Rabbitfish in the reef aquarium

[subielover]

I am interested in adding a small rabbitfish to my 40 breeder. I am interested specifically in a small foxface or a small masked rabbitfish. I am looking to gather other's experiences to see how they have behaved in reef tanks. FWIW, I have a mixed reef with zoas, lps, sps, clams, etc..

 

[Surf&turf]

I have heard they like to eat zoas.

 

[revhtree]

They will tear your zoas and palys up!

 

[Redstag]

I lost the whole colony of rare zoa to this fish! do not put this fish if you have paly/zoa inside your tank.

 

[subielover]

What fish are you all talking about specifically?

 

[Paul_N]

I had a one spot fox face for about 2 years and it never touched one single polyp. I had zoas, lps, sps and clams. I do feed my fish heavily though so I think that is the main thing. I would feed frozen twice per day and then pellets twice and also put nori in a couple times a week. With that being said I am moving from 75 to a 220 gallon and I sold the fox face and didn't even put it in my temp setup cause I knew it wasn't going in the 220. I didn't want to have the thing develop an appetite for my lps down the road and have to get him out of a 220. I read threads where they were fine for a year or two and then started munching on zoas and lps. They are easy to get out though. You just find out where they sleep and they are very sluggish when they wake up. Mine just threw out the spines and backed into a corner and waited for me to net him.

 

[subielover]

Anyone else??

 

[bigsink]

Mine was a total disaster. Zoos and Palys gonzo!

 

[SDguy]

Rabbitfish, IME, ar one of THE fastest growing fish! I'd pick something else for that size tank.

 

[subielover]

Rabbitfish, IME, ar one of THE fastest growing fish! I'd pick something else for that size tank.

Do you have any other suggestions for another fish that eats algae similar to rabbitfish? I am not worried about how fast they grow, I will take them out and replace with a smaller one when that time comes.

 

[Murfman]

Get some kind of bristletooth tang. My Tomini is a non stop grazer. I had a Scribbled Rabbit fish and he was a model citizen, until I added some high end blue zoas. He started eating them, literally scraping them off the rocks.

 

[MitchReef]

My One Spot Foxface is a non-stop grazer, NEVER touches a polyp and is about 5 inches long at 2 1/2 years old. I cannot think of a better behaved fish that I have ever had. He might be the exception to the rule, but is a model citizen. He even comes up and rubs against my hand like a cat when I reach into the tank.....but...what a pig....call it aggressive feeding!

And, just for reference, my Tomini Tang is a nasty aggressive little jerk.....

 

[jascymcl]

I have had different types and never had any issues wiyh them, but I would always feed them nori.I had a bluestriped rabbit fish in a coral holding tank and he kept everything algae free.very good grazer.

 

[coralfarm123]

My One Spot Foxface is a non-stop grazer, NEVER touches a polyp and is about 5 inches long at 2 1/2 years old. I cannot think of a better behaved fish that I have ever had. He might be the exception to the rule, but is a model citizen. He even comes up and rubs against my hand like a cat when I reach into the tank.....but...what a pig....call it aggressive feeding!

And, just for reference, my Tomini Tang is a nasty aggressive little jerk.....

I also have a 5-6 inch one spot foxface that has never bothered any coral or other fish. He is a great algae cleaner. I've had a few foxfaces over the years and have never had an issue with any of them munching on coral. Out of all the rabbitfish, it is probably one of the most likely to be reef safe.

 

[Pizzapro83]

mine did great. never ate a zoo

 

[cparka23]

For a few years, I had a foxface rabbitfish (no spots) that never bothered anything. Kind of surprised to learn that they might pick on z/p! I fed only a few times a week and still had no problems.

 

[gflat65]

Mine destroyed my zoas, acans (lords and echinatas, but more partial lords), and even a green pocillopora...