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View Full Version : calling all niger trigger owners....please chime in. 8 questions!


mindytoy
08/06/2008, 01:36 PM
considering getting a trigger in my 90 and when he gets bigger will transfer him to a 250.

from all of you who have HAD a niger trigger, please fill these out.

###PLEASE do not post what you have heard about them or read about them, only advise from those who have owned one can post and give opinions###

if you dont have one feel free to bump the page, but i know people are going to start posting what theyve read or heard.

not trying to sound mean but i really want someone with actual experience to chime in. thanx guys.

here we go....

1) how big was it when you got it.

2) how big did it get or is it

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)

4) what did you feed it

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have

6)how big of a tank

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.

THANX GUYS! please make sure you answer each and every one of the 8 ?'s

mindytoy
08/06/2008, 02:37 PM
anyone?

Jay1982
08/06/2008, 02:39 PM
Give it time, only 1 hour passed since you posted it. Sometimes my threads don't get any responses for a few days. I'm considering a Niger for my 90 as well, so I'm interested in what people have to say

mindytoy
08/06/2008, 02:40 PM
haha thanx, i will give it some time.

i love them nigers :)

rsteckly
08/06/2008, 02:50 PM
bump

mindytoy
08/06/2008, 03:57 PM
wow i thought this would have alot of replies

mindytoy
08/07/2008, 10:25 AM
bump

Sk8r
08/07/2008, 10:34 AM
mindytoy, try re-posting this in the Reef Fishes forum. You may find more advanced reefers who have met this fish.

PS: I've 'searched' you up a thread about this fish: this may tell you a lot. Max size 12".
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1441558&highlight=niger+trigger

Sk8r
08/07/2008, 10:41 AM
Mindy, I think I've found you another good source:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/fm/feature/index.php

StupidsReef
08/07/2008, 11:01 AM
I have one. I have it now too.

1) about 1 1/2 to 2 inches

2) only had this one for a few weeks so same size

3) well find out

4) I feed it PE mysisid shrimp, krill, brine shrimp, silverside and RodsReef this is all mixed in a small bowl when I feed it. I feed my tank this after I feed the flake food. Second feeding is only flake food and the last feeding of the day is the mix+flake. He eats the flake it took him a few day before he'd eat it but he does. Flake food is : New Life Spectrum Optimun Salt H20 Flakes.

5) Other fish is 1) 3inch Copperbanded butterfly, 1) 4 inch chirstmas wrasse, 1) 2 1/1 blue line cleaner wrasse, 1) 4 inch Blonde Naso, 1) 5inch Gold Rim Tang, 1) 3inch Marron Clown, 1) 6 1/2 Yellow Tang not mine but holding for a friend. And then the baby Niger Trigger. Inverts are a lot snails, dirrent crabs, coral banded shrimp hugh, 3 cucumbers, 2 large britle stars, 1 sand sifting star, one Red common starfish

6) Tank is a 225g with a 100g sump

7) Gold Rim got ich, which is why I have the blue-lined cleaner wrasse which is do a great job.

This is my second Niger Trigger. My first one was about 5 inches when I got it. I had it for almost 3 months, I found it in my over flow 3 times, he would jump out of the water and over the lip into it. Then I found him on the carpet. I thought I had fix the issue until I found him. I since double it up so nothing can jump out. These fish are piggys, they will take food right out of anothers fish mouth. Fearless. They tend to hide when the lights first come on, after that very active fish swimming all around. They will learn where you are and come right to you for food. Mine comes right up to the turkey baster I use to feed and bite/nip at it to get the food if I don't shoot it in right away. Other than that I never had either of them nip at the corals or clams in my tank.

This is the best pic I can get of him as he moves fast.

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n330/saltyreefer/137-3730_IMG.jpg

Hope this helps.

mindytoy
08/07/2008, 11:05 AM
wow it sure does! thanx! so how big has he gotten?

he looks tiny but im guessing cuz you have a big tank..

so he hasnt nibbled at inverts or corals?

StupidsReef
08/07/2008, 11:11 AM
He is still tiny I just got him about 2 weeks ago in that pic he's up by the 6 1/2 ich yellow tang. No he hasn't bothered any thing in the tank as of yet. The last one I had didn't either. My best friend had one for about 5 months he too had no issues which is why I went ahead and tried my hand at them. But his too jumped from his tank onto the carpet. I thought I had prepared for that but the first one proved me wrong. So after some redsigning of the back of the tank and canopy I corrected that issue, it was a small gap that I had overlooked.

mindytoy
08/07/2008, 11:17 AM
wow so they r jumpers?

sk8r thanx buddy!

