Clams and Triggers

**Poseidon** · 02-21-2004, 08:23 PM

Okay I know I'm considered by many to be a little crazy for haveing a Trigger in my reef tank. (Okay maybe a lot crazy.) But since the Niger has been so well behaved I was thinking of adding a Clam. Do you think a Clam would make for an Expensive meal or do you think the Trigger will ignore it, just like all my other corals? And do you think it would matter what type of clam I bought as far as the trigger is concerned?

I just don't want to flush the 50-60 dollars down the preverbial TOILET, if you know what I mean.

Thanks in advance....

**Poseidon** · 02-21-2004, 08:28 PM

I was thinking of this guy from Clams Direct.

He sure looks like a cool Maxima!!!!

**Poseidon** · 02-22-2004, 10:31 PM

Anyone????

***zhenya*** · 02-23-2004, 12:39 PM

Hi Mike,

It is really hard to predict what your Odonus's behaviour toward mollusk will be. You have to research what are the natural prey items for this trigger and go from there.Assuming(and it's just a guess on my part) that if his main diet would be crustaceans and smaller fish I don't see how he wouldn't like to investigate and maybe taste your clam.It could prove fatal or clam can recover or perhaps nothing will happen but it would be up to you to give it try. I think Kevinpo has a pair of triggers in his LARGE tank and I would email him and see if he keeps anyclams with those triggers.
Good luck, Mike!

**Poseidon** · 02-23-2004, 05:25 PM

Thanks Gene... Guess I'm off to Google!!!

Diet : Feeds on zooplankton as well as on sponges, crustacea, molluscs. Like many other species the Red-toothed Triggerfish can eject a powerful jet of water from its jaws. By holding its body vertically this jet may be directed at the sandy substrate, and is used to scare up shrimps and other small crustacea from the sea floor.

found that here... http://www.manband-archive.com/trigg...nus_niger.html

looks like my Niger might make a meal outta my Clam... Guess I'll have to either trade him in, or hold off on Clams...

***zhenya*** · 02-23-2004, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poseidon

looks like my Niger might make a meal outta my Clam... Guess I'll have to either trade him in, or hold off on Clams...

I figured as much, Mike but did not want to be the one to tell you not to buy clams as I know you want one bad

You can always set up that clam tank that Barry sells

**Poseidon** · 02-23-2004, 08:10 PM

Yup I could, but then I would have to take it with me, to my new Apartment... Cause my wife would kick me out for SURE

dougc · 02-24-2004, 11:16 AM

In the book Ultimate Marine Aquariums (a great book, by the way), Terry Siegel's 450 gallon tank is profiled. He is keeping a Niger trigger in the tank and he has several large clams in with it.

I am planning on trying to keep a Blue Throat trigger in my tank with clams. Of course, this is all wishful thinking, since my tank doesn't even have water in it yet. The electrician is supposed to be at my house today to upgrade my service and hook up the two 20 amp lines for the fishroom. I figure that I'm about 2 weeks from a freshwater test fill. Then about a week of getting everything dialed in, programming the Aquacontroller, and fixing last minute glitches before filling the tank for real. It will take about a week just to fill the tank and sump with RO water. Let's see, I guess I can start shopping for that blue throat in about September.

Vili_Shark · 03-01-2004, 04:20 PM

Hi

About the O.niger, it is possible to keep in a reef tank.
From my experience O.niger has the diverst personality, some can be mean killing machines as their cousins B.undulatus and P.fuscus, while others can be as peacful as a small green chromis.

I think you have to know what you're buying.
You must know the behaviour of a trigger fish, and try to buy a peacful specimen, this is just to increase the success rate.

For facts, I've seen O.niger, R.aculeatus and even B.conspicillum kept in reefs with clams, as well as M.vidua,X.auromarginatus.
However they should be well fed and it shuld always be at the back of your head that there might be a possibility that your trigger might be up to something.
I know of a niger that I'd trust more than any Angel Pomacanthidae on earth, better say that I'd put my money that he wont touch anything, but that particualar one is kept for years in a reef with no interest in anything including shrimps (personally I thought he never been told he got these big red fangs in his mouth : ) )

If you really like Trigger , ya should ask yourself if you're ready for it or otherwise, open a FO tank for triggers only.

Good luck.

**Poseidon** · 03-01-2004, 04:31 PM

Hey Vili thanks for the reply...

