Any Experiences Keeping Inverts With Puffers/Triggers???

[stevebydac]

I have a 180g with a 9" puffer and 7"clown trigger. I want to liven up the look of the tank. Has anyone had any luck keeping inverts with these fish? I mean anything, from hermits to corals to cukes to snails to anemones to stars, etc. etc. etc. Your experiences are appreciated. The "experts" say no, but I think it is partially because nobody even tries anymore as it has been declared a "rule"... but there must be SOMETHING they won't nibble on.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 180g with a 9" puffer and 7"clown trigger. I want to liven up the look of the tank. Has anyone had any luck keeping inverts with these fish? I mean anything, from hermits to corals to cukes to snails to anemones to stars, etc. etc. etc. Your experiences are appreciated. The "experts" say no, but I think it is partially because nobody even tries anymore as it has been declared a "rule"... but there must be SOMETHING they won't nibble on.

well- you could try item by item to find out :wink:

seriously-chances are they will, at the least, do damage, if not eat,inverts- the risk is high-and inverts are pretty pricey food items!

 

[max spl]

when i first started this hobby, i had a puffer in a 65 gallon tank and decided to add a serpent star for clean up... well, VERY bad idea. the starfish was devoured by the puffer in 10 seconds. (unfortunately, i didn't know better at the time). i think any enchinoderm is a no no.

currently, i do have a large hermit crab (about 3") in my FO tank for clean up. it's been in the tank for about 6 months, and the puffers or trigger have gone after it. i also some some sponges in the tank: which adds some color. the puffers nip at them from time to time but do not seem to care for them. i have also dropped in a couple of loose mushrooms (they reproduce like mad in my reef tank) and the puffer also ate them up.

HTH.

 

[stevebydac]

Thanks for the replies. Max, can you just repeat again your thoughts? Do the puffer and trigger bother or not bother the hermit? I think you left out a word in your sentence.

 

[webman]

I had a Humu Picasso Triggerfish in a 55 gallon tank and added a Chocolate chip starfish for clean up with a few hermits and snails...
the chips on the starfish was popped off within two days by the trigger. (unfortunately, Just like Max, i didn't know better at the time).

Webman

 

[max spl]

oops, sorry about that. the puffers (and one picasso trigger) have NOT touched the hermit crab (a large one).

 

[M.E.Milz]

I started a thread earlier this year on this topic ("Am I crazy . . ."). The bottom line is that you may be ok with certain leather corals, star polyps, and certain types of button polyps. Larger hermits also seem to be ok (if they are quick enough to hide in their shell everytime a trigger wants to "play").

 

[stevebydac]

Mike Milz, thank you for your reply. I read the thread --my God, it was as if you had strapped metal to your chest and walked out into a wet field during a lightning storm! I didn't realize the venom that is out there...Great pics too!

For what it is worth, I greatly appreciate your experiment. Like you, I feel responsible aquarists can advance our hobby AND create a more realistic environment for our fish. People once thought the world was flat -- news flash --it isn't! I am about to begin a similar exercise to yours, and added to the thoughts that you and other broadminded people are sharing, may be able to give others a more defined list of "dos and don'ts".

I am not in this to see living organisms killed. I will swiftly remove anything that is being picked on. I AM in this to provide medium-sized reef predators with an environment that is as lifelike and comfortable as possible in a residential aquarium. They deserve better than to be in relatively bare tanks with not a semblance of another life form present.

I'll keep you updated with my progress as I move forward by mid-September. First step is a lot of new live rock, and adding a Euro-Reef skimmer. BTW, it is a 180g currently with a 28" snowflake moray, 8" golden meleagris puffer and 6" clown trigger. Just one more fish to be added --thinking of a Hawaiian Dragon Moray (how is the size, aggressiveness, beauty of yours Mike? Is it worth the extra $$$? If so where did you get it?). Or Jewel Moray, Miniatus or Blue-Line Grouper or (unlikely) another trigger.

