Need some advice

[chelli]

All the charts I research say that I should NOT put a Trigger fish in with my:

Damsel 1
Clowns 2
Inverts ???5-10 *(snails, hermits and one miniature featherduster)
Gobies 3

But everyone I talk to says that I need a trigger to help control the bristle worm population. I have tried all the other methods including removing them myself.. Does anyone have any advice as to whether or not I should try to use the trigger fish or another means of bristle worm removal? (it seems like the only fish in real danger is the damsel and I don't like him much anyway but I am worried about the inverts..the cleaning crew) I would like it if the bristle worms all just up and died.. but that hasn't happened yet. But they all did die once when the tank crashed due to whatever hurricane it was that particular month.. Ivan, Katrina, etc.. Any help would be appreciated... and don't think that just because your idea may be simple that I won't appreciate it.. cause I WILL!!!

 

[Devilishturtles]

While being mean, triggerfish also will grow quite large. Too large for your 40 gallon (if that is the tank in the my info area that you are talking about).

After adding in a Coral Banded Shrimp, my birstleworms all but dissapeared. They are polycheate worm destructors. I would feel much better adding in a CBS than a trigger to your tank.

HTH

 

[FishFrik]

CBS is mean too XD Just a head up

 

[JM]

I agree with Fishfrik, my friend has a CBS in his 72g reef and its one of the nastiest critters i have ever seen. All it does is try to catch fish all day. He's come dangerously close to catching one of the his clown fish several times.

 

[MT79]

CB shrimp are territorial and some what aggressive but I've never heard of them actually catching a fish. They may wave their claws at them when they pass by, but they are rarely a problem. People often keep them w/ other shrimp in larger tanks w/ no issues. On the other hand a trigger fish would very happily snack on your clean up crew.
There are wrasses and pseudochromis that prey on polychaete worms that would not be a problem w/ snails/hermits, and also would be more size appropriate for your tank.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I don't think there's much chance of a cbs taking down a healthy fish. These critters have gotten a bad rap because they are always the ones spotted eating the carcass of an already deceased fish. They move much too slowly to catch anything healthy.