Fish Survey: Clown Triggerfish

[Seafan]

If you currently keep this fish, please select the options starting with "current owner"; if you kept this fish in the past and no longer keep the same fish, please select options starting with "past owner".

If you could take some time and share your experience with this fish, please take the following survey. I will then put together a web page of this fish like THIS ONE (http://www22.brinkster.com/seafan/fish/fr027volitanslion/volitanslion.html)

Thanks!

Jason

[Seafan]

The following is is a list of questions/topics about this fish species. If you would like to include them in your reply, click on the last icon of this post (Reply with Quote), and remove the [ QUOTE ] [ B ] tag in the beginning and the [/QUOTE][/B] at the end.<br /><br />SELECTION<br />Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? <br />Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get? <br />Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? <br />Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? <br /><br />ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION<br />Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? <br />Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? <br />Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? <br /><br />COMPATIBILITY<br />What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? <br />Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school? <br />Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? <br />What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?<br />Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? <br />Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?<br />Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? <br />Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?<br /><br />FEEDING <br />How did you get this fish to eat at first? <br />If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? <br />What’s the diet? <br />How much and how often do you feed? <br />How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)<br />Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? <br /><br />GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN<br />What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)? <br />What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? <br />If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? <br />How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? <br />What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? <br /><br />DISEASE AND TREATMENT<br />What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? <br /><br />BEHAVIOR <br />Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? <br />Does this fish dig the substrate often? <br />How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? <br />How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? <br />Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? <br />How does this fish sleep?<br />Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? <br />How does this fish interact with human? <br />Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? <br />Any other interesting observation of this fish? <br /><br />REPRODUCTION<br />If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? <br />Any information of spawning in captivity? <br /><br />SUMMARY<br />Your overall assessment of this species - <br />How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? <br />1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank<br />2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike<br />3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes<br />4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes<br />5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry<br />Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)? <br />Would you recommend this fish to beginners? <br />Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank? <br />Any other recommendations/comments? <br /><br />REFERENCES <br />Do you have any links to web sites, online articles or any other source of information about this species that you would recommend?<br /><br />If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!

[moonpod]

Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? no, got it from the LFS. To my knowledge it is not captive bred
<br />Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?don't get a huge one or a tiny one. in between is good. should not be thin, should be active and inquisitive and eating
<br />Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? yes, the spots change a bit and the yellow can become more pronounced. It's not like super dramatic.
<br />ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION<br />Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? no, like all other fish temp and ph match and then drip and intro
<br />Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? don't get a super small one...the middle sizes have no special requirements beyond a good tank
<br />Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? last...they are no pushovers and can in fact become pretty violent
<br /><br />COMPATIBILITY<br />What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? It is a FO type fish, it is a "rough and tumble" fish--mine ended up in a species tank w/a friend taking care of it after I left
<br />Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school? never tried, wouldn't try
<br />Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?ditto
<br />What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?<br />Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? it became a mean, antisocial, but full of character fish, hence it went into a species tank instead of back to the store. It killed several other fish<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?yes, but it "sampled" them, never really "ate" them
<br />Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? oh yeah....
<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?did someone say lunch?
<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?no experience<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?no experience
<br /><br />FEEDING <br />How did you get this fish to eat at first? Uh, I was feeding the other fish and it decided food was good
<br />If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? prepared food from the start
<br />What’s the diet? crustaceans, urchin, formula foods
<br />How much and how often do you feed? twice a day, quite a bit really
<br />How does this fish eat?search and destroy
<br />Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? not that I noticed
<br /><br />GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN<br />What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)? about 2 inches to 9 inches in 1.5 years
<br />What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? 30 to 90 to 90 species. Probably deserves a 125 or bigger
<br />If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? n/a
<br />How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? I moved
<br />What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? I think lifespans greater than 10 years in captivity are reported, but I'm not sure
<br /><br />DISEASE AND TREATMENT<br />What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? N/A
<br /><br />BEHAVIOR <br />Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? yeah it gets pale when freaked out
<br />Does this fish dig the substrate often? yeah it digs a lot
<br />How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? wasn't shy at all, constantly exploring, digging, biting
<br />How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? started out ok, then decided the whole tank was his/its
<br />Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? no
<br />How does this fish sleep? like all triggers in a rock or cave
<br />Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? N/A<br />How does this fish interact with human? you could hand feed it, but it'll bite ya
<br />Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? no<br />Any other interesting observation of this fish? killer fish for a BIG tank or a species tank
<br />SUMMARY<br />Your overall assessment of this species - <br />How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? not that sensitive really, but I wouldn't ever cycle w/any fish. Would probably survive ammonia spikes, but why chance it?
<br />Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)? you just gotta know what you're in for<br />Would you recommend this fish to beginners? no b/c most don't have tanks big enough<br />Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank? most are, but that's not realistic<br />Any other recommendations/comments? no

[SamsonNY]

Seafan: Good idea.

MoonPod: Great informative reply post!

If you don't mind, a few questions for you:

1.- I feed the clown trigger (and all fish) once a day (dinner). Any problems with this?

2.- Pale coloration when "freaked out": My clown does his pale coloration when he goes into dormant stage at night (usually wedged between some corals) and I've read that's normal.
BUT: after a heavy feeding, he also goes pale even though the lights on the tank are all on and all of the other fish are wide awake. He'll stay like this for a few moments and suddenly wake up again. Weird. Is this "somewhat" normal? Nothing in the tank is freaking him out. I watch him eat and then, (with a full belly) get pale and "take a nap". Nothing in those few moments freaked him out.

3.- Growth rate: Wow: 2" to 9" in a year and a half. Is that exceptionally fast? Or average? Feeding twice a day a big factor in that growth rate versus feeding once a day?

Thanks.
Richard.

[moonpod]

samson, I think most fish benefit from more than one feeding a day--in the wild they generally eat all day. Triggers constantly pick at stuff when you see them in the wild.

I think the color thing and your trigger is normal

as for growth rate it's the only one I kept, and we fed it a lot cause it was "fun". weekly 10% water changes and the nitrates were still off the scale, but the trigger didn't care.

[JDM130]

Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?

1.) Got mine from a LFS, no breeding in captivity to my knowledge.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS?

2.) Looked around until I found an active swimmer and a good feeder with an overall disease free aperence.

What do you think is the ideal size to get?

3.) Something above 2" but below 7"

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?

4.) Yes, color paterns are different. Juviniles have an almost yellow head kind of like they are wearing a mask, as they mature this yellow only covers the mouth area and a "ring" developes around the mouth as well. There are some other minor changes as well.

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?

5.) Not to my knowledge, but I have heard the males have deeper colors, but this is not confirmed to my knowledge.

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?

6.) no more then any other SW fish.


Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?

