Scribbled Rabbitfish - Siganus doliatus - Doliatus Foxface Fish - Barred Spinefoot - Blue Lined Rabb

[Newb73]

Saw this at the local Fish store today, knew it was a ribbit fish, couldnt really tell much else (they change color when under stress at the LFS).

Got home looked him up and man...what a beautiful Rabbit Fish. The had two in very good shape. $49.00

But i was there to get a bristle tooth tang and since i didnt know what this fish really was, passed it up...... I came home with a Tommi Tang and a tiny little clown to mate up with my exsisting, also tiny clown...


I seriously want to go back and get him, problem is..... I just put in a tiny clown and a Tommi tang in my 120G thats only been set up a month...

Adding both of these at the same time could probably stress the tank.

Anyone have experience with these fish? Anyone think i could get away with getting it now? (tank parameters are all perfect of course but......... they say go slow).

 

[Zoanthkid]

I don't know anything about this specific fish, but if u really really want it, I don't see where it would hurt as long as u are testing and maybe do a couple extra water changes in the next month or so on top of your norm. Just to keep things stable. A (presumably small) tomini tang and a couple tiny clowns aren't a huge bio-load in a 120gal tank.

 

[impur]

That is an very nice looking rabbitfish. Nice find!!!

 

[-Logzor]

I have this exact fish as well as a Tomini Tang. I had them in a 90g years ago. They sometimes fight with each other while they compete to eat algae off of the rocks. Every once in awhile the Tomini Tang will scar the rabbitfish with its barb. They are now in my 150g, I've had them together for 4 years now or so.

Do you have a big skimmer? The Rabbitfish are voracious eaters.

 

[Newb73]

Reef Octopus BH2000.

Took it 3 weeks to kick in (i used base rock and it was a sterile environment), now about 2/3rd full with its first cup of dark green skimmate.

 

[muteturkey]

Rabbitfish fish in general aren't aggressive fish from what I've seen. I have seen a foxface (in rabbitfish family) munch on sps so if you have or plan on having sps, its something to keep an eye on. Rabbitfish can also be good algae eaters. I would call the store and see if they have a holding program, if so, I'd have them hold it for you and give your tank a few days to balance out with the 2 new fish just to be safe as the tank is still young.

 

[-Logzor]

Rabbitfish fish in general aren't aggressive fish from what I've seen. I have seen a foxface (in rabbitfish family) munch on sps so if you have or plan on having sps, its something to keep an eye on. Rabbitfish can also be good algae eaters. I would call the store and see if they have a holding program, if so, I'd have them hold it for you and give your tank a few days to balance out with the 2 new fish just to be safe as the tank is still young.

They are excellent algae eaters. You have to make sure they get fed enough. At one point my rabbitfish nipped at some of my stags. It also recently ate some zoanthids, but the RARELY happens. This is the first time in over 2 years I've seen him eat a coral.

 

[kmaintl]

nice rabbit fish

 

[Newb73]

I don't know anything about this specific fish, but if u really really want it, I don't see where it would hurt as long as u are testing and maybe do a couple extra water changes in the next month or so on top of your norm. Just to keep things stable. A (presumably small) tomini tang and a couple tiny clowns aren't a huge bio-load in a 120gal tank.

There is also a tiny Chromis and a full grown Royal Gramma in there. Didnt do any water changes the first month, wanted the water to have as much nutrients as possible to speed cycling. (my method for cycling was Temp 82, lights 12 hours, chuncks of frozen brine, and i filled it with tap water the first go around....amazing it worked. Brown Algae period was over in 10 days, parametrs all ready zero...of course the 200lbs of live rock, 3 inch sand bed, 60,000 gallons per hour of circulation and cannister filter probably all helped).

I continued feeding the tank a cube of frozen brine at least every 3 to 4 days...

On the one hand i think im pushing it, on the other ...if it handled that and now has zero parameters (checked by me and by lfs), i would think its pretty well cycled out. My concern is more about a sudden increase in "biolaoad" all at once as they say, ...i doubt it would cause a nitrite spike with a cannister filter running, but it could cause a nitrate spike.

My one finger leather coral (cannary in a coal mine) looks fantastic...

This is all speculation but someday ill write a book....lol.

What was the point of all this....oh yea. It seems i may now have a reason to start those water changes...... lol!

 

[steamer51]

I have had a good sized one for about six months now from a friend who took down his tank. No problems with aggression or eating my leather corals. I have read they can get to about 10 inches so I would not have bought one as I prefer more smaller fish to a couple of big ones long term. Be aware that the spines are venomous so be very careful handling if you decide to get one. Mine is very personable and comes right to me when I walk into the room. He eats a one inch wide strip of Nori every day as well as the food I feed the others. Takes the nori right from my hand and starts chewing on one end and doesn't stop until the entire strip is gone so he is not messy at all.

 

[GratefulReef]

see if you can pay for it and have him hold it for you, explain why and im sure they will help you out.

 

[Newb73]

Got him today

 

[Newb73]

Dug up this old thread, he had his birthday last month.

 

[AJsTank]

Syphus has one of these that is 11 years old. It's huge.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Bringing back an old thread. So I have seen healthy ones like yours that show a little blue cloudiness in their eyes bilaterally, and small ones with clear eyes. Does that blue develop with time?