Foxface/Rabbitfish!

iemsparticus · Aug 11, 2017

Ok y'all... I have a question for everyone. I am interested in getting a Foxface or Rabbitfish for my DT. I love the way that they look and I love the way they swim. I am aware of their poisonous spines, and am OK with that. My question is, how "with caution" are they regarding their safeness in a reef tank? I have a healthy mix of Softies, LPS and SPS. Are there any species that are more reef safe than others? If they are a pretty large risk of them eating my non-SPS corals, I would rather pass... but if there are species that are less likely, and ways to lessen the risk, I'm interested in looking into it. :)

Thoughts?

Mal11224 · Aug 11, 2017

They are excellent fish for a reef tank. I have one and it was my first fish and I love it.r they will eat algae off of the rocks and sand and they need a sea weed diet. They also eat LRS mysis shrimp. Feel free to get it.

iemsparticus · Aug 11, 2017

Mal11224 said:
They are excellent fish for a reef tank. I have one and it was my first fish and I love it.r they will eat algae off of the rocks and sand and they need a sea weed diet. They also eat LRS mysis shrimp. Feel free to get it.

They would be getting a mixture of LRS Fish Frenzy & Herbavore Frenzy in my DT. You haven't had any issues with them nipping Softies or LPS?

Mal11224 · Aug 11, 2017

iemsparticus said:
They would be getting a mixture of LRS Fish Frenzy & Herbavore Frenzy in my DT. You haven't had any issues with them nipping Softies or LPS?

Never. Had it for about 7 months and I have quite a bit of SPS and LPS corals. They are very peaceful.

GeoffSLC · Aug 11, 2017

I have a two-barred rabbit fish and it is my favorite fish in the tank. Tons of personality and it eats nori out of my hand. It "paired" with my sailfin tang and the two are inseperable, even sleeping together in the same cave. It hasn't nipped anything that i have witnessed, but i guess if it's hungry enough it'll nip at something. It's the most aggressive eater in the tank, meaning it definitely wants to eat a lot!

Greybeard · Aug 11, 2017

Have had many over the years, various species... a necessary part of every reef I've ever set up. They've always been model citizens for me. My newest one is an orange spot rabbitfish. Gorgeous fish.

Bad pick I just snapped... white lights aren't on yet, and he wasn't cooperating :)

keddre · Aug 11, 2017

I only have softies, and mine hasn't touched any of them. Plus he hasn't touched my feather dusters, flame scallop or Sea Hare, all of which usually draws the eyes of my new additions.

jenjen · Aug 11, 2017

I had a one spot for about 9 years, and currently have a scribbled rabbitfish for about the past year. Neither has ever bothered a coral or anything else that I've noticed. Mainly softy tank, with some LPS. Both of mine have however had ENORMOUS appetites for Nori, which I keep in the tank at all times.

rinckemd · Aug 11, 2017

I've never noticed my rabbitfish nibbling on anything but algae. They're great fish!

DRoth335 · Aug 11, 2017

We have had a rabbit fish in every reef tank we've had over the past 10 years. We currently have a one spot in our 210 and a magnificent and scribbled in our 300. All have been model citizens with the exception of a foxface about 8 years ago that occasionally nipped the heads off of xenia which we did not begrudge him that snack at all given their propensity to over populate anyway (we had them carpeting the back wall in that tank). I wouldn't hesitate adding one to a reef.

CodyRVA · Aug 11, 2017

+1 keep em fat and they'll stay happy. Mixed reef, never seen mine nip at anything. Mine shares 1 full sheet of nori a day with my kole.

CindyKz · Aug 12, 2017

My blue spotted rabbitfish has only been in my mixed reef for a few months, but so far he's been a model citizen (after a little intial stare-down with my clownfish). No nipping coral at all. He and my Hoeven's wrasse are best buds :)

drblakjak55 · Aug 13, 2017

Two year old foxface in a 90. Model citizen except caught him eating a feather duster like spaghetti. Also best buds with the sailfin tang. Loves Nori and sinking algae wafers.

Donavon · Aug 13, 2017

Had a foxface for about 4 years, never saw him touch a coral, up to the day he died.
Recently got another one, within a couple weeks has picked my rock work clean of green fuzzy stuff. Hasn't touched a coral.
They will generally eat whatever is being fed to the other fish, but need a lot of green in their diet to stay healthy. I give algea sheets and throw in culerpa and Cheato about once or twice a week

ncaldwell · Aug 13, 2017

Never ate anything in my tank except a nice large orange sponge. He actually ate it so fast I didn't know it was gone. Safe with all coral and inverts though, including sexy shrimp and pompom crabs

Donovan Joannes · Aug 13, 2017

Be careful with rabbitfish, they have the tendency to eat certain corals especially zoas. It just a matter of time, one nip on coral, if tasted good it will return for more.

3mm3 · Aug 13, 2017

Donovan Joannes said:
Be careful with rabbitfish, they have the tendency to eat certain corals especially zoas. It just a matter of time, one nip on coral, if tasted good it will return for more.

I'm glad I'm not alone on this. I was beginning to think I was the only one to see how much they like eating zoanthids