7.) Keep them well fed especially when young. Also obvious water quality issues.


Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?

8.) IMO, the last.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?

9.) Mine was in a FO tank as is my current one. My last one lived with a Queen Angel, HUGE Volitian Lion, Tesselatta Moray, Large Naso, and a Panther Grouper.


Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?

10.) NO, Only 1 per tank. as far as I know, they are not schooling fish like some other Triggers. I currently have a Clown trigger and a Queen Trigger together with no problems.

What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?

11.) Clown Trigger was in the tank first and was about 7" when I introduced a juvi. Queen about 2-1/2"

Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?

12.) I have owned 2 Clown Triggers, either one was aggressive.

Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?

13.) N/A

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?

14.) Easy, just threw in some cut shrimp and he chowed down within an hour after being in the tank.

If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?

15.) N/A

What’s the diet?
How much and how often do you feed?
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae?

16.) Mine eats everything, I feed fresh shrimp, clams, scallops, squid or whatever else is on sale at the grocery store as well as silver sides. I feed a few times a day usually twice a day. These fish eat most anything, but do tend to get picky from time to time, sometimes mine turns away certain foods and the next day accepts them again. Mine loves caulerpa and romain lettuce, it actually eats more of it then my Angel.

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?

17.) Both were around 3" when I got them. My last one lived to 11 years old and was around 14" It grew fast for the first 7" or so then dramatically slowed down after that. My current one is about 1 year give or take, and is about 5".

What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?

18.) Mine were in a 180, now in a 360. I would not put this fish in less then a 150 unless it was a juvenile.

If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?

19.) Yes, less then a year.

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?

20.) My last one I kept for 11 years. I lost him to a bacterial infection from my Grouper bighting him in the face to steel food from his mounth :-(
My current one is alive and kickin! :-)

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?

21.) Not sure, I believe they can reach 24" in the wild, not sure about captivity. I believe they can live up to 20 years in captivity. Maybe more.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?

22.) None, Only a bacterial infection that rapidly consumed the fish, tried anti biotics to no avail. This fish died one week to the day after being bitten.

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?

23.)Yes, turns pale when sleeping.

Does this fish dig the substrate often?

24.) Mine never did.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?

25.) very very active. Not shy at all.

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?

26.) Not aggressive at all, but my last one was getting grumpy with age, he didnt tollerate much from other tank mates. My current one has not bothered anything.


Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?

27.) NO

How does this fish sleep?

28.) Usually in a cave upside down or on it's side.

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?

29.) N/A

How does this fish interact with human?

30.) Incredible, very excited when I come to the tank. Almost like a dog when you come home from work. Both of mine would lay on their side so I could pet them.

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank?

31.) NO

Any other interesting observation of this fish?

32.) not really, read above, pretty much sums it all up.

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?

33.) NA

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5?
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry

34.) 2 I personally would never cycle a tank with one of these incredible fish.

Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?

35.) I would recommen this fish to a beginner.

Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?

36.) Yes, IMO, give your filtration time to mature, these are messy eaters becuase they chen instead of evgulfing <sp>

Any other recommendations/comments?

36.) Give them lots of swimming room, a varried diet, good water qualty, A BIG Skimmer, and you'll have a great pet for many years to come.

REFERENCES

Do you have any links to web sites, online articles or any other source of information about this species that you would recommend?

37.) Not off the top of my head.

If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us

38.) Look next to my name :-)

[Jon_Hewett_85]

Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? We kept it on display at the LFS where i work
Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where? no
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? make sure they are parasite free
What do you think is the ideal size to get? 4-5"
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species? no
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? no

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish? same for other sw fish
Same for other fish
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? nope
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank? THE VERY LAST!

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank? We had it with a BIG niger, and a big angle...and a BIG naso tang
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school? NO
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? yes, a BIG niger
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?the last fish introduced
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)? YEs...will eat anything
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?Yup ate corals
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)? ...nothing but a snack
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?loved em
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)? ate em
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?ate them to
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first? dumped food in the tank
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
What’s the diet? anything and everything
How much and how often do you feed? every other day....mix of stuff..mysis, squid, shrimp, noi
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) all of the above
Does this fish eat any microalgae no

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? 14" How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)? noe
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish 240outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? as BIG as possible
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete?n/a How long did it take?
How long have you kept this fish?
we had it for severalIf you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? passed onto a bigger system
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported? 20 years in captivity
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? It would occasionally develop some sort of whitish parasites on the eyes/skin. A FW dip would clear them right up

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? pale when stressed
Does this fish dig the substrate often? yup
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? VERY active...not shy at all
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? definatly one MEAN mofo...he would fight the mag-float. Left goges in the acrylic a couple of times trying to get through the glass at me.
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? mp[e
How does this fish sleep? in a cave
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? no....it eats em
How does this fish interact with human? Trys to attack
Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? no
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
this is one of the meanest fish i've ever seen...for some reason it would tolerate one or two other fish...but if they got in its way.. it would let them know who's boss.

[Seafan]

Thanks for all the input! I've put together a web page for this fish based on your posts:

Clown Trigger FAQs (http://www22.brinkster.com/seafan/fish/fr031clowntrigger/clowntrigger.html)

more input is always welcome!

Jason

[SamsonNY]

I'd say very good job. And, thanks for the photo credit.

The only minor technical point is that when I click the first "rating descriptions" button, nothing happens. But, when I click the second one, it works. Just an FYI.

But, definitely a good, quick, complete reference to those interested in the Clown Trigger. :cool:

[Triggerfish]

this fish was a great eater.
he was under 1" at first then grew to over 4" in 1 year.

became too aggressive in the 55 tank with picasso and naso tang.
perhaps the tank was just too small.
traded him in for something else.
would love to get another.

[aquababy]

I am somewhat new to the operation of these boards - quotes etc. but have taken some time to write the following (although incomplete I am getting sleepy and may come back to finish another day - I also have a decent picture or two but was warned about posting on the board. I will try to post it on some other space and link it later.
I imported this fish from Bali - a really decent supplier amongst many. I ordered it for a maintenace co. caring for a large tank at one of the local McDonald Restaurants. It was over 10" long as requested (XXL). Consideringthat these triggers will go to the rocks for protection and wedge themselves in with the use of their trigger extended such that you couldn't get one out without a pliers, most of these fish - usually the tiny and small ones - are chemical captured. I have noticed that the small one seemed to be more triangular shaped than the longer adult sized. Because the maintenance guy never came to pick up this fish for various reasons and because the pet shops in my area were not really interested in a fish this size I had to keep him for over a year and a half. I feed him nothing I would not eat myself from the fresh fish department at the local supermarket where the workers still ask how my fish is doing. When feeding, especially fresh cold water atlntic mussels the colors would intensify noticeably (Green stripe across the face, yellow lips and other markings). When hungry he was a maniac, when full I could pet and scratch his his head and nose. He would spit water at me when hungry coming three to four inches or more out of the water to what seemed like a dog begging. I contacted "Thiel" who claimed to be breeding these asking for body shape differences between male & female but he never responded. To see any difference on should view about 8 -12 sexually mature specimens and scrutinize them for some time - like in th eold days picking out breeding stock of fresh water angels and discus. I WILL TRY TO RETURN AND FINISH THIS QUESTIONAIRE AND PROVIDE PICTURES. There should be a better way to set this up. I never had to answer so many questions all at once - what a survey!

[aquababy]

TWICE NOW AND AT THE EXPENSE OF MUCH TIME I HAVE TRIED TO ANSWER EVERY QUESTION IN YOUR SURVEY - PICTURES INCLUDED - ONLY TO BE PUT DOWN BY RC SERVER PROBLEMS. I AM GETTING A LITTLE DIZZY AND FRUSTRATED. IF I FEEL BETTER AT SOME OTHER TIME I MIGHT TRY AGAIN - SORRY!

[aquababy]

<br />SELECTION<br />
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish?
No. No comment.
Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I do not know.
<br />Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
Received specimen from reliable Bali supplier. Should look for undamaged, disease free fish that eats food before purchase. Allow a few days to a week between moving from one environment to another.<br />Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
The very small speciment seem to be more triangular shaped as opposed to the longer bodied larger adults. My guess it is due to mature internal sex organs. <br />Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
I would start by observing know breeding pairs for differences in shape etc. If no pairs available try observing 8 to 12 sexually mature specimens for anatomical differences that may be obvious or very slight. <br /><br />ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION<br />
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
No, the usual proceedures are fine. <br />Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Need variety of good food and frequent feedings. <br />Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
That depends on the size and type of the aquarium and the size, type, and population if its' inhabitants. <br /><br />COMPATIBILITY<br />What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
This fish is alone in a segregated section of a 100gal. coral holding system. <br />Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
No. N/A. N/A. <br />Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
No. <br />What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
#8217? I do not understand this question.<br />Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
No.<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
No, none were made available.<br />Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
I fed it live bait green crabs from the Jersey shore. Like eating potatoe chips. <br />Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?
I fed it Atlantic cold water clams and mussels.<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
No, none of these were made available.<br />Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?
No, none of these were made available.<br /><br />FEEDING <br />How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Live damsels. <br />If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food?
Once the fish learns you are the source of food you stop feeding until hunger sets in and then the fish usually takes what you give him. I have trained lionfish to eat flake food and pellets. This works well with predators as they usually can go a little hungry without real damage. <br />What’s the diet?
What's with this#8217? I do not understand this question. <br />How much and how often do you feed?
I fed an equvalent of two large shrimp or two large mussels or a large clam once daily and sometimes twice. <br />How does this fish eat?
Like Jaws on drugs!<br />Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae?
COncerned about veggies I fed large pinches of flake food and dried sushi nuri seaweed. <br /><br />GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN<br />What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
Arrived approximately ten inches total length and grew about three quarters of an inch in a year and one half - measurements estimated. <br />What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
This fish was segregated in a fifty gallon section of a 1000gal. multi chambered coral holding facility in about seven inches water depth. Technically speaking, as long as the fish has enough room to turn around, tank size is meaningless provided water conditions do not inhibit growth. I have raised quite a nuber of fresh water fish to rapid maximum size in relatively small aquariums by changing water very often to remove or dilute growth inhibiting theramones that the fish naturally produce - natures way to regulate size in overcrowded conditions. <br />If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
Recieved very large adult. <br />How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I had the fish for a little longer than one and a half years when it died. I used feeding this fish in conjunction with experimenting with my prototype nitrate remover. I cut back on his feeding for a short time and he became very weak and was unable to feed. I hand fed him for another ten days - equivalent to using a turkey baster to squirt food into the fish by way of his mouth which he allowed me to do. He started to improve but then died. IMO I do not think he starved to death - chemical capture of these fish are always at the front of my mind.<br />What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
I do not know. <br /><br />DISEASE AND TREATMENT<br />What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Shortly after receiving this fish I got in a Phillipine Specials that included box lots of lionfish - the trigger came down with Dynoflagulate disease, possibly Oodinium. Treatment included raising the temperature a little and keeping the lights on for fourty eight hours. The system was treated with copper temporarily and UV lights were serviced.<br /><br />BEHAVIOR <br />Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, sleeping, eating and stress. <br />Does this fish dig the substrate often?
No gravel but fish moved live rock for some time, especially when hungry. <br />How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Hungry - active, full - complacent, shy - never! <br />How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Hungry - aggresive and territorial. When full a real pussycat. There were never any tank mates. <br />Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
No, but it was impossible to do so. <br />How does this fish sleep?
Wheter the lights were out or not, this fish would swim into the same corner of his tank near some liverock at about the same time every night. I was amazed and amused at this as he reminded me of a baby human.<br />Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
N/A - Never introduced these. <br />How does this fish interact with human?
Interaction with humans solely motivated by food. This fish could differentiate myself from another human somehow. <br />Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank?
No. <br />Any other interesting observation of this fish?
Seemed more "intelligent" than any other marine fish I have dealt with and I have dealt with them all over the years. <br /><br />REPRODUCTION<br />If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up? <br />Any information of spawning in captivity?
No to both questions. <br /><br />SUMMARY<br />Your overall assessment of this species - <br />How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? <br />1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank<br />2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike<br />3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes<br />4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes<br />5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry<br />
It is generally accepted in the business that these fish can put up with greater variations from the norm in water conditions than many other fish. When acclimating from international shipment these fish react the same as do all the others although they may recover sooner and there may be less fatalities. This does not mean that they or their water should be neglected. The volume of food they eventually require will soon raise nitrate levels that will cause them to suffer in ways we might not be aware of.
[b] Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
That depends on whether you like it or not. <br />
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Yes, provided they understood its' requirements. <br />Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank? <br />Any other recommendations/comments?
N/A <br /><br />REFERENCES <br />Do you have any links to web sites, online articles or any other source of information about this species that you would recommend?<br /><br />If you have any picture(s) of this fish you took, please post it here and share with us!https://home.comcast.net/~fishauthority/P0001317crp.jpg
https://home.comcast.net/~fishauthority/profile2.jpg

[Kschell]

I have a small (1.5") Clown trigger that was 1" when I purchased it about 5 months ago. It had always eatten agressively, until about 4 weeks ago. It started only grabbing one bite of food at each feeding. After a I returned from the holidays, the fish-sitter told me that it has stopped eating entirely. I had fed it Lifeline (green and red), Formula One, Prime reef, and occasional raw shrimp. It will not eat any of these. The LFS recommended guppies, but he will not even chase them. (Guess I will have to find some other use for the guppies. they are about 3/4 as big as the trigger...) Last night I tried a variatey of fresh seafoods: Squid, mussell, scallops, shrimp. I held the food in my fingers, and he would swim up and bite my fingers and ignore the food. (Little Shop of Horrors...)

