Hi, :rollface:
Bare with me, this is a bit of a long read!
I've got a 100 gallon six foot long mixed reef, and I've had the fox face in there for about 3 months. Within that time, he has about doubled in size, and is currently about 4.5 inches long.
The fox face usually would be all yellow, and sometimes would have small periods of half-black half-yellow phases, which would sometimes last up to an hour, sometimes only a couple minutes. He now permanently is half-black, with the black sometimes looking very dark, and sometimes lighter, but he never goes back to full yellow.
Up until 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the fox face has been "flashing" his spines a lot more often, and recently has been constantly been doing it. All the time now. By flashing, I mean his spikes lay flat, then he raises them half-way, then lays them flat again, then raises them half-way, etc. sort of like "twitching" or "throbbing".
He has also, up until a week ago, started to swim around less. Before, he would constantly be pacing the tank, swimming, picking on algae, etc, now he seems to be less interested in swimming around, and will sort of do a couple laps, and then hang around in one area for a few mins, then maybe do a lap, etc. Seems almost "lazy".
Sometimes he hides completely when I approach the tank and add in food, whereas before he would always rush to the top to be the first one to get the biggest piece of nori.
He's still eating fine, although not as excited about food anymore, he still seems to be eating a healthy amount.
Since adding him to the tank, I have also added an ornate leopard wrasse, red head solaris wrasse (female), and a blue tang (1.5 inches big).
As far as I can see, nobody is harassing him.
All the parameters in the water seem within normal ranges, with the exception of alk which is hovering slightly low at around 7. Ph is around 8.0. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, are undetectable.
I'm stumped.
Possible explanations in my head:
a) Is the tank too small for him? I doubt it.
b) Is there not enough algae for him to graze on?
c) diet? So far I've been feeding a mix of NLS thera-a pellets, Nori, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, cyclop-eeze, Cobalt herbivoire flakes, and pro salt marine supreme plus. He gets nori every day.
d) Is it possible that he may have picked on a zoa and gotten zoa/palytoxin poisoning?
e) Although I have never seen a fish pick on him, is that a possibility? I doubt it though...
f) His body has no marks, bumps, bruises, his poop is normal, and he went through a 8 week QT with 2 rounds of prazi and prophylactic tank transfer method, so I'm going to rule out any parasite...
g) He just simply... doesn't seem "happy" maybe some music might help?
Any ideas? :headwallblue:
Bare with me, this is a bit of a long read!
I've got a 100 gallon six foot long mixed reef, and I've had the fox face in there for about 3 months. Within that time, he has about doubled in size, and is currently about 4.5 inches long.
The fox face usually would be all yellow, and sometimes would have small periods of half-black half-yellow phases, which would sometimes last up to an hour, sometimes only a couple minutes. He now permanently is half-black, with the black sometimes looking very dark, and sometimes lighter, but he never goes back to full yellow.
Up until 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the fox face has been "flashing" his spines a lot more often, and recently has been constantly been doing it. All the time now. By flashing, I mean his spikes lay flat, then he raises them half-way, then lays them flat again, then raises them half-way, etc. sort of like "twitching" or "throbbing".
He has also, up until a week ago, started to swim around less. Before, he would constantly be pacing the tank, swimming, picking on algae, etc, now he seems to be less interested in swimming around, and will sort of do a couple laps, and then hang around in one area for a few mins, then maybe do a lap, etc. Seems almost "lazy".
Sometimes he hides completely when I approach the tank and add in food, whereas before he would always rush to the top to be the first one to get the biggest piece of nori.
He's still eating fine, although not as excited about food anymore, he still seems to be eating a healthy amount.
Since adding him to the tank, I have also added an ornate leopard wrasse, red head solaris wrasse (female), and a blue tang (1.5 inches big).
As far as I can see, nobody is harassing him.
All the parameters in the water seem within normal ranges, with the exception of alk which is hovering slightly low at around 7. Ph is around 8.0. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, are undetectable.
I'm stumped.
Possible explanations in my head:
a) Is the tank too small for him? I doubt it.
b) Is there not enough algae for him to graze on?
c) diet? So far I've been feeding a mix of NLS thera-a pellets, Nori, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, cyclop-eeze, Cobalt herbivoire flakes, and pro salt marine supreme plus. He gets nori every day.
d) Is it possible that he may have picked on a zoa and gotten zoa/palytoxin poisoning?
e) Although I have never seen a fish pick on him, is that a possibility? I doubt it though...
f) His body has no marks, bumps, bruises, his poop is normal, and he went through a 8 week QT with 2 rounds of prazi and prophylactic tank transfer method, so I'm going to rule out any parasite...
g) He just simply... doesn't seem "happy" maybe some music might help?
Any ideas? :headwallblue:
