FAQs about Xanthichthys
Triggerfishes, Selection
Related FAQs: Xanthichthys
Triggers 1, Xanthichthys Triggers
2, & FAQs on Xanthichthys
Identification, Xanthichthys
Behavior, Xanthichthys
Compatibility, Xanthichthys
Systems, Xanthichthys
Feeding, Xanthichthys
Disease, Xanthichthys
Reproduction, & Triggerfishes
in General, Triggerfish: Identification,
Selection, Selection 2,
Compatibility,
Behavior, Systems,
Feeding,
Diseases,
Triggerfish Health
2, Reproduction,
Related Articles: Xanthichthys
Triggers, Triggerfish, Red Sea
Triggerfishes,
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Triggerfishes for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available
here
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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Re: How many fish is too many -
3/10/12
Hi again. in my last email I noted I had a 4"
Blue throat in QT. However, since my
last I lost the 4" and went ahead and found another
nice looking Blue throat that is around 6" and currently
have it in a 55 QT.
<This fish really needs more room>
My 150 gallon FOWLR display has:
24" snowflake eel
7" porc puffer
7" red breasted wrasse
<What/which species? One gets really large>
4" Niger Trigger
6" banana wrasse
2"-3" Coral Beauty Angelfish
3"-4" Blue Hippo Tang.
Is a 6" compared to a 4" Blue throat a big difference
in adding to my tank with the above stock?
<You're really about all filled up...>
I read at LiveAquaria these max out around 9".
<Rarely more than six in captivity>
Are they slow growers - what type of growth should I expect for
the Blue throat? How old do you think a 6" Blue throat
is and what is a typical life expectancy of a well-cared for one
(just curious and cannot find info online)?
I have read larger ones are harder to adapt to aquarium. if
it is eating fine does that mean it is adapted fine or is there
something else to look for?
<Not really, no>
This 6" appears more active than the 4" was. I am
not sure that is good or bad.
thanks,
MIke
<Welcome. BobF>
Re: How many fish is too many 3/11/12
Do you think I will have an issue with the Blue throat in a 55
gallon QT for 6 weeks?
<Maybe>
He is eating this morning. Some Mysis and prawns.
Also is it a safe bet to assume he is maxed out and will not grow
anymore (that is fine for me). I wanted another
3" to 4", but for the last few weeks, all I have found
with nice colors was this 6".
<Already stated>
This is my third try on a Blue throat. First was a 5"
and never really ate and died after 5 weeks. Second was a
4" and was doing good but when I did a water change, I did
not realize he was perched on a pump in the tank and was above
water for probably 10 minutes. I thought I was lucky and he
seemed ok, but the next morning he was dead. Another lesson
learned.
I have been successful in QTing several other fish (Red
Breasted Wrasse, Niger Trigger, Banana Wrasse, Coral Buety, Hippo
Tang), but the Blue throat has been a challenge.
<... read re each of these species, particularly the
Xanthichthys, on WWM>
On the Red Breasted Wrasse, you questions which Kind to be able
to note the size. I do not know. I just know Red
Breasted Wrasse. Attached is a photo.
<And this>
One the Blue throat I am having buyers remorse, but cannot return
(at least not for a refund). However, assuming he makes it
through QT, I do not want to jeopardize 150 Display in the long
rung.
<Understood>
thanks again.
Mike
<Welcome again, BobF>
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Should I get female companion?
1/4/12
Hello,
I have a 5'' male Blue Throat Trigger among
few other fish. He has no 'friends' and actually is being
bullied by Emperor Angel of the same size. I was considering getting
him female companion to improve quality of his life but I couldn't
find any information regarding bonds between triggerfish.
<How large is this system? I hope trust it is at
least six foot in length, a minimum of 125 gallons>
Will those two become a couple in a similar way clowns do or will the
female be treated like yet another fish in the tank he has no interest
in unless in season?
<Not the same as Clownfishes, but likely will get along, be more fun
for all>
Thank you
Daria
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Fish Order/Aquarium Size, Puffer and Xanthichthys
sel., 11/30/11
Thanks for the fast response. Are there any puffers your would
recommend that would do well with this cast of fish? Any puffers
that are not tobies?
<None really. All need more room for psychological, metabolic
reasons>
Is the blue throat the best trigger for a 93 gallon cube, since
there isn't much swimming distance?
<Is near the top in terms of adaptability. BobF>
Another Reef Tank for a Bluechin Trigger -
07/27/06 Hi Crew, <<Hello Jeff>> I have a question
about the stocking of my system. <<Okay>> I would like to
add a pair of Bluechin Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus).
