Considering a clown trigger, need some insight

[Scott.h]

I've set up a 90 specifically for an 18 in snowflake who is messing up my corals in my main display due to digging and size. Also joining her will be a foxface that likes to eat the corals with polyps.

I'd like a small clown trigger, as its my favorite fish but I'm wondering how limited I would be. I don't care for tanks with no corals so I'm thinking of including some softies from my display like a Kenya tree, and toad stool. Things that don't mind some nitrates, as I don't really want to chase numbers as much with this tank. (Within reason). Aside from coral options how would a larger copperbanded butterfly fit in?

 

[Darryl]

the clown trigger will be fine with all you mentioned as well as the softies
just get a small one and let him grow to be a nice trigger

 

[Scott.h]

Wow, nice! looking at your background I'm surprised. Do you think yours could be a passive exception to the rule?

 

[Darryl]

no!
i have 6 tanks of various size and corals and all have a clown trigger as well as a niger triggers them as well.
he is the smallest in a 40 breader and the largest 9" is in 150 all fully loaded with coral and inverts not one have damaged them
i started them tiny and kept them well fed .
im not saying they won't taste something , but they have not done the damage that a queen or huma or others can do
the trick is to get them tiny and feed them well and guide them away from bad habits
they don't really like softies

 

[Triggreef]

Wow that is awesome @Darryl and a photo contest contender for sure. Just for the shear shock factor. Kudos to you for putting in the effort to make something work that most would never try.

 

[4FordFamily]

Wow that's fascinating. My favorite trigger for sure I may "pull the trigger"

 

[Darryl]

I LOVE THEM
when i had a 500 up and running i had 2 -12" clowns and they where like puppy dogs
i have had one that was an sob but he was a 5" rescue and would eat anything not to eat it but to show his ticked off nature ,
i moved him in with one of the big ones and he calmed down but could not or want to put him in my reefs.
GET A TINY ONE no larger than 1.5"-2"if your putting him in a reef

 

[Scott.h]

Dang that's amazing. How fast do they grow, and how long did it take to get to 12"? How long would it last in a 90?

 

[immafishguy]

Ya, I have to agree with everyone prior. In my experience I've always observed clown triggers being more peaceful. Infact, of the 4 I've had in the past 12years, thy usually got bullied by the other fish.

 

[Darryl]

it will be fine in a 90 and mine all except the rescue clown , started out 1.5-2 inches and they took 5 years to reach 12" as they grew they moved to bigger tanks
the 90 will be fine for many years

 

[lion king]

Darryl has good points, most internet boards sprout alot of folklore(bs) and exaggerations. If you get them tiny, 1-2" they grow up so much more behaved and they don't grow that fast. Darryl has had faster growth than I, my 1" babies usually took over 2 years to reach about 3" then about an inch a year for a couple or few years then slows back down. If you get a 1" you might get away with 4-5 years in that 90. Wild caught ones that come in around 3-4" or larger tend to get the nasty attitudes you usually hear about. I've got a tiny in 40b right now going into a 125g soon.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I love clown triggers! Please keep us posted...especially if you do "pull the trigger."

 

[blueface]

Do they eat your CUC? Do you have any shrimp in with them?

 

[lion king]

YUM yum, shrimp are munched as soon as they hit the water or are found. Round face triggers you might have a 50/50 with snails, hermits have to be very elusive and they might survive. The clown triggers will try and eat everthing, my turbos survive but are constantly on their backs; hermits and other snails like ceriths and astreas not so much. Stores around here have snails on sale all the time, it gives them something to do.

 

[Darryl]

i haven't had a problem i have a choral banded shrimp tiger shrimp red fire shrimp which climbs on him and cleans and a host of crabs including arrow and emeralds and snails and 3 clams 2" 4"6"
its funny watching the niger and clown tigers lay on side so fire shrimp can tickle them i mean clean them
my hermits tend to do most of there work at night so they don't bother them.
like i said just feed them get them small and they will behave!
if i drop a cuc straight in forget it

 

[Joey waid]

Here's my munchkin. Love it..

 

[lion king]

I added a fire shrimp in with my 1" clown and blueline triggers, they decapitated him and ate his head right in front of me before I could even figure out what to do. A $35 snack in 30 seconds.

 

[Joey waid]

YUM yum, shrimp are munched as soon as they hit the water or are found. Round face triggers you might have a 50/50 with snails, hermits have to be very elusive and they might survive. The clown triggers will try and eat everthing, my turbos survive but are constantly on their backs; hermits and other snails like ceriths and astreas not so much. Stores around here have snails on sale all the time, it gives them something to do.

Mine used to mess with the crabs and snail, but I guess he's grown tired of them. They are all still moving..

 

[lion king]

Yeah but it's funny and sad when he dive bombs a hermit and catches him by a foot, then shakes him out and his lips inside his shell.

 

[cracker]

You all think red banded shrimp (cleaner shrimp) get a free pass? I think they do because the fish know instinctively they are an asset. The coloration of the shrimp does it.