One spot started acting strange and has coloration issues (not camo)

[witchywoman725]

My one spot foxface started swimming oddly around the surface and has strange coloration and splotching (see photo). It’s definitely not his sleeping or stressed camo. Can anyone help me out with what this is so I can start treating? I’ve already got him in a hospital tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

My one spot foxface started swimming oddly around the surface and has strange coloration and splotching (see photo). It’s definitely not his sleeping or stressed camo. Can anyone help me out with what this is so I can start treating? I’ve already got him in a hospital tank

The question I have is- What other fish are in the tank with it? This fish is battered both at tail and fins as well as body. It needs to be isolated for proper healing.
If youre not sure who the culprit is, one thing you can do is to set your cell phone on video mode for about 60 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a jerk at feeding time.
Review the video and see who it may be

 

[witchywoman725]

The question I have is- What other fish are in the tank with it? This fish is battered both at tail and fins as well as body. It needs to be isolated for proper healing.
If youre not sure who the culprit is, one thing you can do is to set your cell phone on video mode for about 60 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a jerk at feeding time.
Review the video and see who it may be

He was in a FOWLR tank - has been for months without issues before today. Tank mates include large dogface puffer, small coral beauty, small flame hawk, 2 small clowns, 2 small cardinals (210g tank). Everyone is smaller than the foxface except the puffer (who gets hand fed).

 

[vetteguy53081]

He was in a FOWLR tank - has been for months without issues before today. Tank mates include large dogface puffer, small coral beauty, small flame hawk, 2 small clowns, 2 small cardinals (210g tank). Everyone is smaller than the foxface except the puffer (who gets hand fed).

Puffer or hawk are my suspects

 

[witchywoman725]

Puffer or hawk are my suspects

My husband just told me he saw the hawk bullying the one spot… sorry for the panic… my immediate thought was a flashback to an ich outbreak and I went into overdrive….

 

[witchywoman725]

Puffer or hawk are my suspects

I’ll keep him in the hospital tank alone for awhile and let him heal… would u recommend anything else?

 

[KrisReef]

Yup, @vetteguy53081 has this situation sized up and moving to get it under control.

Those fish "dogface puffer, small coral beauty, small flame hawk, 2 small clowns, 2 small cardinals" might have all been taking turns trying to take out the big guy.

I'd rehome him if you don't want to keep two tanks? Otherwise, trying to get the agressors to stop will be a challenge and it may work, or not? Sad Because Foxface are cool fish and eat a lot of algae. I'd take him if you were in SoCal, I have a tank with Ulva growth that I just added a tiny PetCo rescue tang to and a Foxface and Naso would solve the Ulva issue.

Otherwise, you need to figure out which fish(es) are working on the foxface and remove them if you want to keep Foxy!

It doesn't look like it needs medication, just a safe place to live to recover, imo. I don't medicate so my opinion reflects this, just fyi as you move forward. Good Luck2

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ll keep him in the hospital tank alone for awhile and let him heal… would u recommend anything else?

Hospital tank great move. Maintain good water quality and even add air stone for added Oxygen. In the event this would become a bacterial infection and thats IF. . .. Have on hand either Seachem Kanaplex or Maracyn 2

 

[KrisReef]

Ok, reread, 210 gallons, can you post a picture of the tank. I am thinking that there should be enough places for all those fish to be happy IFF they have their own hiding place to defend. Problem with Foxface is that they like to cruise around which would bring it into the other fishes territories. I'm going back to work, just trying to help move forward with peace

 

[witchywoman725]

Ok, reread, 210 gallons, can you post a picture of the tank. I am thinking that there should be enough places for all those fish to be happy IFF they have their own hiding place to defend. Problem with Foxface is that they like to cruise around which would bring it into the other fishes territories. I'm going back to work, just trying to help move forward with peace

we have a 75 gallon and a hospital tank that’s 25 gallon… So we will figure it out… We are also planning on doing another 210 that’s a reef tank only so he can go in there potentially… thank you again! Scared the crap out of me… Flashbacks to ich breakouts lol

 

[MnFish1]

Agree with everyone else - in addition the coloration is not that uncommon to stressed Foxfaces. (i.e. in a hospital tank small)

 

[vetteguy53081]

My husband just told me he saw the hawk bullying the one spot… sorry for the panic… my immediate thought was a flashback to an ich outbreak and I went into overdrive….

That hawk has NO idea how close it got to its spines on the dorsal which is venomous to the fish