Can Foxfaces go rogue?

SallyWho · Nov 10, 2019

I've got a one spot foxface, and two missing fish. They've been together in my 120 for almost a year, and I think I saw the foxface chase the wrasse twice in all that time, just for a split second. But I haven't seen my firefish or yellow coris wrasse in a week. I stirred up the sandbed as part of my battle against cyano, and the wrasse isn't hiding in there. They could both be in the rock work, but haven't come out to eat in a week. They could have jumped, but there's nothing behind the tank (where the only small gaps in the lids are). They're not in my overflow box or washed down into my sump. So they're either hunger-striking or dead somewhere in the aquascape. No signs of disease or unusual behavior, either. I'm beginning to wonder if my foxface killed them. Can foxfaces get mean and start killing off tank mates? Mine has always been a chicken, but he's suspiciously the only one still visible and active in the tank...

ndrwater · Nov 10, 2019

They can. Unusual, but they definitely can.
Another possibility it the wrasse jumped. NOT uncommon. Even the smallest, "he'll never get through that" hole has claimed many a fish... Especially wrasse...

nereefpat · Nov 10, 2019

Do you have cats?

Reesj · Nov 10, 2019

Fish never sees to amaze me at what they can do.
The only tang I ever got was a Powder blue who went after my Goniopra and Green star Polyps. That is a fish labled REEF SAFE.

Jesterrace · Nov 10, 2019

Reesj said:
Fish never sees to amaze me at what they can do.
The only tang I ever got was a Powder blue who went after my Goniopra and Green star Polyps. That is a fish labled REEF SAFE.

Plenty of examples of Tangs going rogue with Corals particularly the Pacific Blue Tang.

SallyWho · Nov 10, 2019

ndrwater said:
They can. Unusual, but they definitely can.
Another possibility it the wrasse jumped. NOT uncommon. Even the smallest, "he'll never get through that" hole has claimed many a fish... Especially wrasse...

There are a couple of spots that a fish could wiggle through if they wanted out badly enough, but all those spots are at the back. I didn't find any dead bodies behind there. :/

nereefpat said:
Do you have cats?

No, but I've got a dog. If somehow a fish jumped at the back of the tank and flopped its way around to the front, it is conceivable that she ate it. :(