Tankmates for picasso

[suekey1]

I have just cycled a 70 gallon tank with a wet/dry system and am ready to add inhabitants. All parameters are perfect. Since I already have 3 reef tanks, I set this up for something different. Can I put a small lionfish or maybe a dragon wrasse with a Picasso trigger? I'm thinking about small ones, not full grown. I used a yellow tank to help cycle the tank so should I remove him before introducing a Picasso? Can some type of angel go with the Picasso like a coral beauty?

[FishTechie]

Hi suekey welcome to Reefland, the fish you mentioned will be fine with a picasso trigger, its the snails, shrimps and hermits that will become a meal to them. As far as using a yellow tang to cycle the tank he may feel that he is the king of the tank and might try to harass the trigger....hth

[fishguy_8]

if i may.....sometimes triggers can get out of control w/ lions....triggers like to bite stuff.....they see those big fins as a chew toy sometimes....same goes for the wrasse. just a thought.
Jon

[suekey1]

Thank you for the information. I really don't want to get into something I'm not prepared for. I really don't like killing fish or subjecting them to harassment. I think until I know more, I'll just stick with the safe stuff. I have a 125 gallon reef that's almost ready for livestock. I bought a pair of Perc clowns that were beautiful and had the shop keep them for me till I knew they would be ok. I just put them in the 70 gal tank cause I didn't want to impose on the shop anymore. They are doing great with the tang so I think I'll keep them there and maybe add a couple of small angels. I really don't want to move them, again, and chance them getting too stressed out.

[Triggers]

yellow tang to cycle tank. hmmm, i cant even keep one alive in a tank established for 2 years. hats off to ya.....

[organicreefer]

exactly what i was thinking triggers.
triggers ive got a cycled 110 with 150lbs of live rock and live dsb(this tank was a reef for two years)and i absolutely MUST have a trigger.
ive put off stocking the tank because i cant decide what to add first ,even WHAT to add.help me out what would you keep with a trigger(probly a picasso as a matter of fact,what do you think is a cool looking trigger that i might not have seen?)i was thinking like a wrasse,angle ,tang,eel,puffer(3 fish max)

[piege]

I keep a picasso with a dwarf lion. No problems. Once I get the 240's I will add a clown trigger to the mix. ALways loved them. Anyways, next time try cycling your tanks with a non fish method. Much better for the fish since you're concerned for their welfare.

JP

[Triggers]

organ-
"MUST have" , well , if you must then you will.

Let's see what we can come up with for ideas.

1st unless you mind the DSB being moved all over the rock then you probably may want to pass on that species and the remainder of the Rhinecanthus's(wedge,bursa,assasi).

If you would like to make your tank a species tank you could add a Clown. They can be extremely aggressive with other mates. They would have to be large predators to have a chance if the clown would decide to assert himself. Where you tank is not that large that would not be advisable. Great fish, if the only fish in the tank though!

Another more practical option would be to check out the Niger trigger.
They are pretty neat to watch as their fins are pretty cool. Relatively peaceful but can fend for itself to a point with other semi-aggressive fish(maroon clown,some tangs)
This fish does not disturb the sand bed at all.

The blue throat is ok but i did not have too much luck with my individual. developed swim bladder disease.

the others are either drap looking or to large/active.
The Niger can get pretty large also, buy a small specimen and feed and dont overfeed and it could be awhile before you may have to move him.

Best bet the Niger.
GL

[suekey1]

Piege..

I should clarify that I didn't "cycle" the tank with the tang. The tank sat until all parameters were "0", that is, nitrates, nitirites, ammonia, etc. We waited almost 6 weeks. Also, it has approx 30 lbs of live rock, which helped with the cycling. It's always nerve wracking to add the first fish because the first few don't ever seem to make it, although in our 55 gallin reef, we still have a couple originals (knock on wood) after almost a year. Anyway, I was going to put in a damsel or two but the fish store owner offered the tang. As it turned out, he had a bad parasite infection and almost didn't make it. (I think that's why he offered it to us). Im happy to report, though, that he is doing rather well, is now very fat and has quite an appetite for seaweed select as well as frozen shrimp, the live rock growth, etc. We are very attached to him and didn't want to lose him so thats why we decided to just go with clowns and leave the triggers to someone with more experience.

[Tarek]

My experience has actually been the reverse of Triggers'. I've had a Niger Trigger who would tunnel underneath the live rock, and in the process, create a huge pile of gravel in that half of the tank and kick up gravel all over the LR (I had a CC substrate at the time). I've also had about 3 Picasso Triggers, and none of them has disturbed my sandbed at all.

Keeping a Coral Beauty Angel with a Picasso Trigger should be fine. I currently have both such fish in a 46 gallon tank, and have never had a problem with either.

Hope this helps!

-Tarek

[ScottC]

Currently my Picasso is co-habing with a powder brown tang and a juvie emperor angel with no problem EVER.

In the past he's lived with hippo tangs, yellow boxfish, heni butters, porcupine fish, goatfish, naso tangs, longnose butters, and puffers. There has never been any problems with any of these fish. It might also be because they are in a 150g tank, I never had more than 5 fish in there at one time, and none of them were over 6" (except the naso, he was around 10")

The Picasso has lived through 1 major ICH infestation, killing off all the other tank mates, and the death of a boxfish...also killing off everything EXCEPT the emperor angel. He's a real tank.

He's also the only reason I'm not making the 150 a full blown reef. I don't want to part with the little guy. He's like the family dog!!

Just my .02

Scott