Trapping Fox Face

[Enigma]

I'm entertaining the idea of getting a very small one spot fox face to help with my algae issues. I certainly couldn't have it in my system for very long. I'm not sure how quickly they grow, but at a max size of 7" inches that is just waaaaaay too much fish for my already pretty heavily stocked system (which will be officially overstocked when everything reaches adult size).

Are they easy to trap? Would nori clipped into a fish trap be sufficient to entice one if algae is very limited? I am completely against tearing my display apart to get one out.

[Aysha]

Your tank is a new start up correct?
One thing I learned with new tanks is that new startups (under 6 months old) usually get a really nasty algae outbreak a few months in and as quickly as it appeares it's gone. With a tank your size a handful of large turbo snails should do the trick. No use buying a fish you KNOW will be unhappy in your tank if there are other alternatives.

[lockrookie]

Your tank is a new start up correct?
One thing I learned with new tanks is that new startups (under 6 months old) usually get a really nasty algae outbreak a few months in and as quickly as it appeares it's gone. With a tank your size a handful of large turbo snails should do the trick. No use buying a fish you KNOW will be unhappy in your tank if there are other alternatives.

+1 and also try 3% peroxide dosing it helped me in my 50g

[Enigma]

This is a new display, with new rocks and a new sandbed. I'm not worried about the "new tank" algaes . . . Those will pass.

I'm worried about two highly invasive algaes from hell that I've got in here, which are not "new tank algaes."

I have four Mexican Turbos, 16 Spiny Astrea, and one Tuxedo urchin. I'm spot injecting 10mls of 3% H202 into algae patches 1-2 times a day. I'm was upping my mag with Tech M (which my snails really don't like . . . I suspect it will kill them), i'm bringing up my alk to 12dkh (a new suggestion someone made to me), and I'm picking out the stuff I can. The snails do not eat the two "devil algaes" though the urchin does.

I'm not worried about fish being "happy." I'm pretty sure it is an emotion they don't experience. I see no reason why a small Fox Face could not thrive in this system as a juvi, however. If it could be easily trapped (I still don't have an answer to this) I would happily pass it on to another local reefer (along with two or three Mexican Turbos) when I was done with it.

[naesco]

This is a new display, with new rocks and a new sandbed. I'm not worried about the "new tank" algaes . . . Those will pass.

I'm worried about two highly invasive algaes from hell that I've got in here, which are not "new tank algaes."

I have four Mexican Turbos, 16 Spiny Astrea, and one Tuxedo urchin. I'm spot injecting 10mls of 3% H202 into algae patches 1-2 times a day. I'm was upping my mag with Tech M (which my snails really don't like . . . I suspect it will kill them), i'm bringing up my alk to 12dkh (a new suggestion someone made to me), and I'm picking out the stuff I can. The snails do not eat the two "devil algaes" though the urchin does.

I'm not worried about fish being "happy." I'm pretty sure it is an emotion they don't experience. I see no reason why a small Fox Face could not thrive in this system as a juvi, however. If it could be easily trapped (I still don't have an answer to this) I would happily pass it on to another local reefer (along with two or three Mexican Turbos) when I was done with it.o

If you don't care whether the fish in your tank are happy why are you in this hobby?

And, why do you demand other fish keepers answer your questions?

Anyway the answer no you can't

What are the two invasive algae? Why don't you remove them by hand or remove the rock that they grow on? You stated this is a new beginner tank.

[emerald crab]

What kind are the "evil algae"?

[Enigma]

o

If you don't care whether the fish in your tank are happy why are you in this hobby?

And, why do you demand other fish keepers answer your questions?

Anyway the answer no you can't

What are the two invasive algae? Why don't you remove them by hand or remove the rock that they grow on? You stated this is a new beginner tank.

I find anthropomorphism highly amusing.

[Enigma]

What kind are the "evil algae"?

Pm sent. :)

[naesco]

I find anthropomorphism highly amusing.


