Rabbitfish...

[Reefing Newbie]

So after looking over my stocklist, I want to maybe add a rabbitfish. I hesitate because of there tendency to pick at corals. I was curious to those of you who have, or tried rabbitfish in reef tanks: how often and what do/did you feed? How large were they when purchased? Any particular corals they irritated? What type of rabbitfish?(foxface lo, bicolor, silver foxface, onespot...) Here is my stocking plans the rabbitfish would replace the Yellow Tang if I did get one:

Order of Introduction
2 True Percs
3 McCosker's Flasher Wrasses(1M, 2F)
1 Tribal Blenny added with 1 Randall's Goby
1 Blue Eye Tang
1 Royal Gramma
1 Yellow Tang

 

[Sk8r]

Scribbled ate various green corals, and a cleaner shrimp.
Foxface became hysterical, finflicking and back-and-forthing in a 54 gallon when startled (ie, unable to choose a safe swimming path) and killed two dartfish and possibly one other, over time, and picked on a frogspawn. Outgrew the tank and had to be re-homed within one year.
Because they are venomous it also restricts your ability to do maintenance in the tank: wearing leather gloves under your rubber ones is a good idea. WHen startled, they go camo and plaster themselves to the under-curve of a rock, so when moving rock, definitely be careful.
They really need at least a hundred gallons, which you do have, but they grow very big, very fat, and are very fast when panicked.

 

[enjetek]

truth. ive seen some about a foot long at a fish store so you better be careful and give it lots of swimming space.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Thanks Sk8r! I was definantly aware of those spines, as they frighten me a little bit lol, but they look amazing! This is not going to be an impulse buy fish at all. I want as many opinions on these guys as I can get.

 

[CarlDelain]

Like any other "non reef safe" fish it could pick at corals, or it could touch nothing. It could be aggressive, or it could be shy.
And like any other venomous fish, you just need to be particularly careful when doing any tank maintenance.
+1^ on leather gloves inside of rubber gloves. Just don't get the leather wet :thumbsup:

 

[ALH]

I have a foxface lo in a 180g. Model citizen. It was shy at first, but settled in quickly. Of course every fish is different. I never even considered wearing gloves. I don't really consider this fish a threat to my health. Guess I'm just reckless.
Angie

 

[tcoral]

my experience was that rabbitfish grow fast and some eat zoas. Had luck with 2 line but when I tried a scribbled, it could clear zoas/palys from a plug like nobodies business. I'd get a new zoa and next morning the frag plug was clean.

when I mean fast growing, they can get 4+ inches within a year. They are great for controlling caulerpa though, when I had an outbreak in another tank, a rabbitfish was the only thing to get rid of it.