I was just curious if anyone has had any experience with the Hawaiian Black Triggerfish. I have purshased one and read lots of material before purchase. I have read to feed at least 3 times a day. That seems to be a little much. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
Triggers like to eat!! Thats why a tank with predator fish (that fish is not a predator) require good filtration. They are kinda messy eaters too. I have had clown triggers, Huma Humas, and a Niger but never one like you have.
I have a ASM skimmer that does an excellent job. I do not currently have any mechanical filtration. I am planning on adding some socks this week.
I personally believe you can't have too much filtration or skimming. Like Ralph and Jason have said, they put out a lot of waste and need to be filtered differently than a reef system. As for the 3 times a day feeding, that is not practical unless you are home all day and have nothing else in your life. It has been my experience with predator fish that, depending on the size of the prey item, won't eat every day. Some fish, predators, are built to consume large prey items. As Ralph suggested the black trigger would not be considered a predator, though it does prey on smaller items like urchins, shrimp, and corals. Mixing species in a tank is a difficult at best, and can have some specific needs that should be addressed. Glad you're doing your research and asking questions. There are a few people on this and other forums that will try to give you the best information and expreiences available to you. Try to listen and take from it what you want.
It also depends on if you can or not. You can feed a little more at each feeding twice a day verses little feedings three times a day. The main thing is to watch his belly and if it looks pinched he may need more food whenever you are able to feed, if it is nice and full looking your doing good. I would get a 100 micro sock on the system no matter what kind of tank you have.
Also most all fish, even Lion fish well eat dead food i.e. pieces of shrimp, krill, silver sides, and so on. You may have to feed live for a short while until adjusted to their new surroundings, but most all well go over to dead foods and that way you don't leave such a mess.
My fish have converted to dead food. The Trigger Loves the frozen cubes of squid, formula 2, shrimp and seaweed. The Lion will eat just about anything.
I have noticed a little aggresion from the lionfish toward the triggerfish. I am a little concerned that the trigger may get pricked. I am in the process of getting my 75 back up and running. The 75 my end up becoming the Lion's den. The trick will be to catch that sucker in an aquarium full of rock. Is there a trap available for accomplishing this sort of thing. They may be ok with a little time. There are only 3 fish in the 135. That is all there will be due to the final size of each.
What size are the fish?? Ina 135 you ought to be okay unless their 6" fish or bigger. I would give it a few days and keep an eye on them. Is the lion bigger then the trigger? As they grow together in there and get bigger they should get along, BUT you never know. I think I said this before, I think a predetor tank situation should have a QT more then a reef setup, But both should have them. A predetor tank, you never know when someone is going to start getting upset with someone else and start harassing them and maybe try to kill them. Having a predetor tank is like having a gang of hells angels in a tank and you never know when someone is going to piss someone else off. I would not add anymare like you say, especially since your tank just cycled, it is way new yet, its only been cycled a few weeks and ammon. can show up really easy. GO SLOW.
The Lion and Trigger are both about 5 or 6 inches in length. The Rabbitfish is at 3 inches. I moved one of the larger pieces of rock to my 75 gallon QT tank. The extra room seems to have reduced the aggresion somewhat. The only other fish I may possibly add down the road will be a large sandsifting gobbie. I witnessed the Trigger take a dump this morning at it reminded me of someone adding a large amount of pellet fish food.
Bigman IMHO you are messing with fire again. That tank just got through cycling and it won't take much to tip it over the edge. It takes several months after the cycle has taken place, not from when it started to cycle, to do heavy feeding. You have alot of fish load in a very new tank and if you are not careful you well be losing more fish. Ammon lurks just below the surface for quite awhile. Our little toy test kits are not sensitve enough to pick up real small amounts of it and some fish like some tangs are real sensitive to it, even when our kits say there is none. I don't mean to rain on your parade but feed very sparingly and test for any signs of ammon. aleasr everyother day for a few weeks. Good Luck.
I am feeding lightly. For now I am only going to feed three times a week. I have been checking my ammonia daily. The tank is 5 weeks post cycle.
I'm glad to hear your keeping a close eye on the ammon.. 5 wks is really really young, please don't add anything more for atleast another couple months, and don't forget LR makes a bunch of detritus too. The load you have now when matured well be alot for that tank volume wise and size wise. You get to much in there and you are going to have agression issues when they get bigger.
These 3 are the only fish this tank will hold as each of them will top out at 10-15 inches. May Have to get a bigger tank!!!!!:-/ The trigger has already claimed the entire length of the tank as his area. I did not realize that LR produces detritus. I always learn something new on here. My work schedule may be changing soon and I will have Saturdays off and will be able to get envolved with the club.
Glad to hear you well be able to attend some of the meetings. Yeh I didn't think the trigger would have a hard time claiming what he wanted. Yes LR actually creates quite a bit of detritus, it sluffs off surface and it grows stuff that other things eat and poop and it is alive as the name implys withall kinds of orgs. which are make waste. Enjoy the tank and keep an eye on it, I wish I could set up a FO tank, as I really like clown triggers.
Clown triggers are really cool fish. I want to set an eel habitat with a yellowhead moray. Talk about knarley teeth.