Anyway, I do have 2 water paramater problems. I had tested the water about 1 week after the trigger stopped eating, and the PH was 8.3, and then I had changed the water. A week later, the PH was 8.6. I have no idea why, but I have done 2 quick changes and lowered it to 8.4. No other fish seemed affected by this. The LFS also tested Phosphates for me, and it was 2ppm. They gladly sold me some expensive phosphate removal medium. I am going to go to the store tomorrow and have them re-tested. All other basic tests the LFS had within acceptable parameters, and I confirmed with my own tests (ammonia=0, nitrire=0 nitrate=10 salinity=.020 temp=78)

Anyone have any ideas for irristable foods?


Thanks,
K

[ayrton]

Hi Kschell
I've a couple of large triggers and I've always been a great fan of this kind of fish by many years. I suggest to feed your clown with mussels. These fishes love them very much!!! you can buy them frozen at superstore.
Try them and keep me posted

[Kschell]

Update,

The trigger has started eating, adding weight and growing. I realized that I was feeding seafood from a frozen mix a bought at the grocery, and it was all pre-cooked. I fed raw scallop, and raw shrimp, and that caught his intrest enough to eat. Now he is eating everything again. Went almost 5 weeks w/o eating more than one bite per day, and survuved. Tough fish.

[spamin76]

I just got one today :)
He is a baby - only about 3/4" I'm putting him in my 30" once I get him out of quarantine and am gonna keep him there until he gets too big.

[Dave A]

I'd really like to talk to the member who had his CT for 10-14 years. His experience with this fish would be invaluable.

Dave

[capt. insano]

Dave A

Have a friend who owns a LFS. A customer returned a clown trigger that he had been sold by the store 5 yrs previous ( the clown was about 2" when sold and about 8 or 9 when he was brought back in)

He has been in the stores main 500g display tank for 4 yrs now.....making him about 9 yrs old. He is one big dude, and pretty laid back for a CT.

[SurferStevo]

Super hardy fish. I kept a trigger tank for 3 years. I had a clown, huma, & a pink tailed trigger. All got along well (or reasonably well). I just got tired of them & wanted a less aggressive FO tank.
In my current set up (this tank has been running for 2 years now) I have a dog face puffer, a harlequin tusk, a hippo tang, a pair of maroons & an Emporer Angel.

Oh, I almost forgot - this is an answer to one of the survey questions that I found was not fully answered.

Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Yes, the clown trigger turned a chocolate chip starfish into a playtoy tossing it around for 30 half an hour before finally taking a sample bite. Then the star fish was removed & I never tried any thing like that again.

[frankiej]

Hi,

Just wanted to share my experience with triggerfish if I may...We have a clown and a huma huma(picasso), along with a blue tang, coral beauty, mandarin goby,scooter blenny, tomato clown, and a sally lightfoot crab, all together in our 125 along with over 30 different corals at present.

This spring I planned on getting a much larger tank, mainly for the simple reason of no more room lol, and id like to get many more corals I think, but not more than another fish or two maybe, we have a yellow tang as well but it is in a defferent tank at the moment.

I was thinking of a 500-600 gallon tank and wanted to ask someone with more experience with triggers how big they could eventually become, I know the blue tang could get big, but dont know about the triggers, and so far they havent bothered my corals to much at all, except for one time when the picasso was put in tank, it nibbled on one leather 2 nips, and thats it.

As long as they are kept fed well I dont forsee a problem, but if someone knows different please let me know, because I have had a couple people say when they get bigger, is when they start to show the more aggressive side??? Is this proven fact, or just a more often than not statement???

Anyhow anyone which wouldnt mind sharing thier experiences with them, I would apprecciate it very much, as these guys are one of the more looked at species in the tank when visitors come by, I definitely want to keep them, and therefore need to find out more about them, so thanks and im off to read some more lol.

Frank

[Limpit]

I just got mine home about 45 minutes ago and am acclimating him (or her) as I write this message. I have always wanted to get a Clown Trigger but never had a big enough tank. He is the second fish to add to my new 125. The first fish was a V-tailed Grouper. I am also planning on adding a Harlequin Tusk and possibly a large Angel and that should be it. Time will tell if they are going to get along. I am going to keep my fingers crossed!

[frankiej]

Sounds like a nice mix though, hopefully all goes well, id like to get a harlequin, but usually they are so much we cant afford one, anyhow thanks for sharing and I hope all goes well, keep us informed.

Thanks and good luck with your reefs.

[rsteagall]

Can a Clown Trigger thrive in a 58 gal ? Or is this too small? I'm putting my saltwater back up this week and I've always wanted a clown trigger.... I hope my 58 will suffice.

Please let me know your thoughts.

[raddogz]

Perhaps a small fish, but as you may have read from the above posts they can grow pretty fast. They will need a bigger tank eventually.

[Justin L]

These fish can get up to 24" in the wild and probably a little smaller in aquariums. You could keep a little one in there for a while, but I would give it at least a 150 gal, preferably a 180 gal.

[camaro03]

Not to long ago i picked up a 6"-7" clown trigger has lots of personality and love to fight my mag float. He is in a 180 gallon tank with fish his size

[Trigger 2]

i love the clown trigger! im planning an 850 gallon system and the ct is on the stocking list. its going to be 2 150 gallon rubber made tubs, a 150 gallon quarintine/holding tank, and a 400 gallon main tank. the main tank will have a picasso trigger, a niger trigger, a blue throat trigger, a dog face puffer, 1 regal tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 emporer angel, and 1 harlequin tusk. im adding in a clown trigger and will have a purple and/or powder brown tang in the holding tank. if the ct gets to aggresive hes going into the holding tank and the tang are going in the main tank.

[Trigger 2]

i love the clown trigger! im planning an 850 gallon system and the ct is on the stocking list. its going to be 2 150 gallon rubber made tubs, a 150 gallon quarintine/holding tank, and a 400 gallon main tank. the main tank will have a picasso trigger, a niger trigger, a blue throat trigger, a dog face puffer, 1 regal tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 emporer angel, and 1 harlequin tusk. im adding in a clown trigger and will have a purple and/or powder brown tang in the holding tank. if the ct gets to aggresive hes going into the holding tank and the tang are going in the main tank.

