Little Shop of Coral
Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
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The Clown Triggerfish is one of the most iconic saltwater fish in the hobby, with a bold pattern and huge personality to match. It is a powerful, intelligent predator that becomes the undeniable centrepiece of the tank, but it also comes with serious attitude and adult size. This species is best for large fish-only or predator systems with robust filtration and tankmates that can handle an aggressive trigger.
Why we love it
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One of the most striking patterns in marine fish
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Big personality and constant interaction with its environment
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Ultimate feature fish for large predator displays
Suggested parameters
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Temperature: 24–26°C (75–79°F)
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Salinity: 1.024–1.026 SG
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pH: 8.1–8.4
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Alkalinity: 8–10 dKH
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Ammonia/Nitrite: 0
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Nitrate: Under 20 ppm (lower is better with predators)
Care and temperament
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Difficulty: Moderate to advanced
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Temperament: Aggressive
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Reef safe: No (will eat inverts and may bite or rearrange corals)
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Minimum tank size: 180 gallons recommended (larger is strongly preferred long-term)
Diet
Clown triggers are heavy eaters and need a varied, meaty diet.
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Frozen krill, mysis, and chopped shrimp
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Chopped clam, mussel, squid, and quality seafood blends
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High-quality pellets for carnivores
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Offer hard foods occasionally (clam on half shell) to support tooth wear
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Feed smaller portions 1 to 2 times per day, avoid overfeeding
Compatibility and tankmates
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Best with other large, robust fish (large tangs, angels, groupers, bigger wrasses)
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Avoid small fish that can be bullied or injured
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Not compatible with shrimp, crabs, snails, or most clean-up crews
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Provide heavy rockwork that cannot be toppled, plus open swimming space
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A tight-fitting lid is recommended
What you are buying
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You will receive: 1 Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
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Colour, pattern, and size can vary between individuals
As with all triggers, slow acclimation is recommended, and quarantine is encouraged when possible for high-value systems.
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LIGHT
LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.
MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height.Â
HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.
FLOW
LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.
MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.
HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.
SKILL
ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.
While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.
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