Foxface with string in mouth

[dedvalson]

Hi,

I just looked at my reef and found my Foxface with something that looks like a string attached to it's mouth. The string like growth comes out both sides of the mouth (I will attach a picture). It is still trying to eat, but the growth is making it hard. Can someone tell me what this might be and advise a possible treatment (I doubt if I can catch him anyway).

To answer the standard questions:

1. How old is this aquarium? 3 years

2. If less than six months old, what is ammonia level? 0.0 (Lamotte)

3. What is SG of this aquarium? How measured? 1.024 (refractometer)

4. When was the last fish added to this aquarium? 7 months (this fish)

5. Was it quarantined? If so, how? And how long? Was it prophylactically treated? How? Yes, QT for 6 weeks, 7 months ago

6. If you are using a copper based medication, which one? How often do you measure level? When? No

7. If you are using hyposalinity, how did you calibrate your refractometer? N/A

8. Please describe in detail, the appearance of the fish? If there is one or more pimples, are they lumpy? What color? No pimples. Growth on mouth

9. Please describe the behavior of the fish as best you can. Is it acting reclusive? Is it always up towards the top of the aquarium? Is it avoiding light? How active is the fish? Behaving normally, trying to feed.

10. Is the fish eating? What? Yes, algae, grazing on rocks, bottom of tank.

 

[dedvalson]

Pictures

 

[Dmorty217]

Not really sure from the pic but have you tried netting him and pulling it out of his mouth? Seems like something that was introduced not in the tank but from outside the tank

 

[Sk8r]

THat certainly looks like a string. My only advice would be (I'm sorry to say) catch him---watch out for the poisonous first spine... lay him flat, as immobile as you can make him, with heavy gloves, get tweezers and see if you can very gently extract it, if you have to go fiber by fiber. It may be snagged in the delicate structures inside, which is sort of like having something threaded through your tonsils or rib cage. Go very, very gently. He'll last some little bit out of water, so take your time.

 

[dedvalson]

Thanks for the responses !

Whatever it was, he dealt with it on his own. It is gone today :rollface:

Don