Macro that fish won't eat?

[hfa3501]

Does anyone know if there is a macro out there nice enough for a display that my foxface won't eat? I don't have room in my sump for a fuge, or any room under my stand for a separate fuge set-up

 

[Michael Hoaster]

Calcerous plants are your best bet, like halimeda, fan, shaving brush. Also grasilaria hayi is somewhat calcified, if you want a red option.

 

[hfa3501]

Thanks, I will try some of those. He has made short order of my dragons breath, red grape caulerpa, galaxaura, and my ruebens pink algaes. I thought as long as I kept nori in the tank for him and fed him well he might leave them alone, but no such luck

 

[Michael Hoaster]

I had a similar experience with an Atlantic Blue Tang. They like the fresh stuff over the nori. Herbivorous fish have to eat a lot because they don't get a lot of nutrition from plants. You may want to consider growing a fast-growing caulerpa for your fox face to chow down on, either in the display or a separate tank. Good luck, and let us know how it works out!

 

[hfa3501]

I will give that a shot. Probably less expensive than the "groceries" I've already tried. My fear is that he will mow it down before it can grow since I don't have a separate tank to grow it in other than my display. LOL

 

[Michael Hoaster]

That will be a challenge. You would need to get enough for it to get established and growing, before he eats it all. In my experience, that's a losing battle. Do you have a sump? Throw a cheap flood light over it and grow it in there.

 

[hfa3501]

Yeah, I have a sump, but it's pretty full with the filter sock, skimmer and power head. It's a 15g sump for a 60g tank

 

[hfa3501]

I could probably take the power head out of the sump to make room

 

[hfa3501]

on the "up" side, my base rock, live rock and tank walls a squeaky clean! No nuisance alge on them

 

[hfa3501]

Update - a fox face WILL eat red-razor algae. Clearly not his favorite, but he will eat it completely. LOL