foxface in a reef

[jedimaster1138]

Like to hear from those who have kept a Foxface or other type of rabbitfish in a reef and if he/she developed a taste for coral.

I'm considering a Foxface Lo or One Spot Foxface (or possibly a Magnificent, but don't like the price). I like them both for their looks, personality, size and their supposed huge appetite for all forms of algae, especially bubble algae, aka valonia, which is currently overrunning my tank.

Oh, one of the things I've read is that rabbits are generally reef safe "if well fed". I do feed fairly heavily (lots of anthias) so, there's that, for whatever that's worth.

Thanks

PS If anyone has any other bright ideas on how to get rid of bubble algae, I'm listening to that as well. I have over a dozen emerald crabs in the tank now, they are eating it, but not anywhere near as fast as it's growing, and they don't touch the bigger bubbles. I've manually removed and scrubbed the pieces of rock that I can remove, but I can't remove the pieces that are multiple feet long and weigh probably 50 lbs wet...

 

[mbg75]

Get a 2 bar rabbit fish. Not a fox face.

My 2 bar rabbit devours bubble algae and calupera.

 

[skene]

They are fine and for the most part friendly fish. Just don't find yourself at the end of touching one of the dorsal fins.

 

[marrone]

Rabbit fish/Foxface eat algae and a lot of greens, so what you're currently feeding maybe be the same. They're know to eat certain soft corals, like zoas and mushrooms, so you need to be careful. Magnificent which pick on SPS If you plan on putting your hand in the tank a lot you need to be careful, as they spook very easy and can cause a pretty painful sting, also when the lights are out they like to just hang in the water, usually near a corner.

 

[jedimaster1138]

Thanks all.

Anyone keep clams with their FoxFace/Rabbits in general? I have 3 that I'd prefer not to see become clams on the half shell...

Don't even get me started on the scolys or brains or hammers or....ack

 

[lnevo]

Dont have clams but my one spot is one of my favorites though he's getting pretty big for the tank...

Forgot to add I've never seen him touch a coral!

 

[charliethetuna88]

I have one in my mixed reef no problems at all very dosile .they grow quick though

 

[Mattl22]

I had a masked rabbit and it eat all my z-p and eat the eyes right outta my chalice b4 I caught him on a side note I'm not adding that stuff this time cause I love rabbit fish and wanna keep 2-3 masked rabbits in new tank

 

[Yani1133]

I wish my foxface ate zoas and softies. Ufortunatly he is a model citizen that wont removes some nuiscance zoas in my sps tank. Mine tends to follow my larger fish around like follow the leader, usually my coral bueaty. Also wont touch my patches of hair algea at all, but gobbles up flake and pellet foods.

 

[bertyboy69]

I have a magnificent foxface , tank had a bunch if euphyllia , a bunch of zoas and palys , there was a clam in there at one point and a couple pieces of sps and never picked at anything !

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Reefs

 

[Geraud]

I got mine as a tiny one to get rid of Caulerpa (sprouting from the live rock): he destroys them. He especially likes grape caulerpa, which he eats like spaghetti, really funny to see.

He is not touching bubble algae though.

As always, fish are like us... each has its own tastes, and these can change over time, aka a model citizen one day might decide these zoas taste good the next...