I have a "model citizen" so far. He/She has shown no interest in anything other then Spectrum food, and Cyclop-eeze. I do have a Mandarin and just yesterday I added a Purple Linkia star that he so far has COMPLETELY ignored. (thats a good thing) I took a trip to Tropicorium yesterday and they had some nice A. Dersa clams, and a couple HUGE A. Maxima's that had to be 10" across and at least 8" tall!! I passed on them all though, because I hafe this "risk". Once I have him a little longer maybe 6 months, I will consider adding an inexpensive clam, to "test" the water so to speak. SO far SO good.

Vili_Shark · 03-01-2004, 04:47 PM

Hi

If I were you, I'd go for a Derasa right now and see what up.

As a major rule in a FO tank, I reccomend the triggers as the last specimens to go in the tank, same goes with a reef, but I do understand ya wanna be sure about your clams, however, I'd start trying now, before he feels that it's HIS tank.

It just what I'd do.

miareefer · 03-06-2004, 07:56 AM

Hey mike no-ones recomended this one yet on this thread...

Remove the TRIGGER... To a fish Bowl
Clams are superior inverts to have in your tank ..The WOW factor can be amazing at times ...once you had clams you will never go back They might not talk a lot to you and they dont really move around a lot but they each all have a unique personality and in time you will learn how to communicate with them and they will give you hours of entertainment.My ultimate tank would only hold some primo rock and about 30 smallish clams.

As far as your wife is concerned why dont you buy her the Clam Tank for her birthday,How could she ever complain on a day like that...Hey as silly as it sounds this works I remember buying my girl a lever drag shimmano fishing reel for xmas one year she was a bit stunned but thankfull all the same ..
Mia

**Poseidon** · 03-06-2004, 12:00 PM

LOL!!! I was thinking that myself, put the Trigger in a bowl. But I was outvoted, Trigger stays. Besides my wife also picked out a Navarcus Angel for the tank. He certainly WILL pick on mantels. Unfortunately he is also getting harrassed by my yellow tang, so I don't see him very often. He also has a pretty "cloudy" eye, I'm hoping it clears up on its own, if not I will set up the QT tank soon.

Here is a Pic of the "new Guy":

02-21-2004, 08:23 PM	#1
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	Clams and Triggers Okay I know I'm considered by many to be a little crazy for haveing a Trigger in my reef tank. (Okay maybe a lot crazy.) But since the Niger has been so well behaved I was thinking of adding a Clam. Do you think a Clam would make for an Expensive meal or do you think the Trigger will ignore it, just like all my other corals? And do you think it would matter what type of clam I bought as far as the trigger is concerned? I just don't want to flush the 50-60 dollars down the preverbial TOILET, if you know what I mean. Thanks in advance.... __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

02-21-2004, 08:28 PM	#2
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	I was thinking of this guy from Clams Direct. He sure looks like a cool Maxima!!!! __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike Last edited by Poseidon; 02-21-2004 at 08:30 PM.

02-22-2004, 10:31 PM	#3
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	Anyone???? __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

02-23-2004, 12:39 PM	#4
*zhenya* Owner Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: new jersey,usa Posts: 7,872	Hi Mike, It is really hard to predict what your Odonus's behaviour toward mollusk will be. You have to research what are the natural prey items for this trigger and go from there.Assuming(and it's just a guess on my part) that if his main diet would be crustaceans and smaller fish I don't see how he wouldn't like to investigate and maybe taste your clam.It could prove fatal or clam can recover or perhaps nothing will happen but it would be up to you to give it try. I think Kevinpo has a pair of triggers in his LARGE tank and I would email him and see if he keeps anyclams with those triggers. Good luck, Mike! __________________ Kind regards, Gene.

02-23-2004, 05:25 PM	#5
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	Thanks Gene... Guess I'm off to Google!!! Diet : Feeds on zooplankton as well as on sponges, crustacea, molluscs. Like many other species the Red-toothed Triggerfish can eject a powerful jet of water from its jaws. By holding its body vertically this jet may be directed at the sandy substrate, and is used to scare up shrimps and other small crustacea from the sea floor. found that here... http://www.manband-archive.com/trigg...nus_niger.html looks like my Niger might make a meal outta my Clam... Guess I'll have to either trade him in, or hold off on Clams... __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike Last edited by Poseidon; 02-23-2004 at 05:30 PM.

