Little Shop of Coral
Humu Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
Humu Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
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The Picasso Triggerfish is a bold, high-personality centerpiece fish with wild mask-like markings and electric splashes of colour that look hand-painted. Active, curious, and always hungry, it quickly becomes the “dog of the tank” and learns to recognize its keeper. This species is best suited for fish-only or aggressive community systems with strong filtration and tank mates that can handle its confidence.
Why we love it
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Incredible Picasso-style patterning with bright blues, yellows, and black accents
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Extremely interactive and full of personality
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Tough, hardy fish for larger fish-only systems
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A true centerpiece that stays visible and active
Care & Compatibility
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Aggressive
Reef Safe: No
Diet: Carnivore
Adult Size: ~10 to 11"
Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons recommended (180g+ ideal)
Feeding
Picasso Triggers are enthusiastic eaters and thrive with variety.
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Frozen mysis, krill, shrimp, clam, squid
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High-quality pellets for carnivores
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Occasional hard-shelled foods help support natural tooth wear
Feed once or twice daily and avoid overfeeding to help manage water quality.
Tank & Setup Notes
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Needs open swimming room plus rockwork for shelter
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Strong filtration and oxygenation are important since triggers are messy eaters
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Secure rockwork and decorations. Triggers move things
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A tight lid is recommended. They can jump when startled
Compatibility Tips
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Best with other larger, assertive fish in big tanks
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Avoid timid fish that will be bullied or stressed
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Not safe with most invertebrates. Shrimp, crabs, snails, and similar are usually considered food
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Not recommended for reef tanks. It may bite corals and will eliminate cleanup crews
Acclimation & Health
Slow acclimation is recommended. This species is generally hardy once feeding, but it can be aggressive during introduction. Quarantine is ideal when possible, and adding it last often reduces territorial issues.
Collapsible content
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.
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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