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Clown Trigger Survey
SELECTION
Did you mail order this fish and would you recommend mail order this fish? Are there captive-raised/bred specimen available and where?
My fiance got me my clown trigger from Marine Depot back in Feb 05.
Any tips on how you picked a healthy specimen of this species from LFS? What do you think is the ideal size to get?
I have been around clown of all sizes, I worked at a LFS in college and clowns around 3-4 inches do well. They should have a study build and not have concave sides. Real small fish aren't as easy to acclimate and real large fish should stay in the ocean.
Are there any noticeable differences in body shape, pattern or color among the same species or between juvenile and adult of this species?
Yes, real small clowns have a different look than the 3" + variety. I think fully grown adults so under some subtle changes.
Is there a way to tell the sex of this fish?
I wish I knew
ACCLIMATION AND INTRODUCTION
Any special tips about the acclimation and introduction of this fish?
Just use common sense - go slow
Any special needs for this fish or special considerations for young specimen?
Make sure they have a nice cave or two to retreat to always, this will make them fell secure in the tank
Should this fish be the first or the last to introduce to a tank?
I would say last, but then again, I don't think this fish is meant to be with other fishes in an aquarium setting.
COMPATIBILITY
What tankmates do you have with this fish?Is it a reef or FO tank?
Tankmates include hermit crabs and snails to clean up after his mess. Had an emerald crab too for 6 months, but everntually the Clown got tired of him and ate him.
Have you had more than one of this species in the same tank? NO
If so, is there a certain male/female ratio or group number worked for you (to have a harem or pecking order)? Do they school?
Have you had other species of the same genus/family in the same tank?
What’s the stocking order (considering the above factors) that worked for you?
Did this fish hurt/eat any of other fish (or vice versa)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Cnidaria (corals, mushrooms or anemones)?
Did this fish hurt/eat ornamental crustaceans (shrimps, hermits, crabs)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Mollusks (snails, clams, oysters, mussels)? ATE A CRAB SO FAR, Hermits will be next probably
Did this fish hurt/eat Echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea stars, urchins)?
Did this fish hurt/eat Worms (feather dusters, flat worms, etc)?
FEEDING
How did you get this fish to eat at first?
Mysis shrimp
If this fish only accepted live food, how did you wean it over to prepared food? aways ate frozen
What’s the diet? Mysis, Formula One, Veggies, crab, krill
How much and how often do you feed? 2 times a day
How does this fish eat?(grazers, active or sedentary predators, sand sifters, etc)
Active feeder, comes right out to eat
Does this fish eat any microalgae or macroalgae in your tank? If so what type of algae? Yes, it will chew on macroalgae sometimes
GROWTH RATE AND LIFE SPAN
What is the initial size of your fish and maximum size it reached? How fast did it grow (how much growth over a given period of time)?
I got mine at about 3.5 inches and it has grown about 3/4 of an inch in a year I think
What size tank did this fish live in? (or how soon did this fish outgrow what size tank)? What do you think is the minimum tank size required for an adult specimen of this fish?
Right now he is in 50 which is too small for him. I plan to put him in a 120 soon. They like to swim and are messy eaters so the bigger the better
If this fish went through body pattern change from juvenile to adult, was the change complete? How long did it take?
Haven't seen that yet
How long have you kept this fish? If you no longer have this fish, what was the cause?
I have had my fish about 10 months
What is the longest lifespan and the maximum size of this fish in home aquarium and/or in the wild reported?
DISEASE AND TREATMENT
What disease has this fish had? How did you treat it, for how long? What's the effect of the treatment?
When I got my fish he got a bacterial infection on his anal and caudal fin. I used Myacin II to kick it (by Mardel I think). It took a a month or two but eventually the infection went away.
I did weekly water changes which I think had a good impact too
BEHAVIOR
Does this fish change body color under any circumstances?
Yes, goes from pale to bold in coloration depending on mood or time of day. Also triggers to get your attention.
Does this fish dig the substrate often?
Not too much.
How active is this fish? Is this fish shy?
Active during the day and especially at feeding time
How territorial or aggressive is this fish? How does this fish interact with tankmates?
Dont know, but he will move hermit crabs around if he doesn't like where they are
Did this fish ever jump out of the tank? NO
How does this fish sleep? Goes in his cave and locks himself there with his trigger
Does this fish allow cleaners to clean? If so which cleaner and how often? Don't know
How does this fish interact with human? he will interact with my fiance and i, but he is really wary of strangers and will hide if we have other people over at our house
Did the fish release toxic substance that killed other creatures in the tank? NO
Any other interesting observation of this fish?
REPRODUCTION
If you have a mated pair, how did you get them to pair up?
Any information of spawning in captivity?
SUMMARY
Your overall assessment of this species -
How sensitive is this fish to poor water quality on a scale of 1-5? 3
1 - very tolerant, may survive a cycle in a new tank
2 - quite tolerant, may survive accidental ammonia or nitrite spike
3 - not terribly sensitive to reasonable pH, salinity or temperature changes
4 - sensitive to any significant water chemistry changes, and may show stress during such changes
5 - very sensitive to water quality, may easily get stressed and get sick with any change in water chemistry
Do you think we should not keep this fish (for what reason)?
Would you recommend this fish to beginners?
Is this fish best kept in mature/established (6 months or older) tank?
Any other recommendations/comments?
Clown Triggers are amazing fish. They need to be respected and in my opinion they are enough fish for a tank. I have watched Picasso Triggers and Queen Triggers in the wild meander for food over a shallow reefs and what strikes you is how much they like to move around. A fish tank with other fish in it can be a bad situation for a clown trigger. Knowing what i know I gotta get mine a bigger tank soon cause I am sure he is going to get bored of cramped quarters quickly.
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