Fox face so fat he needs to rest

[Robin777]

Hey everyone!
I’ve had a magnificent fox face for a few months now, tank is about 6 months old so I’ve still got some algae on the rocks and sand, and this guy is eating like a hog, both from the sand and rocks, I’ve got 3 tangs also in the tank so I also feed 1/4 sheet of nori daily and 2 cubes of mysis daily.
He eats everything and almost constantly pooping sand and what looks like undigested nori, he is very fat and seems to be resting on the bottom for maybe a minute and then keeps gracing, rince and repeat.
I’m gonna skip feeding nori for few days now since they have enough algae to grace on anyway and see if he slims down.
But I’m worried he has some digestive issues.
Anyone ever dealt with this before?

 

[W31Olds]

I also have a Foxface and he is a big fatty. Had him over a year and he grows like a weed. My tank has plenty of Algae, so I never feed any Nori. Mine will often rest on the Bottom for a few minutes at a time which seems normal, however after watching your Video, there seems to be something wrong with his swimming. I'll Tags the other Medics.
@Jay Hemdal
@vetteguy53081

 

[Red_Beard]

They can definitely be little piglets, the grazing and pooping behavior sound normal. I dont know if that waddle swim is normal though. hopefully the experts can shed some light there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey everyone!
I’ve had a magnificent fox face for a few months now, tank is about 6 months old so I’ve still got some algae on the rocks and sand, and this guy is eating like a hog, both from the sand and rocks, I’ve got 3 tangs also in the tank so I also feed 1/4 sheet of nori daily and 2 cubes of mysis daily.
He eats everything and almost constantly pooping sand and what looks like undigested nori, he is very fat and seems to be resting on the bottom for maybe a minute and then keeps gracing, rince and repeat.
I’m gonna skip feeding nori for few days now since they have enough algae to grace on anyway and see if he slims down.
But I’m worried he has some digestive issues.
Anyone ever dealt with this before?

Many fish are voracious eaters but also should be digesting food and passing thru normally. Mysis can cause excess mucus in the stomach lining causing white feces and contribute to constipation. Nori in sheets can stop up if too large of a piece is ingested. I would suggest not feeding it for 12 ours and/or feed brine shrimp which serves as a laxative . Also this diet is not adequate for a foxface and consider adding foods such as LRS herbivore frenzy, plankton, Chopped krill and formula 2 frozen

 

[Robin777]

Yeah I’ll look into a more varied diet.
I agree with his swimming, it almost looks like he’s so fat that he’s heavy or something, he’s not really lethargic, breathing normally, and eating like a pig. And he is pooping all the time so I doubt he’s constipated, altough most that comes out is sand and nori/algae looking poop, so I’m worried he’s not digesting it properly

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey everyone!
I’ve had a magnificent fox face for a few months now, tank is about 6 months old so I’ve still got some algae on the rocks and sand, and this guy is eating like a hog, both from the sand and rocks, I’ve got 3 tangs also in the tank so I also feed 1/4 sheet of nori daily and 2 cubes of mysis daily.
He eats everything and almost constantly pooping sand and what looks like undigested nori, he is very fat and seems to be resting on the bottom for maybe a minute and then keeps gracing, rince and repeat.
I’m gonna skip feeding nori for few days now since they have enough algae to grace on anyway and see if he slims down.
But I’m worried he has some digestive issues.
Anyone ever dealt with this before?

That sort of wiggling side to side as it swims isn't normal. It is also a LOT fatter than I would like to see. Here is a post I made on various causes of abdominal swelling:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/causes-of-abdominal-swelling-in-fishes.1098720/

 

[Robin777]

That sort of wiggling side to side as it swims isn't normal. It is also a LOT fatter than I would like to see. Here is a post I made on various causes of abdominal swelling:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/causes-of-abdominal-swelling-in-fishes.1098720/

From reading your post I would say option number 1 is most likely, overfeeding.
So I’ll not feed the tank for 2-3 days and see if he shows signs of improvement.