<<Wonderful fish! I introduced a pair to my reef tank
a couple years ago...sadly I've since lost the female, but the male
is doing great>> But I am not sure if they will put me over the
bio-load that my tank can handle. My current system configuration is as
follows: -450 Gallon Reef Ready Custom 96" x 36" x 30"
display tank. -Euro-Reef CS 8-3+RC Skimmer and a Deltec APF600 Skimmer
-63 gallon sump, 55 gallon Refugium and 39 gallon rock Refugium -2
Tunze 6000 Streams & 2 Tunze 6100 Streams -Lighting: 3 250 watt MH
HQI and 4 39 watt actinic T5's -145Lbs Tonga Rock, 84Lbs Base Rock,
16Lbs Tonga Branch Rock, 60Lbs Indo Rock, and 60Lbs of Marshall Island
rock -420Lb Bioactive Live Aragonite Reef Sand Current Bio-load in
tank: -Various Soft Corals, LPS, Zoo's, mushrooms and Clams. -Also
various crabs, snails and shrimp. -8 Zebra Dartfish (Ptereleotris
zebra) -9 Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis viridis) -1 Green Mandarin
(Synchiropus splendidus) -1 Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus ocellatus) -1
Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum) -1 Mimic Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
-1 Comet (Calloplesiops altivelis) -3 Ochre-striped Cardinalfish
(Apogon compressus) -1 Pajama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) -1
Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) -1 Orchid Dottyback
(Pseudochromis fridmani) -2 Percula Anemonefish (Amphiprion percula) -1
Ornate Wrasse (Halichoeres ornatissimus) -1 Twinspot Hogfish (Bodianus
bimaculatus) -1 Flame Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus jordani) <<Hmmm...but
for the Sailfin which will get quite large, and the Comet which will be
of moderate size (Mimic and Copperband to a lesser degree), most
everything else is fairly small. Considering the size of
this system, the (2) quality skimmers, the presence of a large sump and
refugium, and plentiful though not "overdone" live rock...I
would be tempted to add the triggers>> Thank you in advance for
any advice you can provide. <<Try to get Hawaiian specimens if
you can. And make sure you acquire both the male and the
female at the same time (in the same shipment even) to lessen the
possibility of conspecific aggression. When feeding, small
portions of meaty foods (mysis, plankton, glass worms...all with a
twice-weekly soak in Selcon) fed a couple to several times a day are
best. Mine even enjoys New Life Spectrum pellets...which do
a fabulous job of soaking up Selcon/vitamin supplements. Oh
yeah, a cave/crevice (one for each) in which to hide/watch you move
about will be greatly appreciated by the triggers>> Jeff
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>
Last Fish...(Not The Best Choice) -- 01/11/07
Hey Guys an Gals, <<Cheers David!>> My wife and I have
a 50 G tank with several corals and 3 small fish. 1-
Galaxea (yes I know all about the sweepers) got it cheap and it
might be moving out in the near future for trade. <<Mmm,
yes...a very aggressive genus with a very strong
'sting'>> Has whole left half of aquarium to itself.
<<Indeed>> Q: what is the proper item(s) to feed this
coral?? <<Minced meaty marine foods, small mysis shrimp,
Sweetwater Plankton, Cyclop-eeze...a mixture of these>>
Looking on WWM using Galaxea as a keyword I only find tentacle
warnings. <<That's about to change [grin]>> 3-
Ricordea Yumas have center of tank, placed a full 11" away
from Galaxea. <<Wise...though the Ricordea can be quite nasty
itself>> 1- LT plate coral far right side of tank on sand
bottom. 2- Sarcophyton one 1" frag one 4" frag mid-level
right side. <<Keep in mind these can/will grow large (some to
a couple feet in diameter) and are quite noxious>> I use a
Coralife lunar light. 1-96w compact fluorescent. 1-96w actinic and
2 small blue LEDs. I keep 10000K on 9hrs, actinic comes
on one hour before and stays on one hour after. Blue
LEDs are on at night. Is this lighting enough for what
I'm keeping? <<If the bulbs are close to the water and
changed out regularly...just barely I think. The
addition of another 10000K bulb (even a smaller wattage, say 65W)
is warranted here in my opinion>> I have two powerheads for
movement one PowerSweep 228 and a Whisper 660. <<Another
powerhead would not hurt either>> Use a Magnum H.O.T. 250 for
carbon/phosphate remover. <<Excellent>> Running a
Coralife Super Skimmer 65g which IMO works awesome, at least one
inch of "nasty" in collection cup daily. I had
convinced myself that my fancy for trigger fish was not to be
exercised until I read "Have you overlooked these fish"
by Gregory Schemer in the 2006 annual Marine Fish and Reef
magazine. After reading that article I have read
everything I can on the Blue Throat triggerfish. <<An
excellent species for reef tanks (have on in my reef), though I
consider your tank too small for the long-term health of this
fish>> My tank has a Tomato clown that I have had for 3 yrs
and is only about 2 1/2 " (the alpha fish in this new 50. He
