Pinktail Trigger

Has anyone had any experience of keeping a Pinktail trigger (Melichthys vidua) in a reef?

My LFS has had one for about 3 months and no-one seems interested in it (apart from me!!!). It did have a white swelling on it's chin which looked like damage rather than parasitic/disease and it has been eating well and behaving "properly". Everytime I go in I drool over it but my LFS doesn't want to sell it to me (how's that for a decent LFS - doesn't want me to take a risk!!!!) From what I've read, they are the more reef safe Trigger and am really really tempted:grinyes:

Obviously if someone tells me a real horror story then I won't consider it anymore!!!

Current set up is

182 gal tank
34 gal sump

1 Maroon clown
2 Bangaai cardinals
1 Lawnmower Blenny
1 Cleaner Wrasse
1 Lamarks Angel
1 Yellow Tang
1 six-spot sleeper Goby
1 Spotted Mandarin
9 Chromis

2 cleaner shrimp
2 peppermint
1 reef lobster
variety of hermits and snails
variety of LPS, SPS and soft corals.

Almondsaz said:

I don't have any experience with them, but my LFS has a pair and they are beautiful. I thought that the only reefsafe trigger was the niger triger, and even with them you take a risk once they get older. From what I can glean from the web they are not reef safe (1 source noted: http://www.aquaristcourses.org/Fish Husbandry2 So not wishing to be the one to burst your bubble, maybe some who has kept them will chime in.

Not to steal your thread, but how do you like your Lamarks?

Good luck CPD.

Here is another cite/site that notes "with caution" http://www.tropicalfish4u.co.uk/Fish/SaltwaterAndMarineFish/Triggerfish/Pinktailtrigger

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The Lamarks is doing really well. Was taking food from my hand within 24 hrs!!!!

The info I've been looking at is as follows:

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist - Peaceful choice

PocketExpert Marine Fishes - One of the few triggers that can be kept in the reef aquarium. Will usually ignore sessile inverts but larger specimens may eat ornamental shrimps. (point to not here is that the same comment is also made about the sixline wrasse and a few other wrasses which people have with shrimps)

Marine Depot Live - General Notes: Better behaved than the Niger Triggerfish, the Melichthys vidua or Pinktail Triggerfish is probably the most desireable for the reef aquarium. Is very shy at first but will become friendlier than many of the other triggers and not become aggressive with age but more tame. It is very hardy and can be kept with peaceful fishes of equal size or larger. It not as likely to re-aquascape your tank as the other triggerfish species often will. Will eat shrimps and other crusteaceans.

I really really want one and know that if it didn't work out I could always take it back to the LFS.

Decisions, decisions:wall:

AnnetteG said:

sounds like it's time to start your big FOWLR, CPD! :grinyes:

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Unfortunately that'll only come when my lottery win does:grinyes: