Coral with a Trigger?

[philolsen]

Can I add live coral to my tank with a Huma Huma trigger? If so what are some suggestions?

[charlie]

According to Scott Michael, not really. Says it may nip at many inverts.

[philolsen]

I have about 100 lbs of live rock now and there is about 150 polyps and a couple mushrooms growing on some of the rocks. He leaves them alone but I was hoping to add something for some punch.

[Reefland]

It is really hit and miss but more hit when coral is added to the tank after the fish.

[charlie]

I have about 100 lbs of live rock now and there is about 150 polyps and a couple mushrooms growing on some of the rocks. He leaves them alone but I was hoping to add something for some punch.

You will probably be adding them at your own risk. Good luck.

[spankerbob]

I have a nigger trigger in my mixed reef and it seems to be O.K. I can't tell if it has nipped any corals and have not seen it nipping any so, I would guess it is really hit or miss.

[philolsen]

I added a pice of rock with some feather dusters today, so far so good. He has gone up to them but shoows no real "appatite" for them...at least for now.

[Ninong]

I have a nigger trigger in my mixed reef and it seems to be O.K. I can't tell if it has nipped any corals and have not seen it nipping any so, I would guess it is really hit or miss.

Odonus niger (Niger triggerfish) and Rhinecanthus aculeatus (Humu humu nuku nuku apua'a) have VERY different appetites. If you follow the links to fishbase, you will see that the Niger triggerfish feeds on "zooplankton and sponges" whereas the Humu Humu triggerfish feeds on "algae, detritus, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, sea urchins, fishes, corals, tunicates, forams and eggs."

Obviously, the Humu Humu would not be a good choice for any reef aquarium. Some people try to keep Nigers in reef tanks but the problem with that is that this fish gets BIG. Unless your tank is at least 500 gallons, I think it's a mistake to try to keep a Niger. People do it all the time but they are making a mistake. We should always consider the adult size of any fish before adding it to our tanks. The maximum adult size of the Humu Humu is 30 cm (12") but the maximum adult size of the Niger is 50 cm (20").

If one is determined to keep a triggerfish in a reef aquarium, one should choose a zooplanktivore that doesn't get larger than about 8"-10" in length.

P.S. -- A 55-gal tank is nowhere near large enough for a Humu Humu triggerfish and a 100-gal tank is much too small for a Niger triggerfish.

[Poseidon]

George is 100% correct, (as usual) but I did keep an Odonus Niger in my reef tank for almost 2 years. I would however NEVER attempt a Huma Huma trigger, they are MUCH more aggressive, and their diet consists of reef animals. I ended up trading in my O. Niger for a foxface, once he was to large for my tank.



He certainly was a fun fish though!