Oh, ok, I'll play.

What is the clasiification of the algaeis marineus that is taking over your tankus?
Don't tell me it is the feared coitus interruptus algae!!!

[emerald crab]

PM reply sent.

[Enigma]

Oh, ok, I'll play.

What is the clasiification of the algaeis marineus that is taking over your tankus?
Don't tell me it is the feared coitus interruptus algae!!!

In the event I am looking for further information and tips regarding the algae at play, I will post in the reef section. I have no interest in turning this thread (which is posted in the "Marine Fish" forum) into an algae thread, and I would like to keep it focused. I've already posted too much irrelevant info, IMO, with regards to algae and the treatment methods I am employing.

[reefwars]

Pm sent. :)


shelly, fox faces are generally easy to catch but are a bit hard to rehome unless its free they grow very fast within a year . if its macro algae your having troube getting rid of you may have to go species specific depending on the type of algae. pm me if you like and ill see if i can help you out. cheers:)

[Enigma]

shelly, fox faces are generally easy to catch but are a bit hard to rehome unless its free they grow very fast within a year . if its macro algae your having troube getting rid of you may have to go species specific depending on the type of algae. pm me if you like and ill see if i can help you out. cheers:)

Thanks, Denny. It would absolutely be rehomed for free (unless we moved and upgraded the system before it grew too big). I don't sell any animals or plants: unless I have specifically bred/cultivated them for the purpose of sale.

[reefwars]

Thanks, Denny. It would absolutely be rehomed for free (unless we moved and upgraded the system before it grew too big). I don't sell any animals or plants: unless I have specifically bred/cultivated them for the purpose of sale.



i had done the same a while ago and had to rehome my foxface, i had trouble selling him but was able to find a free home in a 220g in minutes you could do the same too:) plus you can get some tiny foxfaces they would be fine for a while in your tank ive seen them as small as an inch:) cheers

[kole]

I trapped mine with a bottle trap. Had him out in about 30 minutes. I re-homed mine because it was picking at the LPS too much. So yes it can be trapped.

[Enigma]

Thanks for the feedback, via this thread and pm.

I picked up another tuxedo urchin and a cleaner shrimp today. They had exactly what i'm considering: an itty bitty one spot fox face.

The timing was terrible: as we're in the middle of packing the trailer to head out for a week. Hopefully it is still there when we get back from our trip. I could have just put it on hold, but having a week to mull things over will probably be a good thing. I'll see if I can get the QT set up before we roll out tomorrow, just in case.

Given the growth rate I can expect, having to remove it (if i purchase that one) before the next system upgrade might not even be nessecary.

[daniella3d]

It's hard to catch a foxface. I cought mine with a small hook and that was not easy either. I had been trying to catch it for weeks.

But when you will remove the foxface the algae are going to be back...so there is no point putting a foxface to resolve a problem and leave it there temporary..it is a waste of time and money. I know because I tried it and the algae returned not long after the foxface was gone.

I resolved to nopox dosing and that cleare the problem better than a foxface..although I am still stuck with one very nasty algae, the pink hairy stuff. Fortunatly the large mexican turbo eat that...unfortunatly I cannot find any :(

[Enigma]

Thanks, Daniella.

If I find a small enough one, I may not need to remove it. My next upgrade is coming on my 40th birthday in February (happy birthday to me :D). In the event it does get too big too fast, I'll replace it with another small one. I've got some ideas as to how make trapping easier: in the event I need to do it.

We have a crazy abundance of Mexican Turbos out here. If you purchase any corals from this neck of the woods, maybe a couple could be tossed in the shipment for you.

[daniella3d]

don't forget that the dorsal fin is poison on these fish, so be carefull how you handle it!

Thanks, Daniella.

If I find a small enough one, I may not need to remove it. My next upgrade is coming on my 40th birthday in February (happy birthday to me :D). In the event it does get too big too fast, I'll replace it with another small one. I've got some ideas as to how make trapping easier: in the event I need to do it.

