Niger trigger reef safe?

[shavo]

Hi all, I wanted to post this in this forum instead of my usual newbie forum.
I have had conflicting reports from people who claim Niger Triggers are reef safe fish. Then other people say that is absolutley crazy how could somebody say that?

Are Niger Triggers reef safe? anybody out there doing this?

they are a cool fish and i would entertain getting one if I thought i could trust them.

thanks,
shavs

 

[Unarce]

Niger triggers are pretty mild mannered. There is still a risk of one feasting on crustaceans and mullosks that you'd normally find in a reef tank. If you don't have those or small fish, it could work.

Triggers that feed like planktivores (in the water column) are your best bet for at being reef safe. Like the bluethroat, pink-tail, or crosshatch.

 

[Anonymous]

You gotta look at their mouths to get an idea of what they feed on. Nigers have a mouth more on the top of their head which means they probably don't feed on corals and such.

I would add a trigger to mine, prob not a niger, but I wouldn't think too much about a blue throat, pink tail, sargassum, etc.

HTH

 

[shavo]

ok well i like the sargassum, but still like the niger better

i have some sally lightfoots some cleaner shrimp and a purple reef lobster

are these safe with a niger or a sargassum?

thanks

 

[Anonymous]

"Reef Safe" is a term I hate. There is no real clear definition that is agreed upon by everyone. Is a lunare wrasse reef safe? They don't eat corals, but no knowledgeable reefkeeper I know would put one in a small reef tank for lots of good reasons. Instead, I find it easier to say what the fish will probably eat in your aquarium, what it probably won't eat, and what it might be a threat to. Your mileage may vary.

Odonus niger is largely zooplanktivorous in the wild. This doesn't exactly translate to the aquarium though. They will not eat corals, soft, stony, or otherwise. I have never heard of them attacking clams. They will definitely attack small or newly added shrimp, and any bite sized fish (royal grammas, chromis, small anthias) might be considered a meal. Small snails that they can dislodge from the glass are almost certain to get taken off eventually. Unlike some of the other triggers, they are very unlikely to attack starfish or sea urchins in my experience. Sponges are also on their diet.

When they get large they are very boisterous fish that need a lot of swimming room, and they do get very big (20" in the wild, around 12" in captivity). They tend to dig under rockwork to excavate a cave to hide in, which can bury corals and topple rockwork. They like to bite hands. They like to show dominance over other large fish. All in all, an unsuitable fish for all but very large (500 gallon+) reef tanks, in my humble opinion.

There are better triggers for reef tanks. All the Xanthicthys spp. (blue throat, sargassum, crosshatch) are peaceful fish that might only bother very small shrimp, if that. The blue throat is my favorite because it's easy to find, very beautiful, and doesn't get as large as the Niger. In the wild it tops out at 12". It still needs a big tank with lots of swimming room as an adult however.

Hope this helps,
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

ok well i like the sargassum, but still like the niger better

i have some sally lightfoots some cleaner shrimp and a purple reef lobster

are these safe with a niger or a sargassum?

thanks

You'd probably be better off without the sally lightfoot or lobster in a reef tank anyhow. Both will capture and eat small fish and snails when they get large. Whether the niger trigger will bother them is more a function of their relative sizes than anything. A full grown niger would have no problem eating either one. A 3" juvenile will probably leave them alone.

The cleaner shrimp should be fine.

 

[shavo]

thanks matt, and everybody else, it loks like triggers aren't in my future
unless i do a complete change of scenery.

depressing

thanks for your help

 

[artistreefer]

I know every fish is different but I had one in my 125g reef and it did fine as long as I kept it fed. It would sometimes look at my hermits and wonder what one tasted like.