Bluethroat Trigger Question

[cwschoon]

I have a male Bluethroat trigger in my 120 mixed reef and he is a model citizen. I am considering adding a female and my fundamental question is: should they get along? Is it likely that they may "bond"? I do realize that individual fish have individual personalities. I am weighing this or choosing a different mellow Trigger, such as a crosshatch or niger.

[nereefpat]

I would not add a second bluethroat trigger to a 120, for size and space reasons. I would say the same for the crosshatch, and the niger gets bigger and is less reef safe.

[GQsmooth]

Yep, your tank is too small.

[Bolivian Ram]

I think you will be fine. Well maybe, all fish are different after all. I have two male blue throat triggers in my 90 gallon tank for about two years now. They get along great and don't harm their tank mates. I have seen them squabble with eachother when I do a water change (when they try to dart in the same crevice or hole in the rock) but it is just a bit of a chase around then they are fine.

From experience, to best keep these triggers you will need lots of hiding spaces, an open swimming area, lots of feeding (they eat tons) to keep them happy and to reduce any chances of aggression. This means your filtration must be top notch especially in a reef tank. Since you are getting a female I think you should be fine. Keeping two blue-throats is great cause the male's colour brightens up substantially. I've noticed this when I added the second male, both of them brightened up. A female may make his colours stand out even more.

I would stay away from the niger or the crosshatch. Nigers can be vary aggressive and can cause havoc in a reef tank. Just search it up and you will see. Also Crosshatch Triggers get much more larger than the Bluethroat so at least a 6 foot tank would be needed. I have never kept these triggers personally so I'm going with what I have read online so take that as you will.

Is your tank a 4 footer or 6 footer?

[cwschoon]

5 foot, 120. Got the female and all is well.

[humaguy]

I would not add a second bluethroat trigger to a 120, for size and space reasons. I would say the same for the crosshatch, and the niger gets bigger and is less reef safe.

Excellent advice!


TK

[humaguy]

Yep, your tank is too small.

Excellent advice!

TK

[humaguy]

I think you will be fine. Well maybe, all fish are different after all. I have two male blue throat triggers in my 90 gallon tank for about two years now. They get along great and don't harm their tank mates. I have seen them squabble with eachother when I do a water change (when they try to dart in the same crevice or hole in the rock) but it is just a bit of a chase around then they are fine.

From experience, to best keep these triggers you will need lots of hiding spaces, an open swimming area, lots of feeding (they eat tons) to keep them happy and to reduce any chances of aggression. This means your filtration must be top notch especially in a reef tank. Since you are getting a female I think you should be fine. Keeping two blue-throats is great cause the male's colour brightens up substantially. I've noticed this when I added the second male, both of them brightened up. A female may make his colours stand out even more.

I would stay away from the niger or the crosshatch. Nigers can be vary aggressive and can cause havoc in a reef tank. Just search it up and you will see. Also Crosshatch Triggers get much more larger than the Bluethroat so at least a 6 foot tank would be needed. I have never kept these triggers personally so I'm going with what I have read online so take that as you will.

Is your tank a 4 footer or 6 footer?


2 male triggers in a 90 is just not enough space. All triggers can be insane, they are so highly individualistic, that there truly is no rhyme or reason to their behavior at times. Sometimes, it is just a matter of "when" things go south.
O. niger is known as a more peaceful trig and is often recommended as reef-safe. Their upturned mouths characterizes a plankton-feeding species. In the wild they form loose feeding groups, and hunt macroplankton in open waters. This circumstance is what allows them to be known as "reef-safe." This is also the case with Melichtys and Xanthichthys.
It was good advice to recommend passing on nigers and crosshatches.
Good luck with your trigs!

TK

[humaguy]

5 foot, 120. Got the female and all is well.

Good luck with them!

TK

[GQsmooth]

5 foot, 120. Got the female and all is well.

:headwallblue: When will people learn?

[cwschoon]

:headwallblue: When will people learn?

I've probably been in this hobby before you were born and I was in the industry for many years. If you think 2 4" Bluethroat Triggers are excessive for a 120 gallon tank, that's your opinion. I think they will be fine.
Spare me your snark.

[GQsmooth]

I'm not being snark, it's a legit comment. I'm sure you have plenty of experience, but you have no common sense. These fish get to be fair size, and need ample swimming room. Just because you went with a minimum tank doesn't mean that's the correct size for that fish, and on top of that you decided to add another after people telling you it's not a good idea.

[cwschoon]

I am totally comfortable housing a pair of blue throats-that should max out at 9"-in a 120 gallon tank and I got enough advice from people in the industry that I respect that make me confident in my choice. Who the [profanity] are you to tell me I have no common sense and what qualifies you to judge?

[GQsmooth]

Good luck with your "confident" choice. Anybody who gave you advice in approving triggers in a 5' 120g tank is a clown.

I don't have to be anybody to qualify judgement, your decisions are self explanatory.

Have a good day

[BrianD]

Thread closed. I'm not sure why the OP even asked the question and wasted the time of people who bothered to respond.