Cannot keep a foxface

[reeftankdan]

About a year ago, I added a foxface to my 2.5 year old tank. I didn’t realize how aggressive my Humbug Damsel was until this moment. I ended up removing the damsel but the foxface died in less than a week. Since then I’ve been much better about acclimating new additions slowly and haven’t had any issues with new fish since then. Fast forward to this last weekend, I decided I would try again with a new fox and also added a small yellow wrasse. This time I spent nearly two hours acclimating him, rearranged all the rocks and did a 25% water change the following day, bought algae pellets and brand new frozen mysis shrimp. The first day he seemed happy and swam all over the tank. Nobody chasing or nipping at him, seemed great. Day two he seemed to be obsessed with his reflection swimming up and down repeatedly for hours. Then day 3 he looked like zombie. Swimming in one place, not responding to flakes, algae pellets or mysis. I don’t have a quarantine tank but was starting to get one set up, but by day 4 he was gone. The wrasse is happy and swimming / eating. I don’t understand why all my other fish are fine, coral fine, but every time I put a fox in the tank they just die. Are they hyper sensitive to something that others aren’t? Was my food offering not enough? Was he stressed by his reflection?

Red sea refer 350 / 75 gallon display

In my tank:
- 2 clowns
- royal gramma
- blue/yellow damsel
- goby
- yellow wrasse
- several anenomes
- 3 peppermint shrimp
- hermits and snails

 

[coralboi56]

How long was the Fox at the store

 

[reeftankdan]

A couple days tops. Their shipments come in on Thursdays and I bought on Saturday

 

[Idech]

A couple days tops. Their shipments come in on Thursdays and I bought on Saturday

A good tip is to buy fish that have been at the store many weeks. If they are still alive and well after that time, changes are they are not ill and will adapt to another transfer into your tank.

This fish was probably already sick or weak when you got him.

 

[vetteguy53081]

About a year ago, I added a foxface to my 2.5 year old tank. I didn’t realize how aggressive my Humbug Damsel was until this moment. I ended up removing the damsel but the foxface died in less than a week. Since then I’ve been much better about acclimating new additions slowly and haven’t had any issues with new fish since then. Fast forward to this last weekend, I decided I would try again with a new fox and also added a small yellow wrasse. This time I spent nearly two hours acclimating him, rearranged all the rocks and did a 25% water change the following day, bought algae pellets and brand new frozen mysis shrimp. The first day he seemed happy and swam all over the tank. Nobody chasing or nipping at him, seemed great. Day two he seemed to be obsessed with his reflection swimming up and down repeatedly for hours. Then day 3 he looked like zombie. Swimming in one place, not responding to flakes, algae pellets or mysis. I don’t have a quarantine tank but was starting to get one set up, but by day 4 he was gone. The wrasse is happy and swimming / eating. I don’t understand why all my other fish are fine, coral fine, but every time I put a fox in the tank they just die. Are they hyper sensitive to something that others aren’t? Was my food offering not enough? Was he stressed by his reflection?

Red sea refer 350 / 75 gallon display

In my tank:
- 2 clowns
- royal gramma
- blue/yellow damsel
- goby
- yellow wrasse
- several anenomes
- 3 peppermint shrimp
- hermits and snails

The question is how the LFS tanks look and what means they acclimate their fish.
How did you acclimate and for how long?
Did you consider quarantining or I should say - Consider in the future
When purchasing fish, assure its been there at least two weeks, eating in your presence, breathing normal, no skin imperfections, interacts well with other fish in the store display and not easy to catch ( a sign of lethargy)

 

[reeftankdan]

I guess I’ve always just trusted this LFS. All my other fish are from there and usually don’t have problems. Just this species twice for me in a year or so is an expensive head scratcher.

I’ll certainly take more time observing in the store for a while next time. But the fish did seem happy and healthy once in the main tank on the first day. He looked terrible during acclimation the whole time, and truthfully, after nearly two hours I thought it was better to get him into a better oxygenated tank and out of my acclimation bowl.

 

[coralboi56]

I guess I’ve always just trusted this LFS. All my other fish are from there and usually don’t have problems. Just this species twice for me in a year or so is an expensive head scratcher.

I’ll certainly take more time observing in the store for a while next time. But the fish did seem happy and healthy once in the main tank on the first day. He looked terrible during acclimation the whole time, and truthfully, after nearly two hours I thought it was better to get him into a better oxygenated tank and out of my acclimation bowl.

It’s not that the LFS isn’t trustworthy, it’s just the luck of the fish. The majority of fox faces are still wild caught and there’s literally about 4-5 tank transfers in between the wild and the LFS. It’s a lot of stress for a tiny creature.

 

[Jekyl]

It’s not that the LFS isn’t trustworthy, it’s just the luck of the fish. The majority of fox faces are still wild caught and there’s literally about 4-5 tank transfers in between the wild and the LFS. It’s a lot of stress for a tiny creature.

Add in cyanide being used to catch them.

 

[Kfactor]

i had a really hard time with them to and my last onw was doing good then i treated with flat worm exit and killed him. my new one has been doing good for around 6 months now and got him around 2 1/2" now hes close to 5" now. i find with fox face the scared of everthing . i try and make them feel as comfortable as possible and feed seaweed and alot of frozen foods .