Puffers and Triggers

[Nicole8ca]

Hi,

I'm looking for some feedback on what "the real deal" is. Most of the sites I go to for info on these two fish say they are not reef safe.

Got it!

But then I read some more and there seem to be quite a few people who do not have trouble with them (providing they get them while they're little and put them in last).

Check!

Then I was talking to someone else who tried to give some reasoning behind it. Their theory was that you're okay with soft corals, just not hard corals because they are useing the corals to grind their teeth. Same goes for shrimp, snails, crabs and clams. The fish are trying to grind their teeth. The meaty kinder surprize is just an added bonus.

Now you've lost me.

So I bought a puffer.... He seems to try and get the feather dusters, but they retract too quick. He swims right up to the shrimp (who are always hiding anyways) and they just stare at each other. The shrimp poke around a bit but no aggression from the puffer.

Should I take him out if I plan to do soft corals? Is that "soft corals are fine, it's the hard corals you'll have trouble with" just someone talking the talk. What's the deal? Or is it hit and miss?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Hit or miss.

I have digitata (sps) and mushrooms (softies) in my fowlr with a Porcupine puffer, longhorn cowfish & bluethroat triggers. No problem yet. The cowfish did pick on my sandsifting cowfish though. I have conches in the tank to clean the sandbed.

Anthony

[Johnny Reefer]

I guess in part it depends on the definition of "reef" in relation to "reef safe". I have a Trigger tank with a Pink Tail, Clown, Blue Chin and Humuhumu. I have Mushrooms, Palys and Leather Toadstools in there that are all doing fine. Some nasty crabs for clean up crew that are safe in that they hide most of the time. As for "ornamental" inverts, I haven't even considered going there as I'm pretty sure I know what the results would be. So is this tank a reef? I don't like to call it that because my other tank is a reef, but I suppose it is a form of one.

HTH and cheers,

[Nicole8ca]

Do either of you have pictures of these tanks? I'd love to see them.

[justinl]

it also depends on what trigger you get. there are two kinds, the ones with upturned mouths (like pinktails, nigers, crosshatch etc) who specialize in feeding on pelagic plankton, and the ones with downturned mouths (like clowns, undulated etc) who specialize in feeding on benthic stuff. the upturned mouthed trigs are usually more peaceful (as far as a trigger can go) and are usually more reef safe as well. downturned mouthed trigs are often much more aggressive and not fish that i would put in a reef myself.