Rabbitfish - vs - Foxface

[SoulFish]

Ok the LFS told me these two would work, no problem. I posted on here b4 and some guys said I may have problems. Clearly the guys here were right. I dropped the smaller Rabbitfish into the 90 gallon and the Foxface went straight for him! He wouldnt leave him alone. So I netted him and relocated him into the QT tank.

My question is this, I'm building a 180 gallon tank right now and will relocate the fish into that 6' long tank. Will any more space make a difference with these two fish? Or is this a no win situation and I should just bring the fish back to the store and give up?

Has anyone ever kept a Foxface & Rabbitfish together in peace?

 

[mrwilson]

Fyi, a foxface is a species of rabbitfish. Do you know the scientific name of the fish you're referring to as a rabbitfish? There are a number of species. Check out this article: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.php.

In terms of whether the two of them will get along in a 180, I think the answer is a not-very-helpful: maybe. Certainly there are a number of people who have reported successfully keeping multiple rabbitfish in a tank of that size. Plenty of experiences to the contrary as well. You will certainly have a better chance of success than many, since you will be able to add the two of them at the same time. However, IMO a 180 is pushing it for even one specimen of certain of the larger rabbitfishes, such as the orange-spot rabbitfish (Siganus guttacus), which get to be nearly a foot-and-a-half in length.

 

[SoulFish]

The two fish are:

1. Siganus vulpinus
2. Siganus doliatus

 

[Amazon4]

I have a doliatus in a 180. He's at about 6" right now. Even at this size I would not try to put another type of rabbitfish in there.

Just my opinion, but I think you're going to have big problems.