Looking for Suggestion on tankmate for Picasso Trigger

[aieong19]

Hi all,

I currently am keeping a small (less than 2 inches) Picasso Trigger in a 90g FOWLR setup with about 90lbs of live rock.

He has been there by himself for just over 4 months now.

I am looking to keep 2 more, or maxinum 3 more, fishes in this tank and wondering if I can get some comment on suitable tankmate.

I understand that Trigger is kind of tricky to deal with so any suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

I'm mostly looking for tangs, butterflies, and angels.
I am trying to avoid delicate species as I consider myself fairly beginner and always hate to see any of them die.

[aieong19]

Just some addition notes on what I considered:

1)
Before I got the trigger I was really interested in keeping the Mandarin Goby so I got some zooplankton and copepod and also some live sand (from their reef tank) from my LFS and let them get a head start of about 1~2 months before any fish was in the tank. I think i have quite a heathy population of copepod in my tank now as I see them on the glass all the time
But now that I have a Trigger, I am thinking the Mandarin won't do well with a Trigger and will likely be bully to its death? Is that right?
I just found out last night that the Mandarin is kind of poisonous. Does that make a difference and will make the Trigger ignore it?

2)
I have always wanted to keep a Blue-Ring Angel or a French Angel, but is my tank way too small for them?

Thanks!

[fender4string]

Mandarin would probably be a bad choice for the reasons you mentioned :).

And yes both of those angels will get too big for a 90. You could always upgrade though :).

At your picasso's size you're not limited a whole lot as to what you can keep with it. They are typically pretty good community fish when they are little.

I have a picasso with a singapore angel, one spot foxface, and blue dot toby. The trigger is about 3.5 inches long. His tank mates are 2.5, 4, and 2.5 inches long, respectively. No aggression until today (they've been together for just about 2 weeks now). I noticed a bite on my singapore but I suspect this was caused due to her wanting him to clean her. My tank is suffering from a major ich outbreak.

If the fish you choose are a little bigger than the picasso you shouldn't have too many issues.

[sevendigitcake]

maybe a racoon or auriga(threadfin) butterfly, thallasoma wrasse, and a mimic tang or bristletooth tang. Or you can try a dwarf angel like a flame angel or a keyhole angel.

[BlastoEric1589]

got alot of options buddy...
volitan lionfish
small clown trigger
bluejaw "
crasshatch"
pinktail "
dragon wrasse
lunar "
banana "
larger Koran angel
+1 raccoon butterfly
+1 foxface
LARGE vlamingi tank
LARGE orange shoulder surgeon...
the list goes on pal...........

[fender4string]

I feel like I say this all the time but that lionfish is out. Rhinecanthus triggers love to nip the fins off of lionfish. Some people may have had success with the combo but the majority opinion on it is to avoid the two in the same tank.

I would also say that a lot of of the fish you listed would eventually get too big for a 90 gallon. Sorry, I'm not trying to rip apart your suggestions! Just trying to say what I think is best. Very cool suggestions just too big for the space available.

[Stuart60611]

My vote would be a thassoloma wrasse but the smaller of the genus which consist of the pinkface and cortez or rainbow wrasse. A toby puffer, such a blue dot, valentini or spotted. Finally, a one spot foxface both for its looks and utility. You could even add yellow tail damsel in there also to help out with the small bits of food. But hey, kind of sounds like my tank which is probably why I am recommending it. :(

[fender4string]

And if you don't like the foxface try a bristletooth tang like a kole, tomini, or convict tang. They'll keep your rocks clean like the foxface. My foxface is useless but my kole tang was always cleaning the rocks.

[TriggersAmuck]

The only thing I would be really worried about mixing with the Picasso is another smallish trigger. That guy probably won't be bothered with just about any other fish you put while he is young (and Picasso's are slow growers compared to other triggers). If you know that you are going to upgrade, then a juvenile angel (take your pick) will do well with it since they will grow up in step with each other (the Angel will probably grow faster) and can both hold their own. Same thing goes for most tangs.....they will grow big quickly and generally hold their own against all but the most agressive triggers. I don't worry about Picasso's half as much as I would worry about Undulateds or Clowns.

[aieong19]

Alright!
thanks a lot for all the comments guys!
I get the idea and will see what the LFS has to offer!

Just want to bring out one question once more:
Mandarin Goby is a no go, right?
Even with their poisonous slime protection that I have read in book?

[agreeive?fish]

I would avoid any fish that has flowing fins ,streamers, threadfin streamers ect as triggers are prone to munch on the flowing fins/streamers

[aieong19]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14679080#post14679080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by agreeive?fish
I would avoid any fish that has flowing fins ,streamers, threadfin streamers ect as triggers are prone to munch on the flowing fins/streamers

Got it!
Thanks

[wickedfish]

Totally agree with this list. i would pick small clown trigger and lunar.<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14676296#post14676296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BlastoEric1589
got alot of options buddy...
volitan lionfish
small clown trigger
bluejaw "
crasshatch"
pinktail "
dragon wrasse
lunar "
banana "
larger Koran angel
+1 raccoon butterfly
+1 foxface
LARGE vlamingi tank
LARGE orange shoulder surgeon...
the list goes on pal...........

[aieong19]

I would love to keep a Clown Trigger
but isn't my tank a bit small for it
and won't the two Trigger fight like crazy?

[aieong19]

And by the way, I just saw a Blue Ring Angel at my LFS today.
It is around 6~7inches long.
Is that already too big for my tank?

If I'm okay to take it how long do you guys figure I have until I need to upgrade my tank for the Angel?

I can't say I will be doing an upgrade for at least 2 years.
So, I'm guessing theres no way i can keep such a big angel, right?

[Mentat]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14686354#post14686354 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aieong19
I would love to keep a Clown Trigger
but isn't my tank a bit small for it
and won't the two Trigger fight like crazy?
Not sure why a Clown trigger is being recommended. They need a tank about twice the size you have and grow very fast compared to a Picasso. Once they mature, the majority will consider the whole tank theirs; suddenly attacking and killing former tankmates.

[WuHT]

there are plenty of wrasses that can hold their own, and some of the meaner damsels as well.

The problem with the super crazy wrasses is some get rather large, but i dont' know how long it'll take.

Since your picasso is so small, i'd assume you'd add the other fish small as well.