Useless Foxface!

[RyanH]

I have a foxface that won't touch algae. What's up with that? Supposed to love algae aren't they?

 

[dc]

I imagine it depends on what kind it is. Mine eats bryopsis and cyano. Not sure about hair algae.

 

[RyanH]

I don't know the sp. name, but it is the standard run of the mill foxface. It doesn't even pick at the live rock at all. Loves it when I feed the tank, but doesn't pick at the rock at all.

 

[Randle]

Try a Lawnmower Blenny. Though I suggest getting a juvenile, mine is a bit more mature and doesn't seem to go for the hair algae so much anymore.

 

[dc]

Astrea snails seem to be good for algae. I like the Tiger Trochus the best.

 

[ObscurityKnocks]

If your talking about hair algae is it long or short? I have both a magnificent foxface and a kole tang. Both are almost constantly eating algae but if the hair algae is too long they will ignore it. They seem to only like the fresh algae growth not the stuff that has been growing for a while and it over a couple inches in length.

 

[SDguy]

Re: Useless Foxface!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698907#post6698907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanH
I have a foxface that won't touch algae. What's up with that? Supposed to love algae aren't they?

At least it's an attractive useless fish

 

[b3any]

My magnificent Foxface eats everything

 

[ruiny]

I bought a foxface to eat alge and find it as useless as you do.
I also have a lawnmower blenny and he does very little to help.
Control alge with filters and cleanup crews, fish ( for me anyway) just don't cut it.

Good luck

 

[1package]

I have a rabbitfish (scibbled?) that munches the algae. I had a hitch hiker macro show up on some SPS. He is in a tank with a purple and hippo tang. There is not a spot of hair algae, thanks to the tangs and the rabbitfish takes care of the others.

I also have a Tomini tang in a smaller tank that is starting to grow some hair algae. He used to keep it at bay. I think due to the addition of the Anthias and their feedings, this reduced my tangs grazing habits.

If the algae is the only food source, it may change it's ways.

FOXFACE will eat the red cyano? Got a friend with a 125g in need of some help in that area.

 

[jasonkola]

I am not sure how often you feed your fish and how much. but if you cut back slowly he might get a little hungry and start grazing. if you are keeping him full he wont go after the algae.

 

[nick18tjetta]

I got rid of my hair algae by feeding my tank less. I cut back to only twice a week and everybody is doing great, even my sohal tang. Also, my corals look better and my tank just looks cleaner. I found that my fish now tend to spend more time picking through the live rock looking for critters to eat.

 

[jasonkola]

as long as your fish graze they only need to be fed once or twice a week. I have even been known to go 2 weeks without feeding. and my fish are fine. been healthy for several years feeding like that it also helps reduce the bio load on the system and dosn't really have that much to remove. don't cut back too fast though or they may react negetivly.

 

[swegyptian]

I am in a hair algae battle myself. I am cutting back my feedings too. I used to feed frozen everyday, and pellets several times a day. Now it's more like pellets everyday, and frozen every two or three days. I also just switched to RO/DI for changes and top-off, so we'll see how it goes.

If it doesn't get any better I swear I'm going freshwater...

 

[jasonkola]

I also am thinking of getting a good RO/DI system too. I think that helps too. I used to read in several books how most people feed fish too much and too often but I ignored them and I now know it is true. when I get a new fish I will feed more often so I can make sure it has settled in and is healthy. then cut back. it is not good on a tank to add too much food suff to it it just feeds the algae. swegyptian if useing RO/DI helps let us know how it works for you. I think I might just give it a try myself.

 

[Thurge]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700905#post6700905 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ObscurityKnocks
If your talking about hair algae is it long or short? I have both a magnificent foxface and a kole tang. Both are almost constantly eating algae but if the hair algae is too long they will ignore it. They seem to only like the fresh algae growth not the stuff that has been growing for a while and it over a couple inches in length.

I forgot about that. When I got my first foxface I had hair algae every where and initially he didn't seem to do a thing. But after a couple weeks I pulled clear an area he went to town, and the algae never came back.

 

[JENnKerry]

Ryan, how long have you had it?