Thanks again. Keep up the worthwhile work. It is appreciated.

 

[Nelliereefster]

Yeah, nearly all of them are bad. It's a very expensive feeding program

 

[M.E.Milz]

Just one more fish to be added --thinking of a Hawaiian Dragon Moray (how is the size, aggressiveness, beauty of yours Mike? Is it worth the extra $$$? If so where did you get it?). Or Jewel Moray, Miniatus or Blue-Line Grouper or (unlikely) another trigger.

I have had the dragon for 1.5 years, and it has probably grown in length from 18" to maybe 22", and has easily doubled in thickness from 1" across to 2" across. He has only been aggressive towrads a whitemouth moray that I added later, and that was much smaller in size. The aggression gradually tapered off over a few months. Now, the dragon only "hassles" the white mouth every one in a while (but nothing serious). The dragon has not shown any aggression towards other fish (he even lets my puffer sit on his head). The dragon sits out on the sand and watches me at my desk during most of the day. I think I paid $400 for him, and bought from a local fish tank maintenance service guy that occaisionaly gets decent fish imports.

 

[danmhippo]

I used to have a 8" spiny puffer and he swallows shelled inverts. The larger hermits that is too tough for him to chew on would be left aside, but the smaller blue leg/red leg/any color leg hermits and snails are swallowed alive. After his meal, you can see the shell protruding from his abdomen in a bulge.

The dog face and other smaller mouth puffers does not seems to bother tough shelled turbo snails and hermits.

 

[oranje]

My porcupine puffer doesn't really bother any inverts. He leaves corals, featherdusters, crabs, and snails alone for the most part. He bites at hermits once in a while, but has never eaten them.

My toby puffer, on the other hand, would eat hermits like they were candy. His mouth is peuney, but big enough to bite off legs. Snails were left alone. My urchin mysteriously became bald. Now the toby lives in his own tank, where he can't kill everything as fast as he can.

 

[Dorado]

FWIW, I have a clown trigger in my 180g which also contains some various polyps & a couple leathers. No problems.

 

[seahawkjohnny]

I have a 180g with a 9" puffer and 7"clown trigger. I want to liven up the look of the tank. Has anyone had any luck keeping inverts with these fish? I mean anything, from hermits to corals to cukes to snails to anemones to stars, etc. etc. etc. Your experiences are appreciated. The "experts" say no, but I think it is partially because nobody even tries anymore as it has been declared a "rule"... but there must be SOMETHING they won't nibble on.

steve check out this link


http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-08/dc/index.htm

 

[stevebydac]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I checked out the article -- a good one. Keep your thoughts coming --you are giving me some good starting parameters to work with. Much appreciated!

 

[Mac1]

My wife has wanted a puffer fish since I started this hobby (and we were only dating). I was a reefer-guy, tho, and kept telling her they just don't mix. When I upgraded tanks, I used my old one as the sump. Put some LR in there, left the sandbed, and added a little flour. light. After staring at the thing empty for a spell, I broke down and bought a Blue spotted Toby so the Mrs's would have her puffer (FOWLR Sump, basically). He's been down there almost 3 years now. Over that time, I've placed more than a few frags for temporary holding, and never had a problem w/ him eating anything (though it was never for more than a day or two). One time, I placed a Leather Coral frag I was making down below, as I was 'done fragging' for the night, and figured I'd just attach it the following day. Got home from work, grabbed my superglue, and went to get the frag out of the sump. Damned thing attached... so it's been there ever since. Hardly growing due to the lack of bright light down there, but never been bothered much by the toby, and is still kicking 2 years later.
I've also made my sump the point of banishment for any hermit or snail caught in suspicious activity... And they're still there. No empty shells. Your experience may differ, and the fish you mention are much larger than a toby, but I would think you could prolly find a spare 'shroom or two in a friends reef tank, and give 'em a go to see how things fare.

- Mac