Tropical Fish Hobbyist - October 2010

Q&Asalt water

Send your questions about the
saltwater side of the aquarium
hobby to “Q&A,” T.F.H. Publications,
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com. For answers to more time-
sensitive questions, opinions on your
setup, or just to converse with like-
minded members of the aquarium
community, please visit the TFH
Forum at forums.tfhmagazine.com.
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question?

Peaceful Picasso
Trigger

Is the Picasso triggerfish one of the more peaceful triggers,

or are they just more mild mannered when they’re young? I have a specimen that is about 3 inches long in a 90-gallon FOWLR (fish-only-with-live-rock) tank with a schooling bannerfish, a green coris, three yellowtail blue damsels, and a Pacific blue tang. So far, the trigger has gotten along very well with all its tankmates. Do I have to worry that this will change as it gets bigger?

Ned Maier Prescott, Arizona

I wish I could offer you some assurance that your Picasso triggerfish, most likely Rhinecanthus aculeatus, will always have such a peaceful disposition toward its tankmates, but I’d probably have to put the odds of it staying on its best behavior somewhere around 50/50 (or maybe a bit worse). R. aculeatus is definitely not the most aggressive triggerfish available in the hobby (that distinction should probably go to the undulate triggerfish Balistapus undulatus), but there is a great deal of variability in the behavior exhibited by adults of this species. Some remain model aquarium citizens throughout their lives, but it’s not at all unusual for specimens to become more belligerent with age, especially toward smaller, more peaceful species.

I suspect the Pacific blue tang and green coris, presumably Paracanthurus hepatus and Halichoeres chloropterus, will be able to coexist with the triggerfish in the long term, but I’d be leery about keeping an adult Rhinecanthus aculeatus with yellowtail blue damsels Chrysiptera parasema, which are very passive by damsel standards. Also, I

Q
A

would be concerned that the long dorsal filament on your schooling bannerfish Heniochus diphreutes will eventually prove irresistible to the Picasso trigger and could end up getting nipped off. But again, only time will tell whether your specimen will remain so mild mannered. Keep a close eye on it!

New Setup

My name is Alex Murphy, and I live in South Carolina. I am nine years old and will start fourth grade in the fall. What is the best way to set up a saltwater fish tank with coral that has a capacity of 20 to 40 gallons of water? What fish, corals, and invertebrates do you recommend for an aquarium this size? Thank you for your help.

Alex Murphy via email

Your first step should be to choose exactly what size of tank you’d like to set up (and what size your parents will allow you to set up)—a 20-gallon, 40-gallon, or something in between—because the size of your tank will determine how many and which types of fishes and invertebrates you’ll be able to keep. A 20-gallon tank, for example, will limit you to just a few small fishes (reaching only about 2 to 3 inches) and a handful of invertebrates, whereas a 40-gallon would allow you to keep maybe five to six small fishes or three to four medium-sized fishes and a better variety of invertebrates.

If your parents allow it, I would recommend setting up a 40-gallon tank rather than a 20-gallon. A bigger tank makes it much easier to keep the water conditions stable and allows more room for the corals to spread out and for the fish to stay out of each other’s way so they’re not always fighting.