Foxface Reef Safe?

[Gtinnel]

I know there are about a million threads on here about whether a foxface is reef safe or not, and I have read through a lot of them. In the past I have always kept a foxface but I mostly did FOWLR tanks with a few hardy corals, so it was never an issue if they ate coral. I now have a reef tank with a focus on corals and I am wanting a foxface but I am worried about it nipping at coral. I've read everything from people saying every tank big enough should have one and then others say they quickly destroyed all of their zoas.
Are certain ones more likely to be reef safe than others? I'd prefer to get the regular foxface or a one spot, as I prefer their looks over the bicolor or magnificent, but I'm willing to go with any of them if any are less likely to eat coral. Also, what about other rabbitfish, are they more likely to be reef safe?

What is everyone's experience with foxface/rabbitfish?

 

[Miami Reef]

My foxface never messed with my corals.

 

[The_Skrimp]

I have a one spot fox face and haven’t had any problems with it. Ive heard that they can nip at corals but I think it’s like a lot of other fish - as long as it stays well fed it won’t go after the things you don’t want it to.

 

[BostonReefer300]

+1 on them being safe from my experience as well. I've now had two over ten years. I've heard that once they get big, they are more likely to nip at some corals. I've never personally witnessed that. Of course, my tanks have always had plenty of algae for them to eat unfortunately

 

[MugenReef95]

Yeh never had any problems with mine just make sure its well fed and shouldnt have any problems.

 

[jassermd]

Can't say the same here... I had a magnificent and had to remove him. He nipped and ate my 2 nicest trachys.
I learned the hard way on what "reef safe with caution" means...

 

[Waters]

I have had multiple Foxface that have been fine (have one currently) and also have had to remove a couple. They were all One Spot.

 

[harley32907]

No problem here

 

[sp1187]

foxface lo
mines a nipper. zoa's and gorgonia's.
and there is plenty of green stuff in the tank for it to be grazing on.

 

[NoahLikesFish]

Foxface are def reef safe

 

[takitaj]

I had a one spot for a couple months. It was a model citizen, until it wasn't. It met it's demise after comping on a bunch of duncan tentacles. It spazed out for a few minutes then died.

 

[Gtinnel]

If I get one I will make sure to keep him well fed. I struggle to keep my nitrates and phosphates up so I feed a lot. I know with any fish that is Reef safe "with caution" it often comes down to the individual fish but I'm trying to determine how much risk I am taking. So I'm assuming I'm better off getting a smaller foxface to start with?

 

[Gtinnel]

For those who had their foxface eat corals, did they readily eat other food that was offered? I'm just curious if they only started eating the corals due to lack of food. I had that issue with a copperband once and it started eating corals after not eating anything for weeks, and I can't say as I blame it for eating coral when it was starving to death.

I had a one spot for a couple months. It was a model citizen, until it wasn't. It met it's demise after comping on a bunch of duncan tentacles. It spazed out for a few minutes then died.

Is there something about Duncans that I'm not aware of that caused it to die, or was it just coincidental?

 

[Enkopaaisen]

Well, I must be that 0.0001% unfortunate foxface owner.... I had a foxface for a year, did well with my torches. Then I added a pyramid angel, which supposed to be as safe as the foxface. The foxface was very happy with his new swimming mate. After a short while I started to notice my torches losing tips, and I saw glowing coral tips floating in the tank and eaten by the angel. I was worried about it was the angel who did that until I saw it was my foxface nipping the tips out from the torches, let them floating, and the angel was just following him eating the tips.... they are working as a team....... I had take down the whole landscape to remove the fish and send them to lfs.....
For another reef unsafe exp: jewelry damsel! Got one eating anything stone like corals, plate, acan and so on anything looks like a rock/ stone, he would go on and tear the tissues out of them.... couldn’t even catch him as his too small to be caught in a large tank.....

 

[takitaj]

@Gtinnel I feed pretty generously twice a day as I have a M/F pair of lyre tail anthias. 3 cubes a day of varying 'flavors', pellets, 2 sheets of red or green Nori & occasional Artemius napuli (baby brine)...not to mention plenty of algae. lol It ate everything offered with vigor.

I'm not sure about the duncans toxicity but I'm sure it chomped on a 1/2 of a large duncan's tentacles and died minutes later.

 

[Trouble1375]

BiColor Fijian Foxface - we miss our Mohawk but we love our corals. He was very well fed and started munching on Zoas and GSP. My LFS gave me 2 sun corals in trade for him.

 

[Gtinnel]

Well, I must be that 0.0001% unfortunate foxface owner.... I had a foxface for a year, did well with my torches. Then I added a pyramid angel, which supposed to be as safe as the foxface. The foxface was very happy with his new swimming mate. After a short while I started to notice my torches losing tips, and I saw glowing coral tips floating in the tank and eaten by the angel. I was worried about it was the angel who did that until I saw it was my foxface nipping the tips out from the torches, let them floating, and the angel was just following him eating the tips.... they are working as a team....... I had take down the whole landscape to remove the fish and send them to lfs.....
For another reef unsafe exp: jewelry damsel! Got one eating anything stone like corals, plate, acan and so on anything looks like a rock/ stone, he would go on and tear the tissues out of them.... couldn’t even catch him as his too small to be caught in a large tank.....

Just from the people who posted on this thread it seems like close to half of the people have had some issues with their foxface nipping. So I'd say you're not alone in having a foxface eat corals.

 

[Gtinnel]

@Gtinnel I feed pretty generously twice a day as I have a M/F pair of lyre tail anthias. 3 cubes a day of varying 'flavors', pellets, 2 sheets of red or green Nori & occasional Artemius napuli (baby brine)...not to mention plenty of algae. lol It ate everything offered with vigor.

I'm not sure about the duncans toxicity but I'm sure it chomped on a 1/2 of a large duncan's tentacles and died minutes later.

Ironically I am looking at getting several lyretail anthias also because I am feeding my tank so heavily I might as well.

 

[revhtree]

My local buddy @bkv1997 had one that loved to eat his zoas! We had to catch hi out with a barb-less hook!

 

[Gtinnel]

My local buddy @bkv1997 had one that loved to eat his zoas! We had to catch hi out with a barb-less hook!

Going fishing in my tank is what I am hoping to avoid, plus I don't have a lfs that would accept a fish back anyway. So ultimately if I couldn't keep a foxface I don't have any easy way to get rid of it, besides trying to sell/give it away on here or Facebook.
I had to catch a copperband that started eating coral and that was a decent challenge that I'd like to avoid in the future.