[capt. insano]

interesting thing I have been observing in my mixed trigger tank.....my bluethroat, who is newer, smaller, and supposedly much more docile is whooping on my CT which has been in the tank for years, is about an inch larger.......strange

[Trigger 2]

that is weird. the ct will get him back eventually. in case the one i get is a bully hes going in the holding tank and the 2 aggresive tangs are going in the 400 gallon.

[pmemo]

Mine was begging food all the time...

[cthumphr]

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
My fiance got me my clown trigger from Marine Depot back in Feb 05.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I have been around clown of all sizes, I worked at a LFS in college and clowns around 3-4 inches do well. They should have a study build and not have concave sides. Real small fish aren't as easy to acclimate and real large fish should stay in the ocean.

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Yes, real small clowns have a different look than the 3" + variety. I think fully grown adults so under some subtle changes.

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
I wish I knew

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Just use common sense - go slow

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Make sure they have a nice cave or two to retreat to always, this will make them fell secure in the tank

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
I would say last, but then again, I don't think this fish is meant to be with other fishes in an aquarium setting.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
Tankmates include hermit crabs and snails to clean up after his mess. Had an emerald crab too for 6 months, but everntually the Clown got tired of him and ate him.

Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? NO
If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)? ATE A CRAB SO FAR, Hermits will be next probably
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Mysis shrimp
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? aways ate frozen
What’s the diet? Mysis, Formula One, Veggies, crab, krill
How much and how often do you feed? 2 times a day

How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Active feeder, comes right out to eat

Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? Yes, it will chew on macroalgae sometimes

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I got mine at about 3.5 inches and it has grown about 3/4 of an inch in a year I think

What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
Right now he is in 50 which is too small for him. I plan to put him in a 120 soon. They like to swim and are messy eaters so the bigger the better


If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
Haven't seen that yet

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I have had my fish about 10 months

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
When I got my fish he got a bacterial infection on his anal and caudal fin. I used Myacin II to kick it (by Mardel I think). It took a a month or two but eventually the infection went away.
I did weekly water changes which I think had a good impact too

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, goes from pale to bold in coloration depending on mood or time of day. Also triggers to get your attention.

Does this fish dig the substrate often?
Not too much.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Active during the day and especially at feeding time

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Dont know, but he will move hermit crabs around if he doesn't like where they are

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? NO

How does this fish sleep? Goes in his cave and locks himself there with his trigger

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? Don't know

How does this fish interact with human? he will interact with my fiance and i, but he is really wary of strangers and will hide if we have other people over at our house

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? NO

Any other interesting observation of this fish?

REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 3
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
Any other recommendations/comments?

Clown Triggers are amazing fish. They need to be respected and in my opinion they are enough fish for a tank. I have watched Picasso Triggers and Queen Triggers in the wild meander for food over a shallow reefs and what strikes you is how much they like to move around. A fish tank with other fish in it can be a bad situation for a clown trigger. Knowing what i know I gotta get mine a bigger tank soon cause I am sure he is going to get bored of cramped quarters quickly.

[saj01c]

Anyone have a crosshatch trigger? I've had mine for 2 years and she is doing great. She eats everything.

[TAZ316]

I've had my CT for 6 months and it is doing great. He is about 12 inches long and gets along with everyone in the tank. I've had to start over in collecting my fish since hurricane Katrina nocked out my power and my tank crashed.

[lost1st manty:(]

Ive got only a huma and he is becoming a real terror nipping my lionsfishs fins and trying to kill my green bird wrasse also he doesnt mess with my moray grouper or puffer but has already shredded my hifan snappers hifins down to nothing good luck weith a clown as they are nastier and meaner than huimas ive heard

[edwardj]

Mine just came out of quarantine and gave me a scare - he was asleep almost a full day - looked dead. Now he's moving around. I have him in a 100 tall with a huma huma trigger. I'd like to add a few more - any suggestions? I was thinking of a butterfly. Any recommendations? Also, can i have ANY cleaning crew in here - or will he just munch them up? I was thinking of an eel too - or a lionfish - any suggestions? I will fill out the survey in another month when i have more to share. He is eating and swimming around now, and seems to be fine with the huma huma. Mine is about 3-4 inches long. I paid $80 for him - but i think the price was reduced because he has a nip on his nose (or that area right over the mouth - i know they don't have noses). Looks like he just bumped the glass while being moved.

[Galilean]

I’ve had 3 clown triggers each one was purchased at 1.5-2” and grew to about 6-8” in maybe 6 months. They all lived about 5-6 years.

SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish?
Hand picked, I haven’t bought anything mail order. I like to watch the fish for at least half an hour before I buy it.

Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
I haven’t looked very hard, but I doubt it unless you buy from a hobbyist.

Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS?
Standard stuff: Look for parasites. Check for cloudy eyes. This should be an active fish that eats greedily.

What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I would get a small one (2” or less) and grow it up. But that’s just personal preference.

Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Patterns vary slightly, but it’s a very bold and standard pattern. I have seen some that look faded though. Juveniles have 3 thin forehead stripes instead of one wide band and they have large white spot covering the whole body instead of just the ventral half as on adults.

Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish? I don’t know.

ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Standard. I don’t think they need much acclimation. They tolerate a wide range of salinity and temperature. I moved mine dozens of times with basically no acclimation because tanks had to go to school and back multiple times a year.

Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen? Feed lots of meat.

Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
This depends on size and tank mates of course, but a clown trigger is a very aggressive fish so generally it should be last.

COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?
I’ve kept them with damsels and groupers. Damsels can be quick enough to get away if there is sufficient live rock.

Is it a reef or FO tank?
Probably FO, unless you don’t mind losing motile inverts to predation.

Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
I’ve seen juveniles kept in groups for a short period in the LFS, but like many LFS practices this will not work long term.

Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank? No

What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you? Damsels added before the trigger were eventually accepted. A leopard grouper added after the trigger was also OK for a while, but the trigger had to be completly full before the grouper got anything.

Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
No, but it tried.

Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
No

Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Reef hermits were eaten. A Skunk cleaner shrimp was eaten after many months of peace because feeding was neglected while on vacation.

Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)?
Flame Scallops were not eaten.

Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?

Pencil urchins and chocolate chip stars were eaten. Sea cucumbers and sea apples were not.

Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?
Bristle worms were eaten.

FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
I don’t remember it being a problem.
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? N/A
What’s the diet? Krill and frozen cubes

How much and how often do you feed? Typically 1 or 2 shrimp and 1 cube once a day.

