve Lane

Active Member
They are a really great addition but always proceed with caution.....fish only is obviously best and they are quite easy to catch if you have to remove them/it as they fear nothing and won`t back down from your net.
It`s a great pity they don`t come with trainer wheels!
 
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