has been in for a month now). I added a Firefish and
Falco Hawkfish the same week I added the clown. <<Kudos on
the choice of Hawkfish...a small species (to about 3-inches), and
attractive too>> Almost two months have
passed. Everyone eats fine. Firefish is NOT
afraid of "Hanging with the big boys" and eats as well as
the clown. <<Good to hear...these shy fishes are often easily
bullied to the point of starvation>> I just went by the LFS
and there Screaming "buy me !! buy me !!" is a very small
Blue throat, 3-inches. <<Uh-0h>> Now, I had already
been doing the research and I'm convinced that everything in my
tank should get along with some warnings of course. And
this 3" specimen really seems to be "the one last
fish" ha ha hopefully. j/k <<Mmm...>> I had the
store put it on hold. I got a week to talk myself out of
it. Can you help talk me INTO it? <<I'm sorry
to disappoint you...though it may not seem so now, your tank just
isn't big enough (should be at least twice its size) for this
large (grows to more than a foot), robust and active
fish. Many things affect the nature/behavior of fishes
in captivity...and in my opinion an all too common practice in our
hobby that mal-affects fishes more than many realize is placing
them in too small volumes of water. The argument that
'I'll upgrade when it gets too large for the tank'
holds little weight as the fishes often develop behavioral
disorders/develop health issues from the 'growing up' in a
too small system...not to mention these 'promises to
upgrade' rarely pan out for a myriad of reasons>> Ya
think this fish will co-exist? <<The tankmates are
fine...it's the housing that's inappropriate I'm
afraid>> I have some small crabs, snails and such, and a sea
hare that shows himself seldom (know about the possible ink
too). I am not worried about the clean up crew; they can
be replaced if they disappear although I have read they will most
likely be safe from the trigger. My wife said "You
know that's the last fish right?" She reads WWM too.:)
<<Best to make it an appropriate selection then>>
Please help us with our decision. <<I've given you my
position on the matter...not what you wanted to hear I'm
sure...but truly best for the trigger in my humble opinion>>
David Conway
<<Regards, Eric Russell>> |
Re: Last Fish... (Not The Best Choice) --
01/12/07 Thank you for your quick response Eric, <<Quite
welcome David>> I should have told you more but my wife says
I'm too "wordy." <<Ah...but tell here the more
I/we know the better we can respond>> This 50 gallon tank was
going to have a 20 H refugium added (we have 6 tanks in the house).
<<That's excellent...but doesn't change my mind re
the triggerfish>> The 20 was one of two tanks I combined for
the 50. After reading I kicked myself for buying the
fifty not drilled and setting it up anyway. <<Utilizing the
old siphon overflow eh?>> My plans of turning the 20 that is
now my quarantine tank into a refugium really don't work unless
I want to go the overflow box way, not to mention it's
downstream. <<This is not a problem really/should not keep
you from employing the refugium>> Among others we have a 125
drilled tank in our basement that we haven't gathered enough
supplies or live rock for (the fifty gallons is holds 75 lbs or
so). <<Aha! This would be a MUCH better
proposition for the Blue Throat trigger...and as long as you can
make some hiding places and a 'cave' for the trigger to
sleep this amount of rock may be fine as well. I prefer
to use a minimalist approach to placing live rock in a reef
system. It doesn't take as much rock to provide
sufficient bio-filtration as those selling the rock would like you
to believe. Not to mention you also give your fish more
room to swim and both fish and corals more room to
grow. And honestly mate...a tank with less rock and
large full growing corals looks much better than a tank full of
rock and a bunch of stunted frags>> This fifty is NOT our
last tank by no means and I agree I've read about juvenile Blue
Throats in no less than 40 and the appropriate size for a larger
one would be 75-100G <<Or bigger...yes>> I WILL have a
larger tank --just gotta get the wife to imagine that empty tank in
a cleaned out basement office };-> <<Perhaps a nice bottle
of Shiraz will help...>> So If I get off my butt and do
something with this larger tank, which I'll do slowly, then how
long would a "conscientious" aquarist be able to keep a
3" B.T. Trigger in a fifty gallon tank before he grows any
"fishy" behavior? <<Mmm...a truly
'conscientious aquarist' would
setup/establish/mature the larger tank 'before' making the
purchase. But since you already have the tank on hand
(please don't make me regret this David), three to four months
would probably be ok. These fish are slow growers and
you likely won't notice much change in its size in that time,
but that doesn't mean you can leave it longer...get that 125 up
and going>> On another note I still want to add water volume
to this fifty, is it worth it to have a downstream refugium?
