Fox Face not eating

[Mini Coop]

Hi,
I have a fox face in QT with a sail fin and 2 fire fish. They have been in QT for 8 weeks due to an ick outbreak. I didn't dose with copper because they haven't shown any signs of ick since moved to QT, and have been completely healthy. I got some advice here to go ahead and treat them with Prazipro, as if they were new fish I was quarantining. The foxface (nick) isn't eating. I noticed last night that when I fed the shrimp (frozen PEMeysis) that he only ate one piece, and just swam back and forth at the front of the tank, and he usually goes after it pretty well. Then tonight, when I fed them, he didn't eat. I put a drop of garlic in about an hour later, and fed some pellets, and he did eat a few of those. I don't see any signs of distress other than him not eating, but should I be concerned or watching for anything specific? I was just getting ready to put them back in the main tank this weekend, but don't want to rush it if he is sick.
THANKS!!

 

[melypr1985]

As long as he's eating some, he's going to be ok. If he stops all together, then we need to worry. I would advise you to treat for ick even if they arn't showing signs of it. It's still there and will rear it's ugly head again. Might as well make it worth your time and trouble of taking them all out and treat them for ick. If you don't then there was no point in going fallow in the display since the fish will just bring it back to the display when they return.

 

[Reef'nOkla]

Is he maybe slimming up for the new season of bachelor?

 

[Mini Coop]

As long as he's eating some, he's going to be ok. If he stops all together, then we need to worry. I would advise you to treat for ick even if they arn't showing signs of it. It's still there and will rear it's ugly head again. Might as well make it worth your time and trouble of taking them all out and treat them for ick. If you don't then there was no point in going fallow in the display since the fish will just bring it back to the display when they return.

Ok. I am getting such mixed advice on this aspect of things. I have had mixed advice both here, and from the reef store locally that I finally feel I could trust lol Because of How hard copper is on them, and I don't want to kill them either. I have coppersafe, which I have heard is a milder version of treatment.
Question - I dosed with prazipro yesterday . . . so can I still treat with copper, or how do I do that now?

 

[Mini Coop]

Is he maybe slimming up for the new season of bachelor?

HAHAHAHA!!! My friend asked tonight if he is on a cleanse (we do advocare) Thought it was hillarious.

 

[Mini Coop]

As long as he's eating some, he's going to be ok. If he stops all together, then we need to worry. I would advise you to treat for ick even if they arn't showing signs of it. It's still there and will rear it's ugly head again. Might as well make it worth your time and trouble of taking them all out and treat them for ick. If you don't then there was no point in going fallow in the display since the fish will just bring it back to the display when they return.

Also - sorry - I need to dose them for 30 days, correct?

 

[melypr1985]

Question - I dosed with prazipro yesterday . . . so can I still treat with copper, or how do I do that now?

You can start dosing the copper today if you'd like. You'll just want to be sure you dont' forget the second dose of prazi in 5-7 days from the first. Be sure not to add prazi and copper to the tank on the same day... especially if you wont be around that day to watch for bacterial blooms. I'm sorry for the mixed advice. It's one of those things where you gotta weigh all the things you've been told, what you know and decide for yourself what direction to go. I know it's hard to do that. I'm just seriously worried that you went through all that just to introduce ick back into your display. I don't want to see you back here in a month with the same problem (which will happen if you don't treat for the ick), ya know?

Also - sorry - I need to dose them for 30 days, correct?

Yes indeed. Coppersafe has a therapeutic level of 1.5-2ppm and should be measured with an API test kit. Be sure to read the test tube from the top down for accuracy. Also, be sure to offer Nori for the Foxface as he should really enjoy that.

 

[Mini Coop]

You can start dosing the copper today if you'd like. You'll just want to be sure you dont' forget the second dose of prazi in 5-7 days from the first. Be sure not to add prazi and copper to the tank on the same day... especially if you wont be around that day to watch for bacterial blooms. I'm sorry for the mixed advice. It's one of those things where you gotta weigh all the things you've been told, what you know and decide for yourself what direction to go. I know it's hard to do that. I'm just seriously worried that you went through all that just to introduce ick back into your display. I don't want to see you back here in a month with the same problem (which will happen if you don't treat for the ick), ya know?


Yes indeed. Coppersafe has a therapeutic level of 1.5-2ppm and should be measured with an API test kit. Be sure to read the test tube from the top down for accuracy. Also, be sure to offer Nori for the Foxface as he should really enjoy that.

Been feeding nori for a month now (is that the same as seaweed?), and both the fox face and sailfin get so excited in the morning when I turn the light on - they know what is coming!

@melypr1985 - I did the copper treatment this morning. Going to give them the 30 days of treatment as you suggested. Like you said - better safe than sorry, and I was a little worried about killing them with copper after saving them, but more worried about introducing ick back into my tank. This will give the new clowns 30 days to adjust to their new home before the others join them. I dosed it this morning because I have a short day at work, so I can get home to check their levels shortly after lunch. Thanks. I think as long as they are ok, I will feel better about doing this - trying not to rush things so that they are done right. However, patience is not my strong suit - this hobby will teach me to be!

