Selecting tankmates for my agressive tank, starfish ok?

[jamal-188]

I plan on adding a porcupine puffer, a clown trigger, and one other small trigger in my 72g tank and will swap them to a bigger tank when they get too large. I've been reading everythingI can find on these fish and Ive seen that they will eat other fish, clams, shrimp, crabs, and human skin 8O but I have not found anywhere that states that they will eat starfish. Anybody have experience with these fish and starfish as tankmates?

BTW, my one book even says they will eat urchins!? Could they really eat the urchins that are covered in quills?

 

[steve-s]

Both will tend to nip, eat, detroy inverts of any kind in the tank, including smaller fish. The clown trigger is a guarantee but the pork has been known to be less aggressive towrds tank mates and sessile inverts when kept fed and happy.

As far as eating the star and urchin, yes to both. The trigger will attempt to knock the urchin onto it's back and devour it from the unprotected mouth area. They have also been known to pull the quills out one by one to get a vantage area.

Cheers
Steve

 

[jamal-188]

Thanks as usual Steve I was hoping I could keep a couple of the stars that are not reef safe in here but oh well, no biggie.

 

[HoopsGuru]

As stated, the fish and starfish will not be o.k. The porc I have experience with and it will try to make a meal out of them. Mine does for all inverts, even though it is well fed. At night, he can often be seen carrying around snails that are far too big to eat...but he is trying He has been fine with other fish though, right now the other tankmates are a leaf fish, A. frenatus clown, and a C. argi pygmy angelfish.

 

[jamal-188]

HoopsGuru:
From the look of your pic I"m assuming your puffer does not munch on your corals?

 

[HoopsGuru]

Does not even look at the corals, it only ever scans the rock for snails and crabs to munch on. In the same manner, it never looks at the other tankmates either...it always seems to be focused on food or resting in its cave. The corals in the tank thus far are 2 Sarcophyton, Xenia, Rhod. and Disc. shrooms....and also an E. quad anemone plays host for the A. frenatus.

I can't verify that this is 100% reflective of ALL porcs, but I have seen others kept with corals as well.

 

[ogden10]

I know that this is not the norm but I have a porc that is living in harmony with a long spined black urchin, a seabae anemone, and a choc chip starfish. He has never even bothered them in the least. I keep him well fed and he seems happy. None the less I am still going to move him into my 125 when I get it cycled and ready. Like everything else in life I think nothing is guaranteed.

BTW the Porc is by far the coolest fish I have ever had. He is great entertainment, so much like a dog I named him Rex.

 

[alarmguy66]

I will offer to donate one particularly aggressive yellow tailed damsel for the taking....!

 

[steve-s]

I will offer to donate one particularly aggressive yellow tailed damsel for the taking....!

Big hearted... LOL

Cheers
Steve

 

[ellisz]

Cool pic with the Porc and the corals! I did not think anyone did this. I got rid of my big dog puffer when I started my new tank since I wanted some corals.

Maybe I will have to try a baby porc in there!