Wolf in fish clothing: What “reef safe” fish did you find not to be reef safe after all?

[Peng1606]

My gold spotted rabbit fish…. Ate a toadstool, other various softies, and 6 bubble tips (went on vacation and reduced feeding to twice daily for 3 weeks)… but is my wife’s fav fish… so he gets to stay.

 

[AKL1950]

My gold spotted rabbit fish…. Ate a toadstool, other various softies, and 6 bubble tips (went on vacation and reduced feeding to twice daily for 3 weeks)… but is my wife’s fav fish… so he gets to stay.

Lol! And there you have it. we have to always look after what’s important. What’s the expression……Happy Wife, Happy Life.

 

[bnord]

Fox F’n Face
full stop

 

[Nemesis of Pistol Shrimps]

No doubt my pistol shrimp.. I'll never own another one.

There is not a single advice I would give more than to not get a pistol shrimp and goby pair unless you want the corals on your sandbed going missing, being knocked over, or buried. Otherwise cool critters

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

My gold spotted rabbit fish…. Ate a toadstool, other various softies, and 6 bubble tips (went on vacation and reduced feeding to twice daily for 3 weeks)… but is my wife’s fav fish… so he gets to stay.

That beast of mine left, quickly. The link explains my carl spackler tendencies to catch that heifer of a fish.

The Odyssey...

 

[steezylp]

I’ve had 2 types of reef safe blennies decide they like the taste of giant clams. Starry and Striped.

Hah, I was about to write about my starry blenny. I just caught the thing playing volleyball with my ricordea frag the other day

 

[Pistol Peet]

My Harliquin tuskfish did this when I moved him from a bare bottom tank into a fish tank with a few corals that he buried with his excavations. A lot of the fish enjoy his hideouts, but simphyllia, acanthophyllia and fungia were not happy spitting sand that was kicked in their faces & mouths.

View attachment 2977754

I just basted with turkey baster multiple times a day to keep them clean.

 

[JaimeAdams]

I've watched Hippo Tangs eat zoas and montiporas

 

[KING KONG]

I'm lucky so far, I have one in my cube tank and it's just chillin so far. When it gets into rampage psycho stage (which it will) back to the LFS.

Blue velvet gets mad when it gets old. It will get super aggressive. U will not be able to catch it as it runs very fast and good in hiding. They seem to be slow fish but are fast when gets into aggressive mode. They try to dominate every fish(even bigger than them) specially new ones. Mine hit fishes with tail and bites small one on their eyes and causes Popeye. I have lost 4 clowns with Popeye .

 

[KING KONG]

Worst offender is my Tomato clownfish pair, the female tries to kill sps, clams, and anything that might grow into a "problem" for her anemone in their tank. New frags get routinely ripped off their anchors and dumped into the corner of the tank where she has made a waste pile of coral frags that had to be relocated. She dropped a clam into the mouth of her anemone, two or three times before I figured out how the clam was climbing uphill to jump off suicide bluff.

Wow they r such a aggressive fish. When I visited my lfs, I saw a small fish chasing every fish. I demanded lfs to give that tomato clown to me and for that he had to empty the whole tank! Mine loved the taste of my hands (ouch!). It didn't allowed me to clean the tank. It lived for 7 yrs! When it gets into it's max size, it dominated every one, it lived in a bta which it does not care to feed. Whenever I gave food to bta, it got to my tomato clown's stomach. After attaining it's max size, it leave the bta and went to the rock work(which I don't know why).

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Blue velvet gets mad when it gets old. It will get super aggressive. U will not be able to catch it as it runs very fast and good in hiding. They seem to be slow fish but are fast when gets into aggressive mode. They try to dominate every fish(even bigger than them) specially new ones. Mine hit fishes with tail and bites small one on their eyes and causes Popeye. I have lost 4 clowns with Popeye .

I don't worry about the damsel, I kept Fowlr's for close to two decades before I decided on a reef tank, thus I'm used to 'bad' decision fish and the efforts needed for capture.

This isn't my 1st rodeo with a evil damsel, lol, or even a velvet damsel which isn't as bad as a pair of domino damsel, but I digress... it's in a 50 gallon cube, with only about 35 gallons of water. I pull out 15 gallons, it's options become slim, thus it should be fairly easily caught!

