Reef Safe With Caution Fish (best and worst)

[kittenbritches]

have been interested to see fox face on the caution list, didn't know that before I added one and 1) never seen him touch a coral and 2) rarely seen him graze. So good news bad news....

They'll gnosh on LPS and softies if they're hungry. I keep nori hanging around since they do like to "pick" at things.

 

[bnord]

I have a Zebra Moray Eel that has been for the most part a very model citizen in regards to other fish inhabitants. I've only witnessed our eel snatch a hermit crab that was walking by and partially crush it's shell, but with luck it survived the ordeal. Recommended with planning. :D

Another is our One Spot Foxface. I've only witnessed it mow down a large colony of pulsing xenias, guessing 6+ months ago. Since then, have had no issues. Was worried for a bit as to what the next coral it was looking to snack on, but nothing else has been targeted to date. Not sure I would get another after this one, but really on the fence on it. Maybe later on if upgraded to a larger system, then may lean towards getting another. :)

I have some rock isolated Xenia that grows like a Xenia in the frag tank, for trades with the LFS, will add some to the tank with Fox Face and report back

 

[bnord]

They'll gnosh on LPS and softies if they're hungry. I keep nori hanging around since they do like to "pick" at things.

mine just flexes his dorsals to the tangs, and waits for the meaty food to drop. Waited a ling time to find the perfect size as a lawn maintenance guy and nada....

 

[jaganshi066]

I have two Flamebacks, two multicolors, two multibars, and a Pygmy angel. None of them have touched corals so far but I did notice my emerald crab eating my alveopora so he’s gone.

 

[cocoReefer]

I vote “other” because I have kept rswc fish before.
I like my feather dusters and sponges, so no more angels of any kind. Most recently, i had a gold spot rabbit fish change its mind about button polyps and gorgonians. Pretty much overnight ate more than it was worth in coral, and wouldn't stop. It now lives in someones fowlr. I had that rabbit fish for 5 or more years without any issue, then one day....
So now im happy without cautionary fish. No big loss, plenty of fish in the sea

 

[MichaelP]

Long horned cowfish for me.
Has never bothered any corals. Inverts are a mixed bag though he leaves hermits alone but snails are different story I have seen him eat the nose/feeler right off my nassarius snails

 

[mrlavalamp]

Coral Beauty and Foxface.

Love both of these fish and no issues so far.

The foxface is a real character too, he gets all zoomie after feeding and flicks up his spines/fins a lot. He doesn't seem to be doing it at any other fish in particular, just swimming around showing off.

The coral beauty is always swimming around and through the rockwork, such a busy body.

 

[design.maddie]

I do. I keep a Orange Clown Goby, I without a doubt would not recommend it to someone with Acan, Micromussa, or squishy Favia. She loves to nip at the rims of them. My only way of deterring her is to move them around when she really gets a taste for one. 99% she just perches on her SPS corals. Other times she appears to be attempting to get one of those previously stated coral species to host her. That is when she will really start to nip at them. Think of a dog doing circles and nipping at the blanket.

 

[i cant think]

Haha.. I have 4-5 that are well known RSWC fish
1. Foxface Rabbitfish (Specifically S. magnificus)
2. Copperband butterfly (C. rostratum)
3. Radiant wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
4. Jade wrasse (H. chloropterus)
All 4 do well (I avoid the zoas, the foxface will eat them). The CBB, Foxface have been with me for 18 months+, the jade and Iridis are around 8 months to a year. I love all of them, especially the foxface who is on the 5” mark now! Biggest fish I have ever owned for sure.

 

[i cant think]

They'll gnosh on LPS and softies if they're hungry. I keep nori hanging around since they do like to "pick" at things.

Wait- they do? Mine just ignores the LPS, Softies and mushrooms in there. He only nipped at zoas and even that was just to get the algae

 

[kittenbritches]

Wait- they do? Mine just ignores the LPS, Softies and mushrooms in there. He only nipped at zoas and even that was just to get the algae

Allegedly, if they're hungry. That's why they get the "With Caution" rating as a reef-safe fish!

 

[i cant think]

Allegedly, if they're hungry. That's why they get the "With Caution" rating as a reef-safe fish!

I mean- that’s with any fish, you’ll never find a fish that is always reef safe. There will always be the odd one that nips coral

 

[LPS Bum]

In my opinion, if a fish is labeled "reef safe with caution", it means watch out. I've seen all manners of dwarf angels, rabbitfish, Sargassum triggers, and even tangs nip and pick corals (usually fleshy LPS) to death.

Ultimately, if you're attempting to keep these fish with tasty, fleshy LPS corals, you need to decide which is more important. Personally, this is why I have a reef and a large FOWLR.

 

[Bfragale]

Fox face and coral beauty. Both are model citizens lol.

 

[atomos]

I continue to go with dwarf angels.....My flame and coral beauty angels are spot-on reefers---they don't bother with the corals at all. I'll chalk it up to what's been mentioned---depends on the fish's own personality, perhaps.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

Bi-color Blenny: Tons of personality, thinks pocillopora polyps are candy :rolleyes:

 

[Sleepingtiger]

The prettiest fish are either fowlr or rswc. Currently have flame and blue face angel. Plan to add, copperband, long nose butterfly, regal angel and maybe majestic.

I heard that you can keep semilavartus butterfly with sps and euphylia. Not sure if I wanna take that chance.

 

[Theulli]

You can’t paint with a reef safe non reef safe broad brush. It depends on what is in your reef. I have a half black angel that destroys candy cane corals, a filefish and boxfish that love Xenia a butterfly that only eats aiptasia…no one likes GSP or ricordaea…

 

[hunterallen40]

I have a few of these in my mixed reef.

My Copperband butterfly has been a good fish so far, he eats frozen mysis and no corals so far...

Then I have a coral beauty from biota, which is too small for anything at the moment haha. We'll see what happens.

Then there's the blatantly not reef safe choice... I got a tassled filefish when he was very small. He is three or four times the size when we got him, and he's actually not bothered anything (knocking very hard on wood right now). I love that fish so much -- super fascinating, very underrated fish.

 

[Explorer12]

Recently we talked about "reef safe" angelfish but today I want to expand the conversation to all fish that are considered reef safe, but with caution. Thanks to @Gtinnel for the QOTD idea. So let's talk about these fish!

1. Do you keep "Reef Safe with Caution" fish? If so what fish and what's your experience with them been?

2. What would you say are some good fish to take a chance on and some that are a bad bet?

Cuban Hogfish image via @reefs4less

Recently we talked about "reef safe" angelfish but today I want to expand the conversation to all fish that are considered reef safe, but with caution. Thanks to @Gtinnel for the QOTD idea. So let's talk about these fish!

1. Do you keep "Reef Safe with Caution" fish? If so what fish and what's your experience with them been?

2. What would you say are some good fish to take a chance on and some that are a bad bet?

Cuban Hogfish image via @reefs4less

I have a Valentini Puffer that I just picked up. Had a Flame Angel but he ate my acans. Loved the fish, but couldn't keep him.