One spot foxface a bad idea ?

[Murphs_reef]

Hard to say from the videos but mine was very sheepish for weeks when it arrived. Full camo and sat in the strangest places. He wouldn't eat a thing either.

Maybe just taking it's time to adjust but if it is floating at the surface and not just trying to hide, It might be sick.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

This fish is either really weird or ill. Last night it lied on the ground to sleep, in full stress colors. I thought it was going to die during the night.

This morning before lights are on I find it floating at the surface, in a corner. I thought it was dead. I gently touched it and it started swimming slowly along the side glass. I fed it but I don’t think it ate.

Then for a good 20 minutes it followed the pajama cardinal around like a puppy. Now it’s back in the corner, at the surface. Oops, back with his friend the cardinal !

I have no experience with these fish so this might be normal but it sure is worrisome !

My foxface is always in its "stress" colors at night. Hes usually at the top corner of my tank at night or sometimes huddling next to other fish. The not eating part would have me worried, but I find they are usually pretty timid so he may be still getting used to the tank and tankmates.

 

[Idech]

Hard to say from the videos but mine was very sheepish for weeks when it arrived. Full camo and sat in the strangest places. He wouldn't eat a thing either.

Maybe just taking it's time to adjust but if it is floating at the surface and not just trying to hide, It might be sick.

I think it’s trying to hide. It was swimming around this morning but the tang probably went after him again and it made it go back to hiding in its corner for now.

It wouldn’t be so worried if he wasn’t as thin as paper. He has no meat at all on him. I knew that when buying him (he was the only one in the store) but when she fed him he ate like a pig so that reassured me.

 

[Murphs_reef]

Yeah if he's feeding that's half the battle. See if you can target feed for a bit. That might fatten him up..

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Make sure you have Nori for him. Mine eats one LRS Nori sheet a day. It also eats mysis shrimps and all other frozen or flake food I feed the other fish.
These fish always put their camouflage on to sleep and when they are stressed. If he has his normal color while swimming with the cardinal he is ok.
Mine sleep in a corner on the sand at night. Just make sure he gets algae daily and he should be doing fine. If the tang is too aggressive, I would put the tang out for a few days, and putit back in when the rabbitfish is well acclimated.

 

[Idech]

Make sure you have Nori for him. Mine eats one LRS Nori sheet a day. It also eats mysis shrimps and all other frozen or flake food I feed the other fish.
These fish always put their camouflage on to sleep and when they are stressed. If he has his normal color while swimming with the cardinal he is ok.
Mine sleep in a corner on the sand at night. Just make sure he gets algae daily and he should be doing fine. If the tang is too aggressive, I would put the tang out for a few days, and putit back in when the rabbitfish is well acclimated.

Thanks, good to know healthy ones sleep on the sand too !

I have nori in the tank now. He’s hiding so not touching it. I’ve tried 2 different sizes of pellets, spirulina algae, mysis shrimps and Reef frenzy. My tank is becoming a nitrate bomb…

Tomorrow I’m going back to the store to get the exact pellets he was eating when I bought him.

As for catching the tang, it would be very, very hard as it is very skittish. I would have to take all the rock out, and I have a lot.

 

[Murphs_reef]

It might take a couple days for him to eat. They are very skittish fish. But yeah if you can get food that you can confirm he has been eating it might help

 

[Idech]

Blue eye kole tang is being really nasty so I have set-up a 10 gallons that’s running and ready for the foxface.

I haven’t caught him yet but I will try if/when he gets attacked again. I’ll keep him in there until he gains weight, grows a little and can defend itself.

 

[Idech]

Things seem to be getting better. I went to the store to buy Vitalis premium pellets and decided to buy the last fish I was going to get for the tank : a yellow coris wrasse.

I figured now would be a good time since it would help diffuse aggression (this tang is a jerk to any fish added).

Foxface is the nicest fish ever and both hung out together for a
while. The tang is being mean to it but it can’t even get close to it ; it’s too fast and agile !

The foxface ate the Vitalis pellets and a bit of frozen food. He ate three times and he is also picking at the rocks. I’m pretty happy and my fingers are crossed everything keeps going well.

 

[Idech]

The tang is pretty much leaving the foxface alone now. It’s still a jerk to the yellow wrasse, but it’s only been in the tank 24 hours. It should get better.

I spot feed the foxface at least 3 times a day. I want it to be strong and confident to face the bully. It’s eating well.

 

[Idech]

I’m happy to report that we have a nice family now with everyone being nice and behaving well !

The foxface and the wrasse are best buddies and spend most of their time together.

 

[CoralB]

My tank is 75 gallons and has a low bioload. I really like the one spot foxface and would love to have one. I’ve been reading a lot and watching videos and it’s pretty much 50/50 : some say no way or just temporarily, some say okay.

I set a tape measurer at 7 inches, placed it against the tank and imagined a fish that size in there. It feels tight for the imaginary fish.

So that leaves me with one option : rehoming if and when it becomes too big and uncomfortable in the tank.

My question : how hard is it to catch this fish ? Is it realistic to make this temporary rehoming plan without having to tear the tank apart to catch the fish?

Thanks !

Not difficult to catch just have to be careful not to get stabbed from poisonous fins

 

[CoralB]

No, I will never upgrade. I am getting old and weak.


1 x blue eye kole tang
1 x banggai cardinal
1 x pajama cardinal
1 x yellow watchman goby
1 x firefish
2 x oscellaris clownfish

And lots of different snails, hermit crabs, different shrimps, emerald crab.

My foxface buddied up with my kole and the kole became more aggressive with all the other fish in the tank .

 

[CoralB]

Blue eye kole tang is being really nasty so I have set-up a 10 gallons that’s running and ready for the foxface.

I haven’t caught him yet but I will try if/when he gets attacked again. I’ll keep him in there until he gains weight, grows a little and can defend itself.

I would have pulled the kole tang and reintroduced him after a few hours

 

[bradreef]

The mirror trick usually works well with tangs. I have a bristletooth that i put up a small mirror for every new fish. After 15 minutes they could care less about anything but the reflection. I take it away and it is good to go.

 

[Idech]

I would have pulled the kole tang and reintroduced him after a few hours

Everything is good now. The tang has done that to every new fish in the tank, and it always stopped after a while.

 

[sixline]

Nice to hear. I got a new one spot at about the same time as you did. He's about an inch long and acclimated really quickly. He doesn't seem shy at all, but I also don't have any tangs.

He sleeps in the same spot in the rock work each night. He thinks he's hiding, but I can see his nose sticking out every night.

 

[Idech]

Nice to hear. I got a new one spot at about the same time as you did. He's about an inch long and acclimated really quickly. He doesn't seem shy at all, but I also don't have any tangs.

He sleeps in the same spot in the rock work each night. He thinks he's hiding, but I can see his nose sticking out every night.

Mine sleeps in the top back corner. Floating in camouflage, lol !