 

[melypr1985]

Been feeding nori for a month now (is that the same as seaweed?), and both the fox face and sailfin get so excited in the morning when I turn the light on - they know what is coming!

@melypr1985 - I did the copper treatment this morning. Going to give them the 30 days of treatment as you suggested. Like you said - better safe than sorry, and I was a little worried about killing them with copper after saving them, but more worried about introducing ick back into my tank. This will give the new clowns 30 days to adjust to their new home before the others join them. I dosed it this morning because I have a short day at work, so I can get home to check their levels shortly after lunch. Thanks. I think as long as they are ok, I will feel better about doing this - trying not to rush things so that they are done right. However, patience is not my strong suit - this hobby will teach me to be!

Just be sure you raise the levels slowly. Slower than the label will tell you. You'll do just fine

 

[Mini Coop]

If you had/have ich. Your display need to have no fish for 76 days to allow it to die off.

Thank you - yep! Main tank has been fallow for 76 days.

 

[Mini Coop]

Just be sure you raise the levels slowly. Slower than the label will tell you. You'll do just fine

OHHHH - crap - - - - I just did what the bottle said and put 5 ml per 4 gallons in this morning - - - do I need to go do a water change to lower the level and bring it back up?????

 

[melypr1985]

OHHHH - crap - - - - I just did what the bottle said and put 5 ml per 4 gallons in this morning - - - do I need to go do a water change to lower the level and bring it back up?????

If you have your test kit already, just test it when you get home. Be sure of where you are first. Never panic. Panic always leads to rash decisions that can make things worse than they are. Deep breath. One step at a time.

 

[Mini Coop]

If you have your test kit already, just test it when you get home. Be sure of where you are first. Never panic. Panic always leads to rash decisions that can make things worse than they are. Deep breath. One step at a time.

Ok. Got home. All fish are alive and look fine. Copper level is 2.0. Fed some pellets. I'll feed shrimp tonight. What do I do next? It's a small tank, 20 gallon, so I was doing water changes pretty often. Try to go to once a week?

 

[melypr1985]

Ok. Got home. All fish are alive and look fine. Copper level is 2.0. Fed some pellets. I'll feed shrimp tonight. What do I do next? It's a small tank, 20 gallon, so I was doing water changes pretty often. Try to go to once a week?

Awesome! Do water changes as needed and be sure to add copper to the new water before adding it to the tank. Keep it at 2ppm too

 

[Maritimer]

OHHHH - crap - - - - I just did what the bottle said and put 5 ml per 4 gallons in this morning - - - do I need to go do a water change to lower the level and bring it back up?????

Those directions sound familiar . . . is that the Kordon version of chelated copper? The reason I ask is that I dosed according to the directions on the bottle, and the QT came down with ich a few days later ... discovered on their website that a 4 oz. bottle treats 50 gallons - which is decidedly not the same as 50ml/40 gallons! Tossed most of the bottle into my 40B over the next several days; fish have recovered and are doing well. (Also, API test kit is registering therapeutic values!)

~Bruce

 

[Mini Coop]

Awesome! Do water changes as needed and be sure to add copper to the new water before adding it to the tank. Keep it at 2ppm too

keep at 2 ppm for 30 days - add copper if it starts to lower, correct?

 

[melypr1985]

keep at 2 ppm for 30 days - add copper if it starts to lower, correct?

Yes ma'am. it shouldn't though unless you have sand, rocks, plastic or anything else that absorbs it. Still test regularly to be sure.

 

[Larry L]

Foxface are basically herbivores, although they will sometimes go after meaty foods too. Maybe try one of the herbivore-specific foods like LRS Herbivore Frenzy, Ocean Nutrition Formula Two (flake or frozen), Rod's herbivore blend, etc.

 

[Mini Coop]

Yes ma'am. it shouldn't though unless you have sand, rocks, plastic or anything else that absorbs it. Still test regularly to be sure.

Ok - I have been watching them tonight. One of my firefish didn't look too happy at all. They never showed signs of ick, but I knew I had to get them out to go fallow. And since they were exposed, they are being treated too. I will check them again in the morning, but is it normal for them (firefish and sailfin) to turn a little almost jaundice looking? The sailfin ate really well tonight, but fox and fires did not. Fox ate some pellets, so I will take @Larry L 's advice and get him some veggies. He loves the seaweed I feed them in the morning. I don't know if I startled them or if they are struggling, but their breathing did look a little fast.

In advance, thank you for helping me through this part of the situation. My clowns are doing AWESOME in the DT, and having a blast with all of that space to themselves I also attained an elegant coral, and 2 others tonight They are in QT before heading to the DT Excited to see my reef building as I wait to add livestock.

 

[melypr1985]

Appetite suppression is normal with Copper treatment. Even if all he eats is the Nori you are feeding, then he's still doing good. Raising the copper level so quick can cause some shock and discomfort. As long as all the fish are eating (even if it's just a little), and no infections break out, then they are doing ok.