Keeping a Queen Trigger with a Black Durgeon Trigger, Here I go

[hrdneglcry]

My Queen is established in my 75 gallon. My Black Durgeon is going in there in the next half hour. Probably she is going to attack him even though he is bigger. I saw another Trigger owner keeping a Queen with a Fuscus. I tried it, but the Fuscus was too big, and stressed the Queen badly. So I bought a new tank for the Queen. Then a friend of mine was selling a fish that I sold him, and told him when I did to offer it to me if he ever wanted to sell it. So I bought back my Black Durgeon for the price I sold it for. I will not let him get killed. And I know that this tank is too small for these fish if not right now (then one day.) Anyway it will become apparent very quickly if she is going to let him live with her. Probably best to introduce them at the same time.....wish me luck..

[I like Triggers]

good luck. like you said, it is apparent at the time of arrival if the queen will tolerate the black durgeon. they are very different looking fish so maybe it will work out. how big are each?

[I like Triggers]

if they are small enough, and they havnt hit maturity, then they may be ok together.

[hrdneglcry]

They are good size. The Queen is 5-6" The Durgeon is 6-7". Probably there will be trouble. I have acutually kept 14 Triggers in a 180 successfully, but they were only 3-4" when I bought them. But the more there are the better they get along....(for awhile anyway). But it helps to have a very large tank (like a 180) so that many hiding places can be installed, and the fish can dive into them. In such a tank more Triggers works at small sizes, but some will eventually will need rescuing, and removal...

[jcopp24]

So how did it go?

[hrdneglcry]

She went right after him. I tried to feed her to keep her off of him, but she just ate, then went right after him. So I had to take him out. I took a crappy video of it just for recording's sake.
http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h80/hrdneglcry/?action=view&current=photo007.flv

[viggen]

yea.... that's just asking for trouble :(

The Queen is one of the meanist triggers you can put in a aquarium vs the hawiian/black durgeon/hu-mu hu-mu 'e-le-'e-le (my personal fav name for the guys) which is completely the opposite. A whimp with zero attitude they just get BIG!

I am amazed the queen didn't just tear into him :(

If you want to add a trigger I would only add a agressive one & also add a LOT more rocks so they have hinding places & of coarse at least another 100 gallons of water :)

I have a 10+ in hawiian who is a complete whimp

[hrdneglcry]

Well, I agree that the Queen is supposed to be the toughest second maybe only to the Undulate. But i an aquarium where I had an Undulate who ruled the tanks, 7 Nigers who were second in command as a pack, A Clown, A Picasso, and a Bursa The Black Hawaiian did not yeild to the pack of Nigers like most of the others did. So it does also depend on the particular fish. But my Queen might just be kept alone forever. If I put anything in with her it will probably be a Grouper. And she did race at him, more than I have ever seen a Trigger do. She did not bite though, but I was feeding her too at the time I introduced the Durgeon.

[jcopp24]

Just like dogs triggers can vary the temperment by so many things, that each fish is going to act different. Male vs. Female Undy are a huge difference for example.
Those did look like two nice triggers though : )

[hrdneglcry]

My Tesselata Eel is in a 180 gallon tank. That is the only free space that I had for the Black Durgeon. A few weeks ago when I bought my 6" Blueline Trigger I put it in with the Tess Eel, and the Tess tried to kill it immediately, and was actually hunting for it. So I had to buy my Queen Trigger a 75 gallon, and move the Fuscus Trigger into the 120 because the Fuscus was going to kill the Queen as the Fuscus is larger. But I put the Durgeon in the 180, and the Tess pays him no attention. The Durgeon is not as big as the Fuscus, and that may be the reason. But the Durgeon is eating well, and I keep the Tess well fed too to avoid crankiness.

[kodyboy]

An undulate could probably live with your queen, but I would get a smaller one as it may kill your queen if larger.

[Bhewko]

A Tesselata in a 180? I really hope your planning on upgrading.

[hrdneglcry]

Bhewko
I really do not plan on upgrading. I do not want to get into a debate with you about tank size requirements for Tesselata Eels. Ideally I would like to give him a 400 gallon tank. That would be the largest upgrade that I would give him. I have talked with different people. One says I need a 1500 gallon tank. One says 750. One says 400 should be enough. It is also said that a 200 gallon minumum tank is required. The Eel is supposed to grow to 5 feet in the home aquarium. Also I got some advice from a Curator of fishes at a public Zoo who said I could add a 300 gallon Rubbermaid sump (attaching it onto my wet/dry) and that would be sufficient. That sounds like my favorite option. I would really like to buy him a 400 gallon tank, but I have to find a steal on one, and steals do not come by often.
Since you gave your opinion let me ask you this. Do you think the Eel would do well, and have enough room in a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank?
IMO it would do well especially since the stock tank is round. For me to do that would be a rather easy transition. I have a door wall from my house that I have been saving to use as a lid on a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank in case I ever buy one.
It is kind of funny because I was just thinking yesterday, and today about how the Eel would do in a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank.
The only drawback is that I only get to see him from above rather than the good side view that I get from my aquarium

[Bhewko]

I would need to see the dimensions of the 300gal rubbermaid but it may work. Only downside is once the lid is on and the rockwork is done, you will never see him until feeding. And to be truley honest 180 gallons is way to small, 1500 is way to big thats outdoing it. A 300-400 gallon would be sufficient, many people think eels do not require larger systems becasue they tend not to be very active. But this is wrong. I know you only want the best for your Tessa so I wont go any further. Just please keep an eye out for a larger tank, even if it means a 300gal rubbermaid. In the end it will work out much better for you and your eel.

[hrdneglcry]

I might just build a 500 gallon tank. Then I'll consolidate everything.

[viggen]

If you ever want a used tank a friend in Columbus OH usually has some laying around

send a PM if interested, I cn send you his info

[46bfinGA]

300 gallon rubbermaid,is 5'x6' and around 2' tall. It would be ok for an eel,but you will need to make a cover for it.Then you would have to take the cover off to see in the tank,kind of annoying dont you think?Buddy of mine was using one of those for some stingrays and other fish that he caught at the beach,evaporation was horrible with an open top.Was kind of cool to have a look down tank though.

[hrdneglcry]

As i said I have saved my old door wall from my house. It is perfect for covering the tank. I can add a hinge, and the glass is obviously clear.

[hrdneglcry]

Here's a link to a post of "Part two" of this experiment. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1038033