The Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus) is a vibrant yellow, black, and white saltwater fish with venomous barbs camouflaged within its dorsal fins. Luckily, many specimens of this species are very docile and won’t search you out and sting you, unless provoked. However, the danger is always there so be mindful when working in an aquarium with this species. Foxfaces have a unique look to them. They have normal-looking fish bodies, but their face looks like a snout. Their unique colorations and appearance give them a unique charm. This article will cover a Foxface’s aquarium requirements, dietary needs, compatible tank mates, and more.
Aquarium Requirements
This species of Foxface will grow to be about 9 inches at their max size. This makes them great candidates for 125-gallon aquariums. It is highly recommended to provide them with an assortment of live rock. They’ll graze on algae growing on the rock, and use the live rock for cover at night. They are not as active as tangs, but open swimming spaces are also important for the Foxface.
Is The Foxface Reef Safe?
Yes, Foxfaces are reef-safe. They won’t bother snails, shrimp, crabs, sea stars, or any other common invert in the aquarium. There have been cases of them nipping zoanthids and a few other corals, but those instances are incredibly rare. They are usually model citizens in a reef tank and excellent fish for keeping algae away. If you keep macroalgae in your reef tank, keep the Foxface away. Most macroalgae look like salad buffets for this fish and a Foxface will decimate the algae population.
Water Parameters
Keeping water parameters stable and within an appropriate range is important to keeping your aquarium happy. The Foxface is a fairly hardy fish and can do well in a range of water parameters. For this fish and most other saltwater fish, I recommend keeping temperatures between 72 – 78°F (22.2 – 25.6°C), and preferably between 76 and 78°F. The dkH levels of the fish tank should be between 8 and 12. The pH levels should fall between 8.1 and 8.4. Lastly, the salinity level of your aquarium should be between 1.020 and 1.024 sg. Fish-only aquariums are often kept around 1.020 sg. Reef tanks are normally kept near 1.024 sg.
Food & Diet
Foxfaces are herbivorous saltwater fish. They graze and consume a variety of algae. The main algae species that may actively grow in your aquarium which Foxface consumes is hair algae. Unfortunately, there is not enough algae in an aquarium to sustain a Foxface. You’ll have to feed them algae sheets, pellet food, flake food, and protein-rich frozen food to provide a balanced diet. I recommend feeding them algae sheets every other day, and supplement the off days with either pellet, flake, or frozen foods such as Brine Shrimp and Mysis Shrimp.
Tank Mates
This fish is generally peaceful by nature. They don’t usually bother other fish species. They’re great for peaceful fish tanks but can hold their own in a semi-aggressive aquarium. I have kept them with tangs, clownfish, wrasses, gobies, blennies, damsels, and dwarf angels without issue. I’ve also seen them in aquariums with eels, angels, triggerfish, and many other large fish without any problems either. Keep in mind every fish is unique, what is compatible for one individual fish, may not work for others.
I do not recommend keeping Foxface Lo with other Foxface Lo or other species of Foxface/Rabbitfish. The likelihood of aggression is too high. You’ll probably see battles over territory. Both can get injured or die in the altercations and it’s not worth putting that risk on the fish or your aquarium.
Breeding
Breeding Foxface is incredibly difficult to impossible in captivity. This is mostly because I do not recommend keeping more than one in an aquarium.
Final Notes
The Foxface can be an intimidating fish to keep thanks to their venomous barbs but they are probably one of my favorite fish to keep. From my experience, they’re incredibly docile, great at algae control, and have wonderful personalities. If you’re setting up a large saltwater aquarium, I highly recommend you give this fish a try.
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