 

[Tanglover1]

I bought mine velvet demsel seeing it's colour. After 2 yrs I donated it and now that person wants to return it . It chased my hands ,killed fishes and super mess with my corals. It didn't even afraid of eel. It hitted my eel who was the boss of my tank with it's tail and surprisingly eel got stressed from that. They have a great personality but they r not welcomed in my tank even no demsel in my tank are welcomed

 

[Enderg60]

I had a blue tang that ate xenia and zoas. Never heard of it before or since, he was just a weird one.

Everything else that ended up being a problem was due to me not doing my reading before hand.

I also find it funny that aside from clowns and "some" wrasses nothing in the poll is reef safe. Just, you might get lucky.

EDIT: and damsels are downright horrible fish. Just mean as crap, and remember clownfish are damsels. Maroons especially like to remind you of that.

 

[AKL1950]

I had a blue tang that ate xenia and zoas. Never heard of it before or since, he was just a weird one.

Everything else that ended up being a problem was due to me not doing my reading before hand.

I also find it funny that aside from clowns and "some" wrasses nothing in the poll is reef safe. Just, you might get lucky.

EDIT: and damsels are downright horrible fish. Just mean as crap, and remember clownfish are damsels. Maroons especially like to remind you of that.

Didn’t know clowns are damsels. I’ve got 6 Chromis in my tank and plan on getting two Mocha Clowns. Will they get along?

 

[Tanglover1]

I had a blue tang that ate xenia and zoas. Never heard of it before or since, he was just a weird one.

Everything else that ended up being a problem was due to me not doing my reading before hand.

I also find it funny that aside from clowns and "some" wrasses nothing in the poll is reef safe. Just, you might get lucky.

EDIT: and damsels are downright horrible fish. Just mean as crap, and remember clownfish are damsels. Maroons especially like to remind you of that.

It will stop eating them when they r gone just joking . Try to feed it more as I also suffered this problem. They often do this when they get big. Feed it more and see what happens. Some just stop this when given more food but some just love the taste of them

 

[Tanglover1]

Didn’t know clowns are damsels. I’ve got 6 Chromis in my tank and plan on getting two Mocha Clowns. Will they get along?

U will see a good aggression as clowns will not allow chromis to stay there.

 

[Enderg60]

It will stop eating them when they r gone just joking . Try to feed it more as I also suffered this problem. They often do this when they get big. Feed it more and see what happens. Some just stop this when given more food but some just love the taste of them

Oh I feed nutty amounts of food, but this was also like 15 years ago. I gave that tang away with a warning and got a replacement that was a good boy.

And yes clowns are damsels. While they are a LOT less aggressive than others, they still are. It hits home when you go diving and see domino damsels hosting anemones, some times with clowns.

I actually hate the fact damsels are even sold to people, especially as a great, cheap, starter fish because its so hardy. They ALWAYS end up being jerks and usually kill any nice fish you decide to add later. As I said, HORRIBLE fish.

I have never had issues with most clowns and chromis. The maroons just seem to get "Damsely" when they get big. I had one that drew blood when I cleaned the tank near its BTA. Usual perc's or clarks are usually very peaceful but will defend their anemone.

 

[flashsmith]

Where are these prized blue tangs that eat xenia? Got hundreds of zoa polyps that need to be mowed down too. I regret ever putting both of those in my systems.

 

[Tanglover1]

Oh I feed nutty amounts of food, but this was also like 15 years ago. I gave that tang away with a warning and got a replacement that was a good boy.

And yes clowns are damsels. While they are a LOT less aggressive than others, they still are. It hits home when you go diving and see domino damsels hosting anemones, some times with clowns.

I actually hate the fact damsels are even sold to people, especially as a great, cheap, starter fish because its so hardy. They ALWAYS end up being jerks and usually kill any nice fish you decide to add later. As I said, HORRIBLE fish.

I have never had issues with most clowns and chromis. The maroons just seem to get "Damsely" when they get big. I had one that drew blood when I cleaned the tank near its BTA. Usual perc's or clarks are usually very peaceful but will defend their anemone.

Mine sells demsel saying it is a very Friendly's fish and u can add 9-10 and see them playing . They will also come behind your hands. He also doesn't have any rocks in the tank to show that damsels are active fish! Such a good businessman

 

[AKL1950]

I

U will see a good aggression as clowns will not allow chromis to stay there.

I’m not sure which fish is controlling the Chromis right now, but they spend a lot of time hiding in the rocks already. Hardly ever see all 6 of them schooling together any more except maybe at feeding time. I don’t think any of the tangs or angels like them. It’s sad, but in a way it may be beneficial. The tangs and angels don’t get aggressive with each other. They just go chase a Chromis around till they tire of it.