How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc) Naturally it would be an active predator, but in the tank it just waits for food. I trained mine to do barrel-rolls and extend its trigger on command for food. Flexing my thumb and little finger with a straight hand induced the trigger motion. A pointer finger extended, rolling my wrist was the signal for the fish to spin. It learned the trigger thing almost immediately, but the rolling trick took a month of repetition.
(only one of the three fish learned to roll)

Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? No algae was eaten.

GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I’ve had 3 clown triggers each one was purchased at 1.5-2” and grew to about 6-8” in maybe 6 months.

What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish? The fish lived in 55 gal and a 75 gal. I thought this was too small but that was the biggest I had at the time. I think they would have grown larger and lived longer in a bigger tank.

If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take? The change was complete in 6 months.

How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause? All three fish lived about 5-6 years and died of apparently natural causes. They are very hardy in regards to temperature. They survived 95F water (battery powered air pump running) for a whole day on several occasions due to power outages in the summer. They also can handle a wide range of salinity including permanently living in brackish water if need be for parasite treatments. I never tried keeping them in freshwater, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they could do it.

What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
In my reading triggers are not particularly long lived fish even in the wild typically living 7-10 years. I’ve seen a clown trigger about 12” long in an aquarium.

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
Mine never had diseases, but I’ve seen them get ick and be cured by being transferred to half-salt for a few weeks.

BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
It can get very light when scared or very dark when angry but the overall pattern stays the same.

Does this fish dig the substrate often?
Mine did not. But they might.

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
This is a very active fish that always stays in the open cruising when it is the top fish in the tank. If there is insufficient room to swim it will still hang in the open.

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?

This fish is very aggressive, but accepted tankmates after a while if It could not catch them and beat them up.

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank?
Yes, but that was to only to reach food.

How does this fish sleep?
It likes to find a place to wedge itself in a crack, but will float mid-water if there is no hiding spot available.

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often?
Skunk cleaner shrimp would clean sporadically, but it ate one also.

How does this fish interact with human?
As per above comments, it is very personable and can be trained to do simple tricks. Hand feeding is dangerous however without gloves.

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank?
No.

Any other interesting observation of this fish?
This is a beautiful, active fish with a dog-like personality. It’s an excellent FO fish.

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 2
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike


Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Yes, if you have a big tank.

Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
My tanks never cycle, because I include plants. They are good enough for corals on day one and I never do water changes. But if you use the old accept-bad-water-as-a-fact-of-life method you may not want to risk a $100 fish on a new tank.

Any other recommendations/comments?
Reef On!

[Trigga Fish]

The only clean up crew I kept with my CT was large hermit crabs.

Never had any problems with them. The only thing was they all had short antennae. I guess they tasted good to my trigger. But they were great at cleaning all the small pieces the trigger missed during feeding.

I've never kept two triggers together. In with the CT were:

Emperator Angel
Clown Tang
Porcupine Puffer
Clown Grouper

The fish were in my 300 FOWLR and all fish were adult sized.

[caddydaddy]

My Clown trigger is my favorite SW fish ATM!

It has nearly doubled it's size in the few months I have owned it.

It's cool to watch it expand it's body to eat more food.

Kinda makes it look like a toy.

AJ :)

[russy pelican]

I've kept a few over the years, at least three clowns, and several other triggers. I just put a little 2-incher into a 65 of his own last week, and called "Pet Fish Talk" for tips. I've kepts Humus, niger, queens, and a sargassum for years, but every clown has died within two years. Also, the growth rate has seemed slower on those than other species. I'm taking every precaution to do it right this time.

[redox]

yes I would love a bite of your finger
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/fingerfood.jpg

[mattsilvester]

I would love to see one of these guys at a decent size.....

Realistically, if you were to keep a "large" one of these fish, I would image they would each and dump as much as a small bog or a cat!

If ever there was a fish for a species tank, I think a bit one of these could carry it off.......

[mst3kguy07]

I have never owned one so i chose less than one month previous owner because i think my dad owned one a long time ago so...i wouldnt get one for my reef anyway they are really agressive towards fish and people but still he is a really nice fish!

[mhurley]

.

[Mr31415]

any chance that this fish might work in a 480g tank with

Tassled filefish
Snowflake eel
Zebra eel
Bird wrasse
Foxface
Naso tang
Panther grouper
Twinspot coris
Volitans lionfish

Some softies such as leather coral, colt, mushroom,zoanthids and star polyps

Hermits, urchins, green brittle star

[priji]

DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment? N/A


BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances? yeah it gets pale when freaked out

Does this fish dig the substrate often? yeah it digs a lot

How active is this fish? Is this fish shy? wasn't shy at all, constantly exploring, digging, biting

How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates? started out ok, then decided the whole tank was his/its

Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? no

How does this fish sleep? like all triggers in a rock or cave

Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? N/A
How does this fish interact with human? you could hand feed it, but it'll bite ya

Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? no
Any other interesting observation of this fish? killer fish for a BIG tank or a species tank

SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? not that sensitive really, but I wouldn't ever cycle w/any fish. Would probably survive ammonia spikes, but why chance it?

Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)? you just gotta know what you're in for
Would you recommend this fish to beginners? no b/c most don't have tanks big enough
Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank? most are, but that's not realistic
Any other recommendations/comments? no :lol: :lol:

[d_hartke]

My Clown is probably my favorite fish in the tank. I always wanted one, and got him last year. He has never been aggressive to any of my other fish. He did try to eat my urchins when I introduced them. I think he learned his lesson. My Humuhumu kicks his butt once in a while. They are both the same size. I introduced a Niger after him and they get along fine. Sometimes I will find him wedged against a rock and the glass nose down resting. He almost looks dead. He eats well. I mostly feed freeze dried shrimp.

[redox]

hes a meat eater living in a vegitarian world:lol: http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/vegitarian.jpg

[Pescado Racing]

Smart fish= Clown Trigger

[marczx10r]

i have had mine for 8 months and he is still growing like a champ. my wife really loves the way he looks and acts. he is not scared to bite things that you use to clean the corners of the tank. you have to watch him when you are doing things in side the tank. here is a pic of him

[redox]

well here he is againhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/redox/gasping.jpg

[UhOhWhatsleakin]

Mine just went missing...?Looked outside of the tank for the "jumper" and nothing.

[UhOhWhatsleakin]

What a great picture!!! Playing dead? LOL

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12286306#post12286306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redox
well here he is againhttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/ghgrown/redox/gasping.jpg

[Mike de Leon]

Quite intrigued by this fish and wanting to add to an SPS tank.
Here's my fish list now: 1 - large achilles (6 inches). Naso at 8 inches. Blueface at 8 inches a yellow tang and a larger maroon clown. I also have a mandarin.

