Instant Tang
12/23/2005, 04:31 PM
With all apologies to Hughy Lewis...I want a new fish.
I've been looking for a while at something that will be reef-safe and something that's very different from my current inhabitants in locomotion and shape and color. So, I'm leaning towards something like a small/medium Crosshatch Trigger. Anyone have any experience with this particular fish? If so I have some questions:
1. Is it reef safe really? I'm frightened of anything with something that looks like a beak for a mouth. I've got soft and stony corals as well as a clam that I don't want to become food for any new inhabitants.
2. What, exactly, do you feed these guys? I've seen mention of meaty foods in the books I have, but will they eat flake as well? I do vary the feeding in my tank and also feed vitamen fortified (reef plus soaked) mysis shrimp as well. Is it necessary to chum for a trigger like this?
3. How fast do they grow? I've got a 72 gallon bowfront and I've almost maxed out the number of fish I can have. In the future I may well get a much larger tank, but that's a year or so away. If I get one that's a couple of inches long now, how big will he be in a year or two?
4. Where the heck does one find such a fish? I've never ordered fish online- and the LFS, though I've purchased plenty from both of them, don't ever seem to carry much except a Niger and a Huma Huma.
5. I like the idea of having a fish that I can hand feed- I miss having a dog at times! Are all triggers hand-feedable or is that just the Huma Huma and a few others?
Thanks!
Robert
PS: Where is everyone? Let's get some local banter going!
I've been looking for a while at something that will be reef-safe and something that's very different from my current inhabitants in locomotion and shape and color. So, I'm leaning towards something like a small/medium Crosshatch Trigger. Anyone have any experience with this particular fish? If so I have some questions:
1. Is it reef safe really? I'm frightened of anything with something that looks like a beak for a mouth. I've got soft and stony corals as well as a clam that I don't want to become food for any new inhabitants.
2. What, exactly, do you feed these guys? I've seen mention of meaty foods in the books I have, but will they eat flake as well? I do vary the feeding in my tank and also feed vitamen fortified (reef plus soaked) mysis shrimp as well. Is it necessary to chum for a trigger like this?
3. How fast do they grow? I've got a 72 gallon bowfront and I've almost maxed out the number of fish I can have. In the future I may well get a much larger tank, but that's a year or so away. If I get one that's a couple of inches long now, how big will he be in a year or two?
4. Where the heck does one find such a fish? I've never ordered fish online- and the LFS, though I've purchased plenty from both of them, don't ever seem to carry much except a Niger and a Huma Huma.
5. I like the idea of having a fish that I can hand feed- I miss having a dog at times! Are all triggers hand-feedable or is that just the Huma Huma and a few others?
Thanks!
Robert
PS: Where is everyone? Let's get some local banter going!