Are foxfaces reef safe?

Foxfaces are just as safe as Tangs, Dwarf Angels, Blennies, and any other herbivores. Any animal that grazes is at risk to take a nip at a coral and decide they like the taste.



IE, theres always a chance you'll get a bad one.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10553565#post10553565 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
The toxicity of nitrate is often highly exagerated in this hobby. In fact 20 ppm nitrates for zoanthids might make them do better than if they were undetectable.
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I agree Peter,


And FWIW, nitrIte isnt even toxic in salt water.
 
Some corals such as zoanthids and mushrooms actually do better in "dirty" water.
I've had a foxface for 1.5 years and it is a model citizen. My foxface and tang cruise the tank together. Very personable fish.
 
Loved my foxface! Kept my tank stripped bare of algae. He even picked at valonia. Once the algae was gone it was kinda tough to keep up with his demands for caularpa. I was feeding him the trimmings from my 'fuge and he almost picked THAT clean too. Kinda finicky...he wouldn't eat romaine or Nori, guess he was spoiled.I will get another once my 90 is up and running!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10560718#post10560718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr_o98
Some corals such as zoanthids and mushrooms actually do better in "dirty" water.
I've had a foxface for 1.5 years and it is a model citizen. My foxface and tang cruise the tank together. Very personable fish.
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Picking up on both the "poos like a horse" and the "Foxface and Tang cruise together" remarks:

My Foxface glides along the bottom of the tank, dropping his 'horse poo'... my Tang follows behind the Fox "sampling" the poo :spin2: !!!
 
I had a Foxface for a long time who LOVED Romaine Lettuce and never even looked twice at my SPS coral. Definitely a good, hardy reef safe fish. I have heard of some eating zooanthids though.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10563081#post10563081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoGurl
How fast do they grow?
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I don't know to be honest with you I have had mine 3 or 4 months and have not really noticedmuch growth. He might have grown a half inch in that time. Hopefully not too fast for my sake . He is about 5 inches and seems content but If he gets close to full size I think I would have to get a larger tank or trade him in! I would say your 75g tank would be large enough!
 
Can a foxface or tang do okay in a 55G tank? At least until they reach maturity? At what size should I pull them out?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10560296#post10560296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Foxfaces are just as safe as Tangs, Dwarf Angels, Blennies, and any other herbivores. Any animal that grazes is at risk to take a nip at a coral and decide they like the taste.



IE, theres always a chance you'll get a bad one.
Click to expand...

yep..... I had a blue tang for almost 2 years, one day he just decided he liked zoa's, wipped them out in no time.
 
I've had a foxface that ate every head off my red sea xenia but touched no other coral........i've also seen one nip at a leather in a fish store i worked at.........so i would say the majority are reef safe...depends on the individual fish
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10567637#post10567637 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kingfisher62
I don't know to be honest with you I have had mine 3 or 4 months and have not really noticedmuch growth. He might have grown a half inch in that time. Hopefully not too fast for my sake . He is about 5 inches and seems content but If he gets close to full size I think I would have to get a larger tank or trade him in! I would say your 75g tank would be large enough!
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Thanks! I'm upgrading my 75 next summer when we move, but I am worried about overstocking for now. Waiting is so hard =)
 
Which species were you thinking about getting?

I just got my S. doliatus from Reef Hotspot. Here's a pic from their site:
CP_rabbit_virgate450001.jpg


He's hiding now, but I just caught him nibbling on some algae. Woo hoo!
 
Nice looking fish , I don't think I have ever seen one in person!
What did it set you back?

Well , my button polyps are totally clean and looking better that they have looked in months. I am considering keeping them in my FOWLR tank permanately. For some reason they started to fail in my biocube.
I am not quite sure if they started doing bad from the algae on their piece of rock or if the algae started growing on the rock from the fact that they were not doing well and some started to decay.

I only have 50 w of basic florescent lighting on the tank but I have it placed pretty high , about 5 inches from the surface.

So another experiment begins!
 
I just tried snapping a pic of mine, but he's too quick and camershy! I really like how they can change colors. At night, he turns white/grey with brown splotches, and blends in perfectly with the rock. When someone approaches the tank quickly, he turns brown. Other times he looks like the pic posted above.

I chose that species since it's one of the smaller ones that are suitable for a 75 gallon aquarium.

You can find them for less than $35.
 
He will become less shy in time. Mine is completey unbothered by me now ,even when i stick my nose right to the glass. Cmon ,I know everyone else does that to their tanks too. Or is it just me!

Mine does the same camoflage bit! It is Kinda cool!
 
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