Tank dimensions are 60 X 28 X 22. Lots of swimming room.

I am looking at one at the LFS that is one and a half inch selling for 100 bucks cdn.

So what do you think guys, is it feasible? My thought is when he grows too big I can trade him in...thx

[evilspaz]

Quite intrigued by this fish and wanting to add to an SPS tank.
Here's my fish list now: 1 - large achilles (6 inches). Naso at 8 inches. Blueface at 8 inches a yellow tang and a larger maroon clown. I also have a mandarin.

Tank dimensions are 60 X 28 X 22. Lots of swimming room.

I am looking at one at the LFS that is one and a half inch selling for 100 bucks cdn.

So what do you think guys, is it feasible? My thought is when he grows too big I can trade him in...thxMy LFS sells Clowns that big for 60$ Dont know how much fish cost up there in canada though.

[Hydrologist]

Quite intrigued by this fish and wanting to add to an SPS tank.
Here's my fish list now: 1 - large achilles (6 inches). Naso at 8 inches. Blueface at 8 inches a yellow tang and a larger maroon clown. I also have a mandarin.

Tank dimensions are 60 X 28 X 22. Lots of swimming room.

I am looking at one at the LFS that is one and a half inch selling for 100 bucks cdn.

So what do you think guys, is it feasible? My thought is when he grows too big I can trade him in...thx

The CT would pick on the mandarin for sure, at some point (probably the clown as well). Your tank seems to have quite a few large fish already, I would suggest you not purchase the CT until you get a separate/larger tank. These fish grow very fast as noted in the posts above.

HTH

[jmccown]

I wanted to chime in on this thread about my massive CT that I've had for roughly 3 months. He is 12.5" long and is in my community tank with tangs, angels and wrasses. He does not bother them and has not bitten at or acted aggressive towards any of them. I can't say the same for my cleaning magnet or my tongs. He hates those things and chomps at them both. Hope to chime in several months down the road with the same results.

[aquamanpc24]

currently keeping a 3.5" clown with a 4.5" niger and 4" white tail trigger. That was a fun fun procedure for grouping the trio of those triggers in a 135 Long. In the tank is a full grown snowflake a yellow tang and hippo tang, and a balls to the wall porcupine puffer. The triggers were acclimated using a 45 min drip with slight meds to ensure no parasites and than 45 minutes without meds with just clear water. I usually get a 10 gallon water change out of a new fish acclimation. But first was niger and a year later white tail and 6 months later a clown trigger. Whenever I add new fish to this tank, besides picking aggressive tank mates I put in seaweed on pvc and my clown goes bonkers when pvc is in his tank, he starts shredding the seaweed and if I do to pieces he will be preoccupied till the next night and never bothers new fish. :)

[Hydrologist]

currently keeping a 3.5" clown with a 4.5" niger and 4" white tail trigger. That was a fun fun procedure for grouping the trio of those triggers in a 135 Long. In the tank is a full grown snowflake a yellow tang and hippo tang, and a balls to the wall porcupine puffer. The triggers were acclimated using a 45 min drip with slight meds to ensure no parasites and than 45 minutes without meds with just clear water. I usually get a 10 gallon water change out of a new fish acclimation. But first was niger and a year later white tail and 6 months later a clown trigger. Whenever I add new fish to this tank, besides picking aggressive tank mates I put in seaweed on pvc and my clown goes bonkers when pvc is in his tank, he starts shredding the seaweed and if I do to pieces he will be preoccupied till the next night and never bothers new fish. :)

All of these fish are in a 135 gallon long?

[nd31male]

sweet looking setup love the fish

[Jamesus]

I had one for a year that I got as a juvenile. Had him in a really stocked 90 and he did great and always seemed healthy. I set up a bigger tank in another room and when I moved him over he died within a day. Very upsetting. I don't have a Fish only tank anymore, but if I ever get another one there is no doubt that I'll get another clown trigger.

[jrcastro]

I just got a 9" CT with some scary looking teeth. Does anyone know if these bites hurt? How do people aquascape with this guy in the tank?
Kind of intimidating moving some rock around.

[jmccown]

I have a 14" clown trigger. i've not been bitten by it, but have been bit by my 8" lei trigger. It startled me more than anything and did bleed. I wouldn't want to imagine what my clown trigger would do if he bit me. I had a near 20" queen trigger that could easily bite someone's finger off. These triggers are very powerful when they get big. Be careful.

[kirklinsclownfi]

I loved my fish just was a little too agressive

[bohannbj]

I kept mine with a fu manchu and a fuzzy and never had any problems. I did find that once they get past that juvenile faze they are much hardier.

[stangd1909]

How would a Clown trigger do with a Stars and Stripes puffer?

[Feashman]

i've got a large stars and stripes (the general who's about 14") and a clown trigger (no name who's about 7-8") and they're getting along all right. they both love clams on the half shell.

[stangd1909]

i've got a large stars and stripes (the general who's about 14") and a clown trigger (no name who's about 7-8") and they're getting along all right. they both love clams on the half shell.



Thanks for the feed back, My puffer is about 7-8 inches right now. I'm leaning away from the Clown trigger for now....but may give it a try.

[mattsilvester]

Thanks for the feed back, My puffer is about 7-8 inches right now. I'm leaning away from the Clown trigger for now....but may give it a try.

I really think you just got to be prepared, emotionally, to let the CT go if and when it becomes problematic. They may never go nuts, or it could happen tomorrow..... so long as you are clear in your mind that if he goes nuts, he will not revert to normal again, and your action needs to be swift and decisive.

Having a large sump, with a large open section is a good precaution for this - so you can literally grab him with minutes notice, say at 11pm on a worknight when you wouldn't normally have time to take action.

Make that provision, prepare yoruself mentally, and then go for it!

[zhewitt04]

I am going to get one for my 150. My question is why are the smaller ones hard to care for? I am just curious why they are so much more difficult and what you guys do to raise them up as babys. I am thinking of going with a medium sized one but I love getting fish when they are tiny and watching them grow. Just curious!
Thanks

[vamaro]

I just purchased a 5-6 inch clown trigger 2 days ago. I have been watching this clown at the LFS for over 3 weeks. Super calm, not aggressive and seems to ignore the other fish. The fish ate right after I put it in the tank. It did not eat the second day but ate again this morning. I think its just shy and getting used to the tank. It swims, then goes back to hide, then comes out again. Not typical trigger behavior which in the case could be a good thing.

http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu97/vamaro/CIMG1512.jpg

[vamaro]

Update - the clown ate great tonight. It seems very shy and I think it just needed to get used to the tank. Tonight it ate 3 scallops and a large shrimp.

