ok i currently have a 55 up and running fine, but you all know how this hobby goes you are never happy. i have always been facinated by the clown trigger. i realize they have to be in a tank alone, but what size tank. what kind of clean up crew can go with them. i'm wanting to put this tank in my room. so if they need larger than 40 or above i'm just going to forget about the entire idea and try to do a nano with a 10g i have laying around. thanks for all the help everyone.
clown trigger?
- Thread starter ded08221
- Start date
As adults, they need tanks in excess of 150 gallons. Active fish, unpredictable, and while some times they can co-exist with other large aggressives, it's a crap shoot as to if/when they'll snap and take out the rest of the tank. Figure a six foot tank. Clean up crews are pretty much out of the question unless you want to continually replace crabs,snails, etc. Even a small juvenile would outgrow a 40 in short order. Spectacular fish in the right set-up, but I'd pass if I were you. Sorry.
I have a clown and a Picasso trigger in a 55, and they do fine together. The Picasso is larger, which may be good. In the past, I have had a clown with a larger lionfish. No problems there either. Snails do OK in the tank, and there is even a hermit crab which has survived.
Over the years, the clown triggers I have had seem to grow only to the size that is suitable to the tank. I have not had one get too large, or start destroying things. In my experience, their bad reputation seems to be exaggerated.
I suggest getting the smallest one you can find, and enjoy it. Great fish.
Over the years, the clown triggers I have had seem to grow only to the size that is suitable to the tank. I have not had one get too large, or start destroying things. In my experience, their bad reputation seems to be exaggerated.
I suggest getting the smallest one you can find, and enjoy it. Great fish.
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KLN":3u33t5gk said:
The only problem I see there is the possible underestimation of the capabilities of these fish.
I'm curious as to what size tank you kept the various CT's you've had. Actually, SW fish don't stop growing, and while many grow to around 75-80% of their adult size in the first 25% of their life, they continue to grow for the duration. Keeping a potentially large fish in a small tank can retard the growth process, simply due to the stress the fish is under. This should not be confused with a fish only growing to the size of the tank it's kept in. I have a friend in the hobby who maintains a large SW tank (300+ gallons). He had a clown trig that was easily 16-17 inches, which he purchase as a juvenile. It killed a large koran angel among others. The aggressive triggers are usually thought to be very poor tankmates for lionfish, and while there are exceptions, lions are often killed by triggers, who relentlessly pick at their fins, stressing them to death. The other factor to consider is that smaller specimens are generally more docile, however the aggression is exacerbated with age/size. If you kept an adult CT with lion, you are one of the exceptions I would think. Again, it doesn't always happen and it sometimes takes years. Short term success is not a real measure of behavior with certain species. Be wary of the very small specimens. High mortality rates in many cases.
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