pinktail trigger

[Landolakes]

Anyone keep one in a reef? I know they are one of the safer triggers but anyone out there done it? Got pics?

[reefman8471]

I have never kept a Pinktail Trigger but they are generally reef safe but may be more prone to picking at benthic invertebrates than the other "reef-safe" triggerfish such as the Blue throat trigger.

James

[350nine]

I saw one that eats little fishes so watch those Anthias!

[WWodyz]

ive kept one and didnt pick on corals or fish But it caught Ick and died. Beautiful fish though. bought a medium for $30.

[zemuron114]

they get huge. I just shipped a 14" monster the other day. small ones are rather passive, but they do have an attitude as they mature and get comfy in their new surroundings.

[mattsilvester]

There is a dilema that all reefers face when putting a trigger into a reef tank.......

1. You gotta feed them, and feed them alot.
2. When fed alot, they dump alot.
3. Alot of poop = nutrients = algae problems etc.
4. Most triggers will eventualyl eat the shrimps, snails and crabs.
5. More food = more poop + no clean up = algae OR an aggressive maintenance regime.

If have beat this question up and down the road a hundred times, and have finalyl decided not to take the plunge..... its not the animal itself that makes it a bad choice for a reef tank, rather the logistics of keeping one...........

My €0.02..... HTH

[Landolakes]

Thanks matt and others.

[ScallopKing]

I've had a number of triggers in my reef, pink tail being one of them and he was an ideal citizen, no problems but a big messy eater. I've also had a black haw. trigger, blue jaw and crosshatch - all 100% reef safe. Probably won't get another trigger, just my preference now.

[jda]

Dont confuse pink tails with the planktivore triggers (the X triggers). They can get mean and they can eat fish/inverts/coral.

They are less of a risk than other, but they are still a substantial risk.

[ScallopKing]

I do kinda agree with jda. But have a funny story kinda related -

My shrimp would "freeze" my pink tail in it's tracks by putting it's antennae (sp?) on each side of the trigger. Froze dead in it's tracks everytime (kinda like when you turn a shark upside down, it goes into a trance...same thing kinda) the trigger wouldn't move, would get pale and do nothing until the shrimp moved away.

I have known many other with the same triggers I listed and would not really call them too much of a threat - recommend with SPS, LPS, softies, inverts (shrimps, snails, hermits)....sure.

Triggers with an underbite a typically considered reef-safe. 100% is a crosshatch, but you will have other problems with those.

[fali]

I had a pink tail in my reef. Nipped up my montiporas, clams, and purple gorgonia. Triggers are hit or miss kind of fish for the reef. The one i had was pretty big about 6" or so. If it was me i wouldn't recommend any trigger in a reef. Thats just a gamble there. Just my opinion.

[rcerulli]

I have a pinktail in my reef tank. Model citizen, bothers no one, not even the inverts or corals... Eats a TON, yes the fish can swallow a silver side whole, and also like to eat fingers, it has bitten me 3 times now drawing blood once. Would i reccomend it for a reef? NO, why? NITRATES, my nitrates used to hover around 10ppm (20 on a bad day). Added the PT within 1 month i was battling 80-100ppm nitrates (this is with no fuge). Make sure you have a huge tank to handle the bio load.

[mattsilvester]

rcerulli - thats a nice little nitrate problem you have coming - bit of friendly advice - deal with it before it takes over..... its not just the nitrate itself, but a nitrate reading of 80-100ppm is symptomatic of poor parameters in general..... poor ORP / low pH / high nutirients / phosphates.......

Do you wash your food befre feeding? If not, I would highly recommend you do - especially with fish like triggers and emporer angels..... they just eat the nice big bits and let the small stuff float away and rot! Get a sieve and rinse all frozen foods genetly under the tap before feeding - it will reduce the amount of waste entering the system by anything up to 40%.

A refugium is not going to turn this problem around - you need to look at stocking levels, maintenance schedules, and feeding regimes.... then once the tide of war has turned, a refugium will pollish it off for you.....

as I say - just some freindly advice....

[josee1013]

I have a pink tail (about 4 months now)in our reef and it's doing great. Never touch any corals, smaller fish are al still alive... Feed it lots of krill and seems healthy and happy. comes get the food from my fingers... ''speaking'' to me..

[mattsilvester]

thats a very nice picture actually.... lovely specimen