[matt randazzo]

im planning on starting a 125 FO, and i would love to have a CT, would this be a suitable stock list?

CT
bird wrasse
sailfin tang
humu rectangle
and maybe a butterfly fish(Heniochus)?

[Nighthawk31]

I don't know what your future plans are but the 125 will not be large enough for the CT and sailfin for life. You might get by for a year or two depending on how big they are when purchased. The CT will most likely flip out after a year or two and kill 'em all anyway.

I just realized matts post is over a month old. Sorry.

[IdahoGuy]

I had a 10 inch Clown in a reef tank.. Never bothered anything except for hermit crabs, left snails and cleaner shrimp alone. Had him 10 years before he died.


Kept an 18 inch Queen by itself in a 240. Same thing, tolerated cleaner shrimp and snails but not hermits.

[srf11]

Idaho - good for you, but those have got to be the rarities!!

[JohnniG]

Wish I had one, but it's just too aggressive for me.

[bobby415]

Hi i had a clown trigger while bck.whn i got him he was a size of a quarter.i had him in a 240 gal with yellow,purple,red sailfin,blk tang,queen trigger.before i knew it my tangs ran the tank.my clown would anything that i fed him.shrimp was his favorite,but the clown and queen ttigger would even eat a mouse.

[roenicknewf]

Love the clown trigger (and just most triggers in general) when its in someone elses tank ;)..
Had one for a couple years ..Got rid of him about a year ago along with his tank terror teammate, a Humu Picasso trigger... They clearly ruled the tank and killed 2 flamehawks on separate occasions ..
Both were fine for 2 years then out of nowhere turned ..
I currently have 3 triggers (red tail,bluethroat,niger) that are very docile and been together for about a year ..I would suggest any of these triggers to anyone before a clown or humu if they wanted more than just those triggers in the tank..

[SDguy]

I just looked at the poll results. Holy moly! There are that many people with 20+ year old CT's?

[roenicknewf]

I think those are people who owned them at one time more than 20 years ago ...but IDK i could be wrong

[highroller]

I had my clown for about a year and a half. He was an awesome fish never messed with any of his tank mates yellow tang, blue hippo, vlamingi, and a couple blue damsels, and even a peppermint and banded shrimp that he never harmed or showed any aggression. He was around 6-7" and would eat pretty much any food offered. I'm not sure if I just got lucky but he was a model citizen and gorgeous to look at. The tank was also 300 gallons which probably helped some. Not sure why he died, he just started swimming on his side and never recovered all the other fish are still doing fine that he was with and that was 6 months ago.

[M.phenax]

I had a little one (~2inches). I had him in qt and never could get him to eat. I didn't want to treat him until he was eating well and sadly, that never happened. I had him for around 6 weeks :(

[NaClTDog]

Mine is a hog! He will eat anything. Sometimes he gets so full he just parks himself into the rocks and doesn't move. He 4inchs right now and has some growing room in his 300

[desjardinii]

This is my badboy :inlove: - the second CT I've owned, I just can't help myself! :headwallblue:

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/nickywoop/5ea80c0e-c4be-4ed6-bfe4-71d1d6aa0b66.jpg

He's grown from 1.5 to nearly 4" in about 6 months and has started to rush at my other fish at feeding time so he's back in the QT tank while I'm deciding what to do. I had a golden opportunity to catch him as I use a 2" wide x 3" long, clear acrylic feeding ring/tube and the greedy little brat got used to getting inside it to hog all the food!, it wasn't hard to slip a net under while he was gorging on NLS. I'm now thinking of maybe setting up a species tank around 180-200g with a Picasso and perhaps another smaller growing Trig for company. It will just contain LR, sand to dig in and a pile of coral bones to play with.

[PhantomAce]

Well, I picked up a new Clown Trigger last weekend. About 5-1/4" nose to end of tail, and THICK. Small LFS had him for about 2 months. They're reef-centric, so I don't think any of their normal clientele was interested in him, but he's perfect for a FOWLR set-up like mine.
He's in QT currently, and eating like a pig. Interestingly, he's acclimated to tank life pretty well, and you can literally pet him like a dog.
Price was fair too, got him for $140.

Gave up my 4-1/2" Picasso trigger, as I was worried he would get destroyed by this guy, and I just didn't want to deal with the bloodbath. If the clown was closer to 4" I might have made a go of it, but this guy is almost twice his total mass, and that would have been a no-no. So, we now have about a 4" Porcupine Puff in a separate quarantine as a replacement for the Picasso, and will introduce him to the DT a few days before the CT goes in.
Most of the smaller fish (diamond goby and mated clarkii pair) will be coming out and going into the separate small DT, as I think they would be snacks if I leave them in.

[NTP66]

Probably a smart choice to remove the Picasso. On a related note, I saw a Clown around the same size at my normal LFS a few weeks ago that spent his entire time swimming up to anyone looking at the tank, viciously attacking the glass trying to get at them. I wish I had taken video of it in hindsight, because you could tell that this particular fish was going to be a mass murderer if put into a tank with any other living creatures.

[PhantomAce]

NTP66:
This one is QUITE active, and eats like a pig, so I am a bit worried about him with other tankmates. But, the only way to find out will be introduction and watch. As stated earlier, the small stuff is moving to a smaller system, and the Picasso is gone, so it will be Clown Trigger, Melanarus Wrasse, Porcupine Puffer, and a large Green Chromis in the tank, and that's it for now. Anyone else will be later, and LARGE.
CT is still in QT right now, will probably move within next 2 weeks. Wanted to take it slow and get the other tank ready for the little guys, and also be certain everyone was clean and healthy before his introduction to display tank.
A 6 week QT is hard on an impatient trigger fan like me!

[PhantomAce]

Well, the Clown has been in the DT for about 2 weeks. He's still a bit aggressive (as expected), but I am actually pretty amazed that he hasn't gone after anyone hardcore yet.
A little fin nipping on the puff at feeding time, but other than that nothing too difficult.

[PhantomAce]

A month in and the CT owns the tank (as expected). The puff hangs high up so he can watch the clown, which has been a bit aggressive to him. Personally I think the CT is driving him up there.
The melanarus is fine, and so is the green chromis.
But, at this point, the CT pretty much owns the tank, which is actually what I figured would happen.

[GreatWhiteWolfe]

Great thread going back for years!! i have had my CT for about 2 years ish... He gets along fine with my picasso that is much smaller, a green bird, dogface puffer, snowflake eel and engineer goby. Anyhow he developed some interesting markings. Check him out! He is 6-7 inches now. Any idea on what he is worth if I were to sell? I dont want to but the tank is giving me issues and might have to break it down until I can buy a new one :sad1: