blue throat

[putter]

Hi again all, summer is about to close here in the north so I again have time to relax a bit here and direct my attentions more to my tank now. As some of you may know, the CB I had in my tank turned into a coral eating machine, so trapped and removed!! Now I have a few corals left, a clam and 6 fishes, pair of clowns, pair of bartlets, the foxface and of course there is goby. Now, I have been looking at maybe a purchase of a pair of blue throat triggers, just wondering if any here have had experiance with these fishes and can tell me how safe they would be in my reef tank? Thanks in advance for any comments and all advice given.

 

[zippyjr123]

Hi. Well I have a male blue chin trigger, I have had no problems with him, hasn't touched anything in my tank. He hasn't bothered any of my other fish either. LFS said they are one of the nicer ones.

 

[Alexander]

Hawks12thman had a male and female and quite a few corals and a clam and never had any issues with them. I think yote had one too but I could be wrong.

 

[Bifferwine]

Of all the triggers, those are considered some of the most reef safe-ish. Meaning, there's still a chance they will eat your inverts/corals, but the chances are much lower than other triggers. Pink tail triggers are another reef safe-ish trigger, and I have had one of those for a long time with no problems.

 

[dustin_P74]

i thought cross hatches where the most reef safe you could get

 

[yote]

Glad to see you back Putter.
The main concern with any trigger in a reef,is going to be shrimp and crabs.I'd give one a 50/50 shot.
And naw,never had a hankerin for a trigger in my reef:D

 

[Bifferwine]

They are also reef safe-ish, but much more difficult to find, and much more expensive than the other triggers I mentioned.

 

[putter]

Thanks for the welcome back yote, and thanks to all for the info on these. If the triggers are only reef safe-ish then I think I may have to pass, the CB was considered safe-ish as well and indeed was for about 7 months but alas!!! So any suggestions on a really really colourfull reef safe fish? Not really worried much about cost as long as it fairly hardy. I really want some thing with mega colour and moderate size, but have no idea what. please help me:shock:

 

[Alexander]

Tough choice with a 4ft tank. And especially when you want one that's easy to keep. Ill think about it. But powder blue and sohal were the first reef safe fish that popped in mind and I wouldn't put either in a 4 foot tank. And powder blues are sensitive at times too. Ill give it some thought. And yeah like yote said... Welcome back!

 

[putter]

Thanks for the welcome back. It's not really that I require an easy tank to look after, I mean I am willing to try most anything at least once. The bad part is that I am far enough to the north that I don't have the option to take any livestock back to the LFS to trade or return. I order all my stock online and just have to take the chance that it is what it sounds like it should be. Reef safe-ish for me is ok, but if the fishes I am about to try are $$$$$ and they don't work in the tank, POOF money down the toilet!!! I am still considering the triggers, just a little...ummm....worried I guess. I do appreciate the fact that your taking the time to rack the brains to see if there might be any thing else I would be able to purchase that would work for me. Thanks again and here is to hard thinking and good ideas:Cheers::Cheers:.

 

[dustin_P74]

i would give the reef safe wrasses a good look, they are pretty colorful

 

[OurFishies]

I love our royal gramma bright purple and yellow. You don't have a blenny! Blennies have tons of personality, I have a bicolor which is a dark purple and yellow. Hmm, I seem to like purple and yellow.

I am thinking about saving up for a blue spotted jawfish (very colorful and jawfish have tons of personality). They do require a good amount of sand though. :)

 

[Bifferwine]

Get a leopard wrasse. My favorite fish.

 

[putter]

Well the decision has been made, I will start with a couple scotts fairy wrasse (austrailian) and then in a few weeks I will add 3 McCosker wrasse. I know this will be pushing the bio load but if I step up the water changes I think it will handle it. My tank so far has been running right around the 80 degree mark, is this maybe a bit to hot? Most of the live stock I see listed are suggested to be in water between 72 and 78 degrees, not sure why but I have it stuck in my head that water should be no colder than 78 and no warmer than 82.

 

[Bifferwine]

76 is the *ideal* water temperature, but your tank will be fine a little below, or above that, as long as the temperature doesn't change drastically over a short period of time (my tank stays around 84 :().

 

[putter]

So heat is not the reason I seem to be having troubles with my coral populations....hmmm, must be something else, maybe just not enough light with the LED's.

 

[dustin_P74]

under 72 degrees and coral wont grow, and maybe you can drop it to 78ish with water changes

 

[putter]

Thanks for the info on tank temps, I have ordered a couple fans and a digital controler for the heaters, I will aim for around the 76 degree mark, right now the tank seems to climb a degree and a half durning the day and drop a degree at night. With luck the fans and better control of the heaters I will be able to drop it down and maintain it within a couple of degrees.