<<Indeed it is...I have a 55g downstream refugium (empties to
the pump chamber in my sump) on my reef system>> Will
anything alive make it to the main tank? <<It
will...impeller-shear is an overrated concern...most of the
beneficial organisms generated by the refugium will make the trip
to through the pump just fine...and even those few that might be
damaged will still provide a beneficial treat>> And what
would be the best way to turn an established tank into a refugium
without completely emptying tank and fowling the already 3 yr
mature sand bed? <<Several ways methodologies could be
employed. The simplest would be to add some coarser
substrate/live rock rubble and culture the myriad of micro- and
macro-fauna that inhabits such...another option is to add some
lighting and place a bit of macro-algae (my preference is
Chaetomorpha for its 'user friendliness' and its dense
matrix which is a perfect environment to culture worms, amphipods,
mysids, and associated epiphytic matter) above the sand bed to
grow/compete with nuisance alga for nutrients>> Can I empty
it down to the sand bed and dry the sides inside enough to glue in
partitions? <<Probably...or maybe check out the article from
one of the earlier editions on our on-line magazine where it is
shown how to make install 'removable/adjustable' baffles
using weather-stripping to hold them in place>> Or is it even
worth the time? <<Well worth it, in my opinion>> Oh
yeah, the LFS that has the trigger is one of the most knowledgeable
stores we frequent. They can be more expensive so we
usually go there for learning purposes and most of the time the guy
who runs the fish room talks me out of stupid moves. <<Good
to hear>> I'm surprised he hasn't stopped me from
wanting this fish. <<Mmm...>> He has seen my tank and
he even has the Blue Throat in a fifty gallon at the
store. Now what's up with that? <<Differences
of opinion maybe...coupled with the fact that retail/transient
facilities have different considerations compared to hobbyist
aquaria>> Heck, he has even said to me (when my wife wanted a
frogfish a year ago and wanted to know the price) "For anyone
else $75, for you're tank 199.99 !! " He knew I
knew better and he knew my wife wasn't 'reading up".
<<Ah...then good for him>> This fifty is the largest
tank I have running as of now, and as our passion for this hobby
grows so have our tanks. 6 tanks was a crazy chore on
weekends and this all started with removing some big Aiptasia from
a 36 bow. Now we got a species specific tank for
"naughty rocks" a larger one to eliminate two was smart
move, now we still have 4 to combine. I have so many
glass boxes downstairs full of old powerheads and lights, God help
me if she ever sees a waterdog or something "cute" like
the frogfish. If we can't mix it in "we could
always start another tank," Doh!! <<Ah but
you have a 'problem' many, many hobbyists would like to
have...a spouse that allows more than one tank in the
house!>> After a trip to the fish store I'm happy to
afford a Hacker Schorr or two. <<Indeed...do be careful not
to cut 'too deeply' in to the beer budget! [grin]>>
I'm rethinking the B.T. even though I know this 125 will happen
someday, Hell it's there waiting. All my friends
will love coming over and sitting on boxes and old junk to look at
the new tank in the basement LOL <<If
they're pet-fish folk they won't mind>> Thanks for
your time Eric; I seemed to have time enough to get
"wordy". <<No worries mate...and it's been a
pleasure to share>> Oh here's a pic of the tank.
<<Ah yes...is that a Rhodophyte at the upper
right? Very nice, Eric Russell>> |
R2: Last Fish... (Not The Best Choice) --
01/14/07 In that pic the upper right contains "red grape
Caulerpa". <<Mmm'¦okay>> And just to the
left of it is my small Sarco frag. The Caulerpa has been
moved to the far left behind the rock under the PowerSweep (figured
the Galaxea wouldn't sting it) and the larger 4" tall
Sarco frag has been put in its place on the mid-level
right. No worries on size here...Have read enough on the
propagation of Sarcophyton that the 4" will grow another
2" if it's lucky before I try the doughnut or pizza method
of fragging. <<Ah'¦yes>> Speaking of
fragging... We go to a monthly fish club at that same fish store.
