back with another question

[tndsmith]

I have a 75g FOWLR tank stocked with the following:
serpent star
maroon clown
3 damsels
gramma
snowflake eel
watchman & scooter
valentini puffer
My husband, who recently went to the LFS in the city he works and was screwed into buying a copperband butterfly which unfortunately died , pulled another fast one on me today. I asked him to go to another store that I had called about purchasing some equipment. He walked over to the aquariums and did a buying frenzy on me. He bought a Picasso Trigger and a Cleaner Wrasse. I came home from work to find these in the tank. Luckily he did acclimate them correctly. Do I have cause for alarm with these new introductions? The trigger lists as aggresive when I was going for semi-aggresive and the cleaner, what I read was horrible. I have a dwarf lion, that I was going to add next week, ordered from my LFS here. Will he cause problems with what I have now? Thank you so much for the help you have given in the past and for all in the future !

[papagimp]

Heck yeah you have cause for concern. You have a significant other who makes random fish purchases, better get him in check on that before he puts something in there that starts eating everything else. At least he isn't selling your fish and stuff though right? LOL :D

The niger should do okay, but has the ability to get large and mean. But as far as triggers go, should be okay, just keep a watchful eye on him. He may outgrow that tank though. As for the lionfish, as long as he has room to manuveur without stabbing everybody in the tank, should be okay. They can get big too. Some of the smaller specimens in the tank may end up as food though.

[tndsmith]

thanks for the help papa. I blew a valve when I saw what he did especially after last time ! He has assured me that he won't go near the store again without supervision which means me. I'm really worried about the cleaner wrasse though. What I have read hasn't been promising. One site said something about ground beef heart. I'm still in the learning process with Paletta's book on the way.

[bertoni]

The trigger might become very aggressive over time. It's a risk. They also get very large. The cleaner wrasse is going to die, most likely. They have dietary requirements that can't be met. I think the tank is overstocked, given the adult size of the fish.

[tndsmith]

Which of the fish would you stay with given the tank size bertoni? We are going to be setting up a 55g in the near future. Will these be okay in the tank until such time as we get the other set up? The trigger really caught me of guard as I wasn't going to introduce such a fish. Now I'm pretty much stuck with it.

[bertoni]

Well, I'd take back the damsels, the trigger, and the wrasse. :) If you want to keep the trigger, I'd remove the puffer and the lionfish instead.

The snowflake might eventually eat the damsels and the gramma, I guess. I'm not sure how large they get, diameter-wise.

[kweidner1]

I had an aggressive FOWLR tank for years with a gramma.......one day gramma ended up in puffer. lasted for 2 years first though. good luck...I agree with papa do something or that trigger's gonna have an expensive meal. it's not so much a matter of if but when.

[tndsmith]

Is there anything that the trigger is compatible with? Everything I read on the chart says with caution or not compatible. I'm so ticked he bought this fish without finding out from me whether it would work in the tank. He is only about 3" now so when should I look for the aggresive behavior to start? Is there any remote chance, if fed well, that he would leave my other fish alone?

[bertoni]

If the trigger gets mean, and some do, only fish as large and as mean as it will be safe.