02-23-2004, 08:10 PM	#7
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	Yup I could, but then I would have to take it with me, to my new Apartment... Cause my wife would kick me out for SURE __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

02-24-2004, 11:16 AM	#8
dougc Contributing Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 484	In the book Ultimate Marine Aquariums (a great book, by the way), Terry Siegel's 450 gallon tank is profiled. He is keeping a Niger trigger in the tank and he has several large clams in with it. I am planning on trying to keep a Blue Throat trigger in my tank with clams. Of course, this is all wishful thinking, since my tank doesn't even have water in it yet. The electrician is supposed to be at my house today to upgrade my service and hook up the two 20 amp lines for the fishroom. I figure that I'm about 2 weeks from a freshwater test fill. Then about a week of getting everything dialed in, programming the Aquacontroller, and fixing last minute glitches before filling the tank for real. It will take about a week just to fill the tank and sump with RO water. Let's see, I guess I can start shopping for that blue throat in about September.

03-01-2004, 04:20 PM	#9
Vili_Shark Just Moved In Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: - Posts: 6	Hi About the O.niger, it is possible to keep in a reef tank. From my experience O.niger has the diverst personality, some can be mean killing machines as their cousins B.undulatus and P.fuscus, while others can be as peacful as a small green chromis. I think you have to know what you're buying. You must know the behaviour of a trigger fish, and try to buy a peacful specimen, this is just to increase the success rate. For facts, I've seen O.niger, R.aculeatus and even B.conspicillum kept in reefs with clams, as well as M.vidua,X.auromarginatus. However they should be well fed and it shuld always be at the back of your head that there might be a possibility that your trigger might be up to something. I know of a niger that I'd trust more than any Angel Pomacanthidae on earth, better say that I'd put my money that he wont touch anything, but that particualar one is kept for years in a reef with no interest in anything including shrimps (personally I thought he never been told he got these big red fangs in his mouth : ) ) If you really like Trigger , ya should ask yourself if you're ready for it or otherwise, open a FO tank for triggers only. Good luck.

03-01-2004, 04:31 PM	#10
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	Hey Vili thanks for the reply... I have a "model citizen" so far. He/She has shown no interest in anything other then Spectrum food, and Cyclop-eeze. I do have a Mandarin and just yesterday I added a Purple Linkia star that he so far has COMPLETELY ignored. (thats a good thing) I took a trip to Tropicorium yesterday and they had some nice A. Dersa clams, and a couple HUGE A. Maxima's that had to be 10" across and at least 8" tall!! I passed on them all though, because I hafe this "risk". Once I have him a little longer maybe 6 months, I will consider adding an inexpensive clam, to "test" the water so to speak. SO far SO good. __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

03-01-2004, 04:47 PM	#11
Vili_Shark Just Moved In Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: - Posts: 6	Hi If I were you, I'd go for a Derasa right now and see what up. As a major rule in a FO tank, I reccomend the triggers as the last specimens to go in the tank, same goes with a reef, but I do understand ya wanna be sure about your clams, however, I'd start trying now, before he feels that it's HIS tank. It just what I'd do.

03-06-2004, 07:56 AM	#12
miareefer Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 213	Clams Hey mike no-ones recomended this one yet on this thread... Remove the TRIGGER... To a fish Bowl Clams are superior inverts to have in your tank ..The WOW factor can be amazing at times ...once you had clams you will never go back They might not talk a lot to you and they dont really move around a lot but they each all have a unique personality and in time you will learn how to communicate with them and they will give you hours of entertainment.My ultimate tank would only hold some primo rock and about 30 smallish clams. As far as your wife is concerned why dont you buy her the Clam Tank for her birthday,How could she ever complain on a day like that...Hey as silly as it sounds this works I remember buying my girl a lever drag shimmano fishing reel for xmas one year she was a bit stunned but thankfull all the same .. Mia

03-06-2004, 12:00 PM	#13
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,539	LOL!!! I was thinking that myself, put the Trigger in a bowl. But I was outvoted, Trigger stays. Besides my wife also picked out a Navarcus Angel for the tank. He certainly WILL pick on mantels. Unfortunately he is also getting harrassed by my yellow tang, so I don't see him very often. He also has a pretty "cloudy" eye, I'm hoping it clears up on its own, if not I will set up the QT tank soon. Here is a Pic of the "new Guy": __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

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