<<Neat>> I always see frags I haven't read up on
for free or for trade. In the past I have asked if I
could get a small list of compatible corals for my wife's nano
reef. She keeps several little Kenya tree frags, one
bigger Xenia frag and of course she has a small Sarcophyton no
bigger than a pencil eraser. She obviously likes
"dainty frilly things" and I'm not sure what to
research. Can you give me a list of maybe 3-5 different
things she could add without toxin or size problems?
<<Hmm'¦pretty much impossible to meet those
criteria. There are many possibilities (on a small
scale), as well as many possibilities for things to go wrong very
quickly in these small volumes of water. I am not a fan
of nano tanks'¦but'¦these small reefs do seem to
be popular and to be fair I have seen a few that looked quite
nice'¦for a time. As for
stocking/maintenance/et al of these systems do start reading here
(http://www.wetwebmedia.com/smmarsysstkgfaqs.htm) being
sure to follow the associated links in blue at the top of the
page. This will afford you much more/broader info than I
can share on this topic>> I went to look at the trigger
again, Joe reminded me that all their tanks are 50 G size, except
for the "show" tanks and "Q" tanks are sharing
a 4500 gallon system and the fish get moved every few days to a
different tank to avoid dominance issues. <<Mmm, this seems
overly stressful to me'¦but just my opinion>> The BT
trigger is really about 2" now that I can see him not locked
in a hole. <<Pretty small'¦better to acquire in the
3' -- 4' range'¦and preferably a Hawaiian specimen
when possible>> He is in the fifty with a 7" pink tail
trigger and two Hawkfish bigger than my Falco and bigger than
him. I didn't get the chance to stay an watch him
eat. <<Would suggest you do so'¦this fish 'can
be' problematic to get to feed>> DAMN I had to open my
big mouth and question what could have been a really cool although
dumb, impulse buy :) :/ <<Ah but Dave'¦you knew it
was the right thing to do. The fish, you, the hobby in
general is better for your effort>> Now I'm afraid my
clown might even kick his ass. <<This has crossed my mind as
well. Clownfish become very territorial/aggressive (they
are a damsel, after all)'¦in fact the only fish to ever
attack/draw blood from me in more than 30 years in this hobby has
been'¦you guessed it'¦a
clownfish'¦>> The clown is close to two months in
and is starting to show dominance over the side of the tank with
the plate coral. Passers by get followed away, not
chased yet. <<Likely to become more overt/physical in its
actions>> Firefish has been moved to one of the nanos simply
because the wife wanted it originally. <<Hmm'¦and
one of the few fish suited to these tanks>> I'll still
wait the LFS's' quarantine out before I tell him I
don't want the trigger. <<Decided to wait until you can
provide a proper home have you? Excellent my
friend>> Thanks again,
Dave
<<A pleasure to assist, EricR>> |
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I Want To Add A Bluechin Trigger (Not Enough
Info About Current Stock List) -- 06/18/07 Hi there,
<<Hello there>> Just a quick one. I have a Percula
120 (110gallon) bow front Aqua Medic reef tank. In the tank I
have 1 Comet, 2 Clowns, 1 Algae Blenny, 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Flame
Angel, 1 Peacock Wrasse, <<Several species with this
'common' name...if this is 'Iniistius pavo' it
can reach 18' in length and though if feeds primarily on
benthic crustaceans in the wild, it likely will eventually
consume some of your smaller fishes as it grows. If this is
'Cirrhilabrus temminckii' then it will reach a much more
manageable length of around 4.5'...but without better/more
info from you I can only speculate>> and 1 Dwarf
Parrotfish. <<Again, I have no idea what this is. I
don't recall ever hearing of a 'Dwarf' Parrotfish,
nor can I find a reference. I can only hope this isn't
'Cetoscarus bicolor' or the Bicolor Parrotfish which is
arguably the most offered/sold Parrotfish species in the trade
(as tiny juveniles) but is a bruiser that can reach three-feet in
length>> In all about 35 inches of fish when fully grown (I
think). <<I hope this is not your system for determining
how many/how much fish you can put in this tank. The fishes must
be evaluated on adult size, yes...but eighteen 2' damsels are
much less burden on a system than four 9' fish would
be...getting the picture?. Do also take in to consideration the
fish's temperament/compatibility/social interaction, as well
as environmental needs (type cover/substrate, water flow
requirements, etc.), nutritional requirements, et al>> My
question is, I would love to add a Bluechin Triggerfish, I have
done my research on this fish and it seems to be the best choice
of triggers. <<A wonderful aquarium species, agreed...but
needs places to hide/sleep>> They don't get to big and
are reef safe (ish) <<In my experience, yes...and likely
much more 'reef safe' than that Parrotfish you
have>> Do I have enough room in my tank and would it be ok
with my current stock? <<I'm inclined to say
no...especially without better information on the fishes you
already have. Please write back to me with the scientific names
of your fishes (the Clownfish too) and I will be better able to
help you>> Thanks for all your help. <<Quite welcome.