StupidsReef
08/07/2008, 11:24 AM
My first one was, as was my friends. This one has yet to jump that I've notice. I went with a baby to see if maybe the older one's age may have been the reason. But I don't know.

mindytoy
08/07/2008, 11:34 AM
hmmm.. do u have any pics of the corals you have? how has he reacted to the other fish? or the others to him? do you have hermits stars or snails or shrimps?

did you QT him??

how big was the other one?

StupidsReef
08/07/2008, 11:51 AM
No pics other than the one I'd showed.
I guess I'm an old fool, I never QT anything, and I know I should. I did when I first got into the hobby, but when I upgraded to the 225 I didn't really have the room for the old 29g QT.

Mine last one about 5 or 6 inches when I got him from the LFS. I traded for him, he came from another reefer who had him in 55g RR tank. Store owner said he sold him to the guy when he was about 3 1/2 inches. Customer brought him back because of his eating habit, he would take the food from the other fish. I trust the owner, I've know him for years. My best friends was about 4 or 5 inches and was the same way a piggy, and he to jumped. So this time I had the LFS owner order my a baby, we all 3 think that because they were larger fish that may have been the reason that they jumped. Although now it wouldn't matter as I've fixed that issue with my tank.

mindytoy
08/07/2008, 04:50 PM
what did you do to solve it?

mindytoy
08/08/2008, 11:19 AM
n e one else have had a trigger???????????

mindytoy
08/09/2008, 10:14 AM
:(

Indymann99
08/09/2008, 12:37 PM
considering getting a trigger in my 90 and when he gets bigger will transfer him to a 250.

from all of you who have HAD a niger trigger, please fill these out.

###PLEASE do not post what you have heard about them or read about them, only advise from those who have owned one can post and give opinions###

if you dont have one feel free to bump the page, but i know people are going to start posting what theyve read or heard.

not trying to sound mean but i really want someone with actual experience to chime in. thanx guys.

here we go....

1) how big was it when you got it.

3in when purchased

2) how big did it get or is it
5.5 in when I gave him away (5yrs)

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)
5yrs

4) what did you feed it
embarrassed to say - mainly goldfish feeders... hey this was 22yrs ago and goldfeeders were recommended... also brine shrimp, flake, oh and 3 of my starter yellowtail damsels became food during a 4 fast (I went on vac).

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have
Volitian Lion, snowflake moray, yellow tang, domino damsel

6)how big of a tank
55 gal - FO tank and I had to do a LOT of water changes to keep Nitrates down... high bioload, and filtration back then was not nearly as good as today.

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)
Nope - disease free for 5yrs... pure LUCK as I did not have a QT

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.
My Niger trigger was very "personable" he would follow you all around the tank, he also had a propensity to move rocks around.
Funny thing was the Domino Damsel would chase the heck out of the trigger. He did have one very funny habit.. he would dart at the goldfish and bite it in half (pretty impressive to watch), eat the tail then grab the head and swim around the tank with his "trophy" in his mouth.

THANX GUYS! please make sure you answer each and every one of the 8 ?'s

Hope this helps.
__________________

mindytoy
08/09/2008, 12:50 PM
thanx! the rocks hed move where they big or what? i dont want one tumbling down my rockwork :(

Indymann99
08/09/2008, 06:15 PM
I should have been more clear... he moved individual pieces of crushed coral substrate (about the size of a pea). BUT he would move a pile about the size of 2 golf balls over a day or 2.. didnt cause any problems, just funny to watch him swim from one end of the tank to the other with a piece of crushed coral in his mouth.

Eric the half-bee
08/09/2008, 09:01 PM
1. 3 inches
2. 4 inches
3. 1-2 inches/yr
4. frozen food, flake, live food, sea veggies
5. 8 tangs, firefish, goby, wrasses, clowns, cardinals, pipefish, mandarin
6. 400 gal
7. some aggression towards smaller fish, never any lasting or damaging bouts
8. love the trigger; I'll add more fish in time.

rioshilo
08/09/2008, 10:17 PM
1) how big was it when you got it.

3"

2) how big did it get or is it

4"

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)

8 months

4) what did you feed it

flake, nori, marine cuisine

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have

some sps, plenty of mushrooms, zoas, and palys... also have 2 peppermint shrimps, one cleaner shrimp, and 5 turbo snails

As far as inverts I have seen him take a chunk out of an exposed snails neck, mouth, whatever you call it. I also watch him stalk the cleaner shrimp quite often. However the clown has adopted the cleaner shrimp and chases away the trigger. The clown even takes the cleaner shrimp pieces of food whenever I feed frozen food.

6)how big of a tank

135 gallons

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)

1 episode of velvet which I lost every fish except for the maroon clown and the trigger...

It's agressive for sure, however I find that my large maroon clown and my kole tang to be more aggressive the the trigger

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.

More personality then some, but not as much as most. Mostly just paces the front glass whenever the lights are on. VERY aggressive eater (not to the point of fighting) just pushing everyone else out of the way to get to the food...

Reefdiver77
08/09/2008, 10:28 PM
I went diving on Vieques and Culebra in PR last week and dove with schools of Niger Triggers. I love these fish. I could never get a good picture as they are very fast and will never let you get too near. I did get a decent picture of a school swimming.

zack1a
08/09/2008, 11:24 PM
Lets see it!

bandh0526
08/10/2008, 08:45 AM
I own 2 triggers, a Humu Humu and a Undulate. I've only had them for a week or so, so I don't have the most experience with them and since they are in a FOWLR tank, I can't really tell you how they are around corals...BUT, I know that these 2 triggers seem to cohabitate well together although I was worried since the undulate is a more aggressive fish but they pretty much ignore each other. The undulate is about 3 inches long and the Humu is about 2 inches long. They eat just about any meaty foods I put in the tank...brine, mysis, krill - whatever. They've been a joy to kepp and I haven't had any problems...yet.
I know this might not be the information needed but I thought it might help.

mindytoy
08/10/2008, 12:18 PM
it still helps! any pics guys? also, feeding live food doesnt that make it more agressive??

barfish
08/11/2008, 08:00 AM
i had a niger years ago, purchased at about 3 inches. had him for about 2 years. very mellow except for feeding time. kept with a mineautaus grouper, huma trigger and large grey angel in a 125g.
no probs. with disease, would pretty much eat anything aquadine,silversides,clams. a niger is on the more peacefull side of the trigger family say compared to an undulated or clown.

SS7
08/11/2008, 10:31 AM
1) how big was it when you got it.
Size of a quarter.. really small.

2) how big did it get or is it
4in and fat

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)
1 year

4) what did you feed it
flake, cyclo, mysis, arcti, bloods, and many others

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have
all kinds of SPS/LPS; no softies. chevron, 6line, clowns, mandarin, cleaner shrimp (his favorite buddy), pep, emerald, hermits, etc.

6)how big of a tank
90g

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)
bold fish, very friendly except at feeding time - became bully when food in the water

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.
very active and interested when I approached the tank. great fish

mindytoy
08/11/2008, 11:49 AM
thanx buddy. wow 4 " in one year? everyone has told me they grow 1-2 a year!

mindytoy
08/30/2008, 01:09 PM
bump

mindytoy
09/02/2008, 02:37 PM
bbb

NaClH20reeffish
09/02/2008, 02:54 PM
A better place to ask is the aggressive/ fish only forum. There are lots of trigger owners there...

kirkaz
09/02/2008, 09:21 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13101227#post13101227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mindytoy
considering getting a trigger in my 90 and when he gets bigger will transfer him to a 250.

from all of you who have HAD a niger trigger, please fill these out.

###PLEASE do not post what you have heard about them or read about them, only advise from those who have owned one can post and give opinions###

if you dont have one feel free to bump the page, but i know people are going to start posting what theyve read or heard.

not trying to sound mean but i really want someone with actual experience to chime in. thanx guys.

here we go....

1) how big was it when you got it.

2) how big did it get or is it

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)

4) what did you feed it

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have

6)how big of a tank

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.

THANX GUYS! please make sure you answer each and every one of the 8 ?'s

I am on my second one, I will answer based on the first one
1. 2 inches
2. 7 inchs when I moved from S. Carolina and gave to a friend
3. I had him for 4 years
4. Ate anything except veggies
5. Huma, Achilles (the only fish he feared), Lunare, huge Maroon CLown he nearly killed after 2 years together, Puffer, Snowflake Eel
6 6 foot tank
7 Very very hardy, not reef safe as adult, very aggressive as adult
8. These fish make great juveniles, but be prepared they become Triggers as they age, a 2 or 3 or 4 inch Niger is very different from the nasty adult they will become. These fish belong with other bruisers.

JustinReef
09/03/2008, 01:00 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13101227#post13101227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mindytoy
considering getting a trigger in my 90 and when he gets bigger will transfer him to a 250.

from all of you who have HAD a niger trigger, please fill these out.

###PLEASE do not post what you have heard about them or read about them, only advise from those who have owned one can post and give opinions###

if you dont have one feel free to bump the page, but i know people are going to start posting what theyve read or heard.

not trying to sound mean but i really want someone with actual experience to chime in. thanx guys.

here we go....

1) how big was it when you got it.

2) how big did it get or is it

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)

4) what did you feed it

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have

6)how big of a tank

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.

THANX GUYS! please make sure you answer each and every one of the 8 ?'s

1. 4"
2. 7"
3. 5.5 months
4. I feed the tank mysis soaked in vitamins and garlic 4 times a day. I feed my Niger prawn, mussels, clams, silversides and other fresh (frozen) meaty foods twice a day.
5. Tank full of soft corals and turbo snails which he has never touched. He lives with 3 puffers, a cleaner wrasse, cardinal, few damsels, small angel, dwarf lion and a rabbit fish which seems to be his best friend. They are ALWAYS together.
6. 72"x20"x18"....not sure how many gallons. 75G sump.
7. Very aggressive during feeding. Not really a problem but he will take food from other fish if he wants it. He is certainly king of the tank!
8. I absolutely love this fish and his personality. He eats from my hand and lets me pet him :)

Very, very active fish...

StayPuft
09/03/2008, 05:51 AM
1) how big was it when you got it.

About 2".

2) how big did it get or is it

About 4"

3) how long did it take to get that big, or how big had it gotten (1inch x year etc..)

Grew 2" in about 6 months.

4) what did you feed it

All types of meaty foods: krill, silverside, shrimp, plus some prepared frozen food

5) what other fish/corals/inverts did you have

Foxface, picasso trigger, small queen angel, yellow wrasse, powder blue tang, maroon clownfish pair.

6)how big of a tank

Started out in 65gal, then moved to 150gal.

7) problems (disease, aggressive, non reef safe, etc)

Yes, problems. Was perfectly fine when small. Then as it grew it decided it didn't like my maroon clowns. One day it pretty much shredded them to pieces. Had to move them in my other tank. Then it started getting agressive with ALL the other fish, wouldn't let them eat. Sometimes he would like that the other fish were just in front of him. It got to the point that I had to sell the Niger.

8) anything else you wish to add, or let us know how you liked it, and all.

Great fish with a lot of personality but it got increasingly mean so I had to sell it.

kirkaz
09/03/2008, 07:17 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13281058#post13281058 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by StayPuft
1Yes, problems. Was perfectly fine when small. Then as it grew it decided it didn't like my maroon clowns. One day it pretty much shredded them to pieces. Had to move them in my other tank. Then it started getting agressive with ALL the other fish, wouldn't let them eat. Sometimes he would like that the other fish were just in front of him. It got to the point that I had to sell the Niger.



Not sure what it is about Nigers and Maroons, but they like to make them into chew toys. Only thing I can figure is that Maroons are fairly stationary fish, mine had a rock he liked to guard, he would chase the Niger away until the Niger got bigger and decided he wasn't gonna take it anymore....I had to remove the Maroon or he would have been dead. I put him in my small tank until his wounds healed, then put him back in the big tank, he went right back to guarding his rock and Fang (my Niger) went right back to kicking his butt. Back to the small tank he went for the remainder of his life.

JustinReef
09/03/2008, 10:34 AM
Woke up this morning to my Niger chasing my Dogface around. Mine is also getting more and more aggressive as he gets bigger. I would be careful choosing tankmates. The puffers can kind of handle his "temper" but I know a lot of fish would not be able to...

StayPuft
09/03/2008, 11:02 AM
That's very good advice. If I was to do it all over again, I'd still get a Niger because they're such cool fish. But I'd be more careful when selecting tankmates, only put in other agressive fish that are not easily harassed. What a lot of people do and what I did myself is put a Niger with some peaceful and semi-agressive fish because Nigers are so "cute" when they're small. This works out great for a while but becomes a big problem when it gets bigger. Also, my advice... don't put in any really small juvi angels with a large Niger. While the angels can take care of themselves when they're big, they can't when very small.

mindytoy
09/03/2008, 12:16 PM
is it better to add bigger fish w a juvenile trigger? how bout eating inverts and corals?

StayPuft
09/03/2008, 01:25 PM
My Niger never touched any inverts at all. My Picasso on the other hand... he's got a whole graveyard of hermit shells next to his hideout. Also have a few corals in my FOWLR, mostly mushrooms, some xenias and a few zoas. None of the triggers ever bothered them. Also have 2 chocolate chip stars that are fine.

Yea, bigger fish will be safer than small ones. But remember, the Niger is a very fast grower and sooner or later it'll get just as big as your other fish.

mindytoy
09/03/2008, 01:46 PM
i guess ill just wait til later when i get a 300+ tank and have sohals and all... i really REALLY wanted one in my 90 though