Foxface/Tangs & Butterfly fish

Figured I could get a couple of questions done in one post.


I have a foxface right now and i'm starting to add zoa's and small polyp corals, mushrooms, ect. Are these fish prone to eating them?

Flame Angel question: Any chance this fish goes after the zoas and small polyps? I currently have this in the tank and always wonder if it will nip all the time or just wake up one day and feel like eating a $75 zoa dinner? Same thing with the rabbitfish could it just snap one day and eat all my zoas or after some time if they don't pick can I consider them "safe"

Tang question: Any tang that could fit comfortably in a 55 gallon?

Butterfly question: Any that are reef safe?


Sorry about all the questions, but I'm moving from a FOWLR tank to a reef tank because the wife likes the pretty colors. This means getting rid of my favorite fish the picasso trigger, which by the way hasn't touched the two cleaner shrimp or any hermits in the tank, but he HATES snails. But i'm starting to get an algae problem and need to put snails in the tank.

 

Every so often you hear about a foxface going after some polyps, but I think it's relatively rare. The flame angel could become a problem. With pygmy angels its pretty hit and miss. I had a coral beauty that never touched a thing, but some people get pygmy angels that rip through their corals. Unfortunately, there are absolutely no tangs that should be in a 55, and a foxface/rabbitfish shouldn't be in there either. They need just as much space as tangs, more than some. Pyramid butterflies are considered reef safe, and copperbands are partially reef safe, but they'll take down tube worms and may go after corals. For the record, copperbands are best known for ripping through aptasia.

 

Thanks, I was going to remove the rabbitfish as I figured it needed a bigger tank. I bought the fish a while ago when the LFS said a 55 gallon would be fine and I didn't know any better. It's a good 6 inch fish. I found out later that a 55 tank for a Picasso isn't big enough either. I guess the LFS didn't really care they just wanted to make the sale.

Pyramid I did hear about and will definately read into to see if its a good fit for my tank.

The tangs I kind of figured, but aquatic connection has on their site tangs that are listed as requiring 20 gallons or more. I didn't think that was right.

 

I have two foxfaces in my 180 gallon tank. One normal black spot and one majestic and they havent touched anything


As far as a tang i would stay away from them in a 55. If you MUST have one, go with a kole tang.

 

A chevron tang would work out also if you must have a tang, but it sounds like you are okay with avoiding them. 20 gallons is an absolute joke for a tang of any kind. There are tangs that would hardly be able to turn around in that tank.

 

I'm fine with avoiding them until I upgrade my tank over the summer. I don't want to put anything in my tank that doesn't belong/fit. I didn't know the tank wasn't big enough for my rabbitfish and trigger before I purchased them. The LFS told me it was fine and I didn't know any better. I will probably be removing them both from the tank by X-mas. The foxface will be easy to part with, but the HumaHuma is my favorite fish. It's only 2inches so it will probably stay a little longer in the tank. I found that the only snails I can have in the tank are nassariths because the trigger cant see them and mexican turbos because they are a little tougher.

I'll probably hold off on the butterfly fish too because none are totally coarl safe. I'm already pressing my luck with a flame angel.

Thanks.

 

if you absolutley want a tang then you would have to get rid of the foxface and add either a kole tang, or tomnini tang.