Have you ever been stung by your rabbitfish?

[zuzecawi]

Considering perhaps instead of another tang, getting a rabbitfish for the 135. However, I'm not too hot on having venomous animals in the house. I've previously been seriously (hospitalization type seriously) affected by zooanthids, and now have a really burly reaction to all soft coral mucous in general (atleast all the ones I used to have in the tank). So I'm a little scared to try adding a venomous fish to that mix. But my question is, how many people have ACTUALLY been stung by their rabbitfish?

So if you have a story to share, please do! And if you just have general rabbitfish info, share that too!

Thank you.

[ReefRockerLive]

I've had the Foxface Rabbitfish for many months and when ever I put my hand in the tank it usually kept swimming, but on the other side of the tank. If your chasing the fish with your hand and it swims by your hand, then you can get stung. Rabbitfish are known to be peaceful fish and will not intensionally sting people unless it feels it is in danger.

I'd suggest staying away from the rabbitfish when it changes its appearance, that means that it's a bit stressed and there is a higher chance of getting stung. The change of appearance is temporary and will go away in a matter of minutes.

[oct2274]

you really have to try to almost try to get hit by their spines. first they aren't territorial at all, and second they tend to be shy. Mine isn't very shy, but his spines are always down unless you really startle him. I wouldn't be afraid at all. When you are working in the aquarium, just take things slow and keep track of where it is in the aquarium.

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10285061#post10285061 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zuzecawi
So I'm a little scared to try adding a venomous fish
This is suppose to be a fun hobby ... if your scared of a fish why buy it? Life's too short and your experience with zoo's may indicate your more sensitive to toxins than others.

[mr_o98]

I have a foxface which is extremely personable and peaceful. Just be aware of where it is when your hand is in the tank.
Mine actually eats out of my hand, and doesn't raise its spines when my hand is in the tank. My tang lets me "pet" him and the foxface has recently been swimming up to my hand and nipping at my fingernails. When I use a razor to clean the glass, both of these fish swim next to my hand to eat the algae that comes off the glass.
If the rabbitfish starts to change color, then remove your hand from the tank until it returns to its normal color.

[prugs]

My rabbit is afraid of my hand in the tank. It does however let me pet him on the nose, while it is eating from the nori sheet clip. I was going to get rid of him because it is a real pig, when it comes to feeding. But lately I have found that he is the peace keeper in the tank. When there is any fighting between my other fish, he jumps right in the middle to break up the fight.

[Kahuna Tuna]

Rabbits are great fish but I'm not sure a 135 is big enough, they grow like weeds and most of them get pretty large. I have a Doliatus in my 180 and it always heads for the rocks whenever I'm in the tank which is just fine by me. I've never been stung and would like to keep it that way but the people I've talked to that have said its not all that bad. Getting stuck by a needle sharp fish spine isn't pleasant even when it isn't venemous so I always handle my rabbitfish with care but I dont think you need to rule this fish out on the remote possibility you may get stuck.

[zuzecawi]

why add a venomous fish? For the same reason I still have corals... because although I've been burned (not to make a pun) I still enjoy the hobby. I do have a phobia of zoos now, but that's pretty understandable from my point of view! It doesn't mean I won't appreciate my other corals, even though they do make me break out and rash up.

I was aware that most rabbits get pretty big, but I've read a few don't, and the tank does have a good footprint (6' by 18" by 27"tall) so I think I have some leeway, especially with the island landscaping.

However, I wouldn't want to cramp a fish for any reason.

Thanks for the stories guys, keep em coming.

[Kahuna Tuna]

Thats a nice long 135 gallon tank, you will be fine with some of the smaller species. The Doliatus is one of the smaller ones and one of the most beautiful IMO, check those out.

[wakesetter]

I was stung a few years back. It was in a tank that I serviced every week. The fish was in there for a couple of years and would always swim away when I put my hand in. One day I opened the top and put my hand in and he swam right at me and stuck me in the thumb nuckle. I was shocked. Did not hurt at all at first so I thought I was ok, but after about 5 minutes my thumb started tingling where I was stuck. Then my whole thumb got hot and started stiffening up. At this point I went and put my thumb under a very hot stream of water for a couple of minutes and it started going away. (or was it just the hot water burning me that made me forget about the sting?) No long term problems, but extra cautious around all rabbitfish and lions after that.

[jmaneyapanda]

I have been envenomated by a rabbitfish and a lion. When I worked at a LFS, one of the other employees put a dead rabbitfish into a garbage can, and at the end of the night, when I went to change the liner, it poked my hand. It stung like a bee sting, but didnt do much worse. However, some time after, I got stung by a mother of a lionfish (12") and he got me solid (4 or 5 good spines which buried pretty well) across my hand. My hand swelled up so much that I couldnt touch my thumb to my index finger tip, and it took about 3 weeks for the edema to recede. Probably the worst pain I have ever felt. And ever since that, I have a strong sensitivity to bee stings. When get stung, I get severe local edema for a few days, and strong burning. My doctor says I go so envenomated that I have become locally hypersensistive. It is a middle ground type of thing, where an epi-pen wont help (becuase it is not systemic), so I just have to grin and bear it (and hope I never get stung in the neck). I have never since had a venomous fish in my tank.

[snappedbigfoot]

Mine is extremely friendly and will swim up to my hand in the tank. Even more often when I put Nori in, its scares me when my hand is in the tank. Even more when he changes color around the rocks I have trouble seeing him. He doesn't put up his spines up most the time though so im not to worried, there very peaceful.

[Paul B]

I was stung and had the same symptoms as Wakesetter. I was attempting to catch the fish and he jumped over my hand while his spines just brushed my knuckle.
After a few minutes, it hurts like hell, but you will live. I am sure it depends on how many spines you come in contact with.
Paul

[zuzecawi]

After hearing about the effects of the sting, I think I need to just not gamble with this one. The way I react to corals now is really dramatic if superficial (if a tank has soft coral that are making slime, and I put my bare hand in there, all the skin turns bright bright red and breaks out in hives), but it sounds like the rabbitfish sting is potentially much more serious to somebody like me. I am allergic to bees too, so ah well, I guess it's back to looking at tangs and angels. Sheesh. That's why we research before we purchase, right?

Thank you to everybody who posted here!

[IJG3145]

I pat my rabbitfish. I've never heard of a sting ever.

[eastlake]

If you're allergic to bees I would definitely take a pass. The foxface rabbitfish is one of my all time favorite fish, however, if personally I were allergic to bees I'd pass because I've read in a few different place that the sting can be exponentially worse if you're allergic to bees.

[Deinonych]

When there is any fighting between my other fish, he jumps right in the middle to break up the fight.

LOL...mine does the same! :)

[m0nkie]

Rabbit fish is very shy and friendly.. I feed mine out of my hands!

but I've been stung before. Picked it up from my nets and accidentally grabbed it. each spine stinger feels like 5 bee stings at once... gets hot and painful after 10 minutes.. you get stung by 3-4 stingers at once.. so it's a row of pain... not too bad.

I was stung by manowar jellyfish few months ago and that was wayyy worse..