We have a crazy abundance of Mexican Turbos out here. If you purchase any corals from this neck of the woods, maybe a couple could be tossed in the shipment for you.

[Enigma]

So, I got my itty bitty one spot fox face today. :) He's the same one I saw back on the 11th. He's safely in the QT, and he's all "camoed" with his spines stickin' out. I'm hoping that he chills out a bit . . . soon. He is not happy. He had been at the store for three weeks, so I'm hoping that bodes well for his health. He looks good.

The first thing he did was nip a Kenya tree frag (I'll move the frags out when I start ParaGuard). He has a veggie clip with nori . . . I'd think that would be more palatable.

Good thing I'm going to enter the nano contest . . . I may have to move all of my corals into it. As long as he eats bryopsis, I'll tolerate just about anything from him!

[reefwars]

So, I got my itty bitty one spot fox face today. :) He's the same one I saw back on the 11th. He's safely in the QT, and he's all "camoed" with his spines stickin' out. I'm hoping that he chills out a bit . . . soon. He is not happy. He had been at the store for three weeks, so I'm hoping that bodes well for his health. He looks good.

The first thing he did was nip a Kenya tree frag (I'll move the frags out when I start ParaGuard). He has a veggie clip with nori . . . I'd think that would be more palatable.

Good thing I'm going to enter the nano contest . . . I may have to move all of my corals into it. As long as he eats bryopsis, I'll tolerate just about anything from him!


lots of nori will keep him away from corals;)


his camo will def die down once hes settled, they can be a bit skitish so nothing to worry about:)

[Enigma]

I just snuck into the bathroom on him . . . He's camo free, but not bright yellow yet.

I'm going to have to watch him . . . He's in the same tank as the duncan and was checking it out a little too closely.

[Skimmerking]

Shelley how i catch mine all the time is after lights out the foxface would hang up by the top. I would use ared light fish cant see the red light at night. then slowly get the net into the tank wait about 30 sec move into the area and bang. you have him in the net.

[gregzz4]

Give your new Fox time to get used to you - ours calmed down pretty quick
Smudge was in a 20g observation for just over 2 weeks
I spent as much time as possible around the tank and hand fed nori. He got used to me fairly quickly but still freaks out in the DT sometimes
He gets pellets for breakfast, mysis for dinner, and nori every 2 to 3 days
He's never bothered any of my corals and we have softies, LPS and SPS

As far as netting goes, it is as easy as already stated, but I actually caught mine daytime with 2 nets

[emerald crab]

Mine have been with me for 4-5 years. He never touched any corals. (I have only SPS )

[Enigma]

Thanks, guys :)

This guy was really easy to catch at the LFS. He dove into a bottom corner of the tank, went camo, stuck out his spines, and didn't move. There was no chasing him around the tank. It leaves me optimistic that he'll be easy to catch. But, with the growth rates I've been given, I suspect I'll just have to catch him when I break this system down and move to a bigger one. I have no problem catching fish in 3/4 drained and otherwise empty tanks. ;)

He's doing well today. I gave him flake food last night, and he ate some of it. I've never had a fish eat so quickly after acclimation, and I've never had a fish eat flake before I'd had it for a week or two. Apparently he'll eat brine and mysis, though I haven't tried that yet.

This little dude eats cyano, which has completely amazed me. I don't have him in my fish QT, I have him in my coral QT. It was cycled and ready to go. He's picked most of the cyano off of one of the corals that is in there. I expect to find it all cleaned up when I get home.

This is going to be a rough five week QT for me . . . I want this little guy in my display so bad! I don't know if I'll make it. I want to do four weeks of Paraguard followed by at least a week of PraziPro (every fish I've purchased from the LFS I purchased this guy from has had intestinal worms). I did get impatient to get started and dosed Paraguard in the tank last night without moving the corals. The corals were still alive this morning, so that's good.