EricR>> P.S do these fish get to about 8-9 inches?
<<The Bluechin Trigger? Yes, this is likely close to
maximum for many aquarium specimens...but the species has the
potential to reach a foot or more, see here: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6030
>>
Re: I Want To Add A Bluechin Trigger (Not Enough
Info About Current Stock List) -- 06/18/07 Thanks for getting
back, the scientific names are 1 - Calloplesiops altivelis, 2 -
Amphiprion ocellaris, 1 - Salarias fasciatus, 1 - Zebrasoma
flavescens, 1 - Centropyge loricula, 1 - Vermiculate wrasse (it
was sold as Peacock Wrasse) and the "dwarf parrotfish'
is a Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura. Hope this helps thank you.
<<Ah yes, what a difference a proper and definitive ID can
make. This is a much more suitable/proper mix of fishes than some
of the 'local common names' in your original query
suggested. Although, the Vermiculate Wrasse (Macropharyngodon
bipartitus bipartitus) is a decidedly difficult fish to keep and
is not well suited to your 110-gallon system (would benefit
greatly from an inline refugium). As for the addition of a
Bluechin Trigger (Xanthichthys auromarginatus), these are robust,
heavy fish, but I think you could possibly 'just' squeeze
one in...though this will definitely 'fill up' this
system and preclude any other piscine additions, in my opinion.
Regards, EricR>>
R2: I Want To Add A Bluechin Trigger (Not Enough
Info About Current Stock List) -- 06/19/07 Thanks for all
your help. <<My pleasure>> Just one more quick
question. <<Okay>> Which would be best suited to my
tank, Bluechin or a Pink Tail Triggerfish? Thanks <<I think
it best if you stick with the Bluechin for your system. The
Bluechin is a slightly smaller species, and although there can
be/are differences between individuals, Xanthichthys
auromarginatus seems to be a bit more peaceful than Melichthys
vidua (Pink Tail Trigger). Also, size for size, I feel the Pink
Tail Trigger needs more open space/water than the Bluechin for
proper 'social' development. Regards, EricR>>
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Sargassum Trigger...Adapting to Captive Life
3-30-08 Hi Crew, <<Key Kirk.>> I have a Sargassum
Trigger set to arrive on Wednesday from an online company.
<<Exciting.>> While I have kept several different Triggers
successfully (Niger, Huma, Rectangle, even the dreaded Undy) in the
past, I am a little nervous about my new addition. He will be the most
expensive fish I have ever purchased, and the only Trigger I have kept
that is considered somewhat challenging to keep in captivity. I often
frequent the various message boards to learn, yet rarely see any info
on this fish being kept. <<Yes, they are definitely a more
elusive species to collect than the ones you mentioned above. Also you
have to take into consideration that Xanthichthys are pelagic triggers
relying heavily on zooplankton; thus they do not adapt as easily to
captive life. I would quarantine for a minimum of a month and avoid a
large variety of foods, feeding relatively small amounts multiple times
daily. Try mysis, mysids, krill, clams, scallop meant and finely
chopped meats of a marine origin.>> Tank is a fairly new 240
8x2x2, 160 lbs LR, 160lbs LS, custom sump with refugium, Aqua C EV 240,
and Emperor Aquatics 40 watt UV, his new friends will be a juvi Sunset
Wrasse, baby Niger, and Flame Angel. <<Watch for aggression
between this animal and the existing niger.>> Just hoping for a
little advice as to why this fish sometimes doesn't flourish in
captivity. <<See here;
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/triggers/xanthichthys/index.htm
along with the linked FAQ's and my above listed notes.>>
Thanks and best regards, <<Good luck to you and your
trigger.>> Kirk
<<Adam_J.>>
Triggerfishes for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available
here
by Robert (Bob) Fenner
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