Undulated Trigger

mahesh

mahesh

Young reefer
Hi Friends ,
I visited my near by aquarium yesterday to buy some fish for my recently cycled tank.

I bought the following

1. Black Tang
2. Clarkii clown
3. Blue damsel
4. Undulated trigger( without knowing much about the fish. Just went by its beauty)

I'm so impressed by his gently moves and color that i have been wating him all the day and infcat stared to read about the trigger species on the internet today.
I was shocked when I read this artical , Aquarium Fish: Triggerfish — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog :frustrat:

It clearly says that Undulated trigger is the most aggressive of all the fish. However, this guy that i have picked up has been very harmless sofar and is very quiet and spends most of his time inside a cave in the tank.

I'm confused on what should I be doing now... I also have some damsels and a clown fish in this aquarium.
 
Yep, triggers are extremely aggressive fish, especially when they are well established in the tank.

Also you should never add that many fish to a tank at one time, especially a new tank. You should be waiting at least 3 weeks between additions, and not doing so can cause the tank to go through a mini cycle which could result in the death of your fish.

Finally, never ever ever ever purchase something before researching and making sure you can properly care for that animal.
 
Hi
Thanks for your reply.
I actually bought my tank from another hobbiest adn used the same water. I added new live rock and waited for 6 months for the tank to cycle with just a damsel in it.
I just started adding fish yesterday.

Can you suggest a website where I can do my research on what to buy. Currently I just walk into the store and buy what ever attracts me.
 
Liveaquaria's definitely my go-to spot to get basic requirements.

But +1 fish -- even if you have waited months for the tank to cycle, you still should not put that many fish in a tank at once. I only add 1-2 fish at a time, and wait 2-3 months before adding any more.

I thought you already had these fish? I know you're moving in a couple of months.
 
Yes, I'm confused too. You've had those fish in your signature line since you joined the site. If you got them yesterday, why is that?
 
well , i bought those fish day before yesterday (Not yesterday , thats a mistake in my earlier message) and i joined this site the same day.Hence added all of them in my signature.
 
Oh I understand. Sorry for the confusion!

Some triggers can be very aggressive, others can be relatively passive. Is the one you got small or large? I don't see a problem with the fish you've added so far -- they should get along alright. There isn't anything in there that the trigger could bully too easily -- tangs, damsels and clowns can usually hold their own against other fish.
 
+1 on Live Aquaria

Also, the trigger and black tang need pretty good size tanks. I don't know liter to gallon conversions off the top of my head, but you might want to double check and make sure that your tank gives those fish enough swimming room.

I'd also watch your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates pretty closely since you added that many fish at once. Even if you cycled the tank for 6mo, it can take time for the bacteria to multiply in your tank to catch up to the food and waste load when a new fish is added, which is why it is recommended to wait 3-4 weeks between adding new fish.
 
Hay all,
I just spoke to the guy who sold the Trigger to me and he is willing to take it back on an exchage for some other fish. I'm going to return it to him wait for a couple of week before taking the new one. Any suggestions on what can be added witht the other fish that I have.
 
Sounds like a good plan! I'd consider maybe adding a dottyback - check out liveaquaria for different types - they are semi-aggressive and should be able to hold their own with the damsels you have. And if at all possible, I'd wait at least a month before adding the new one. Good luck!
 
I would actually wait for a month or so after adding three fish at one time. My suggestions would be something like this:

1. Dwarf Angel of some type
2. Cream Angel
3. Dottyback of some sort
4. Foxface
5. Bristletooth Tang of some type
6. Marine Betta
7. A sand-sifting goby
8. 3 Cardinals of some variety.

That stock list would put you right at capacity for your tank, but I'm not sure of the availability of some of those species in India. For instance, here in the US the black tangs are about $900 (which is really dang expensive), but they may carry a much smaller price tag in India. Just make sure that whatever decisions you make, you go slowly, do your research BEFORE you stock, and avoid impulse buys at the store. And welcome to the addiction!
 
Northstar24 said:
A 480L should be a ~125 gallon for us Americans that refuse to adopt the metric standard :)
Click to expand...

You mean the world doesn't revolve around us? :shock:


Mahesh, I suggest you just return the trigger, and leave your fish at that. Don't buy any more until you move to your new place :)
 
Undulated Triggers have a lot of horror stories attached to their reputation. My cousin took his to LFS for in store credit b/c it killed & ate his ADULT volitans lionfish...his yellow tang & his blue hippo tang. Every other week he woke up to that trigger eating the guts of a freshly slain tankmate. I wish you luck if u keep it
 
Last edited:
Hay all, To put an end to this discussion , I have returned the trigger back to the place from where I bought it.. and off she goes from my signature aswell.
 

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