Fox face doesnt want to leave from behind the rocks

[Luchis]

Hey, i just bought my first fox face magnificent and he doesnt want to leave from behind the rocks. He didnt want to move from there and he has been siting there for the past 3 days. He looks really stressed because he has a lot of brown on his body. Is this normal for fox faces?

 

[i cant think]

Hey, i just bought my first fox face magnificent and he doesnt want to leave from behind the rocks. He didnt want to move from there and he has been siting there for the past 3 days. He looks really stressed because he has a lot of brown on his body. Is this normal for fox faces?

Siganids are VERY skittish fish at first. It does take a while for them to settle down into their tank, is there anything that’s aggressive in the tank? Such as a tang?

 

[Luchis]

Siganids are VERY skittish fish at first. It does take a while for them to settle down into their tank, is there anything that’s aggressive in the tank? Such as a tang?

No i had only a pair of clowns in the tank when i added him and 2 more fish, a hippo tang and a sailfin tang. The fox fish i much bigger than the other too, he is the biggest fish in the tank right now.

 

[Luchis]

No i had only a pair of clowns in the tank when i added him and 2 more fish, a hippo tang and a sailfin tang. The fox fish i much bigger than the other too, he is the biggest fish in the tank right now.

Here are some pics of the fish in the tank

 

[i cant think]

No i had only a pair of clowns in the tank when i added him and 2 more fish, a hippo tang and a sailfin tang. The fox fish i much bigger than the other too, he is the biggest fish in the tank right now.

Mine is the biggest fish in the tank but is the most skittish. He may just need a few days to get used to the new tank. Has he eaten?

 

[FiddlersReef]

Mine was the same way. Arrived in very bad shape and literally laid on the sand looking dead for a couple days. Then hid in a cave for a few days. Then spent about a week, always would swim to one spot where he could see across the whole tank, and would just watch, unmoving, all day.

Took several weeks before he was comfortable enough to swim around and he's still one of the first to run when I walk into the room.

I think it helped a little that every time I walked past the tank, I dropped 2 or 3 pellets in. Almost nothing, but enough that I think he started to learn that "big dark evil shadow thing = food".

 

[boacvh]

Mine was the same. Took him a few weeks to get out and about. Usually when I walked away from the tank he was more comfortable. He is still today skittish with strangers. I'd say for now just make sure he is eating, it might take him a while to get used to you. Once he does, he'll be king of the tank.

 

[Luchis]

Mine was the same. Took him a few weeks to get out and about. Usually when I walked away from the tank he was more comfortable. He is still today skittish with strangers. I'd say for now just make sure he is eating, it might take him a while to get used to you. Once he does, he'll be king of the tank.

How can i feed him if he doesnt leave his cave, he only left once today and when i tried to feed him and dropped some pallets in the tank he got scared and hid in the caves

 

[Dave1993]

How can i feed him if he doesnt leave his cave, he only left once today and when i tried to feed him and dropped some pallets in the tank he got scared and hid in the caves

Try some other food than pellets not all fish will eat pellets as you have 2 tangs im gonna to assume u feed nori does has he not had a peck on the nori

 

[boacvh]

How can i feed him if he doesnt leave his cave, he only left once today and when i tried to feed him and dropped some pallets in the tank he got scared and hid in the caves

Nori on a rock with a rubber band. Leave it near and walk away from tank. Same with pellets or mysis. Drop them in and walk away. Observe from afar to see if he comes out.

 

[Heather Kastory]

I would put nori on clip as close as you can get. Slowly move it in.

 

[Heather Kastory]

I would put nori on clip as close as you can get. Slowly move it in.

Should have said feed other fish first so they dont come racing over.

 

[Waters]

Yeah totally normal. Until they feel comfortable in the tank, they will keep their stressed color patterns and hide a lot. Helps to have a bunch of smaller dither fish IME.

 

[FiddlersReef]

I would put nori on clip as close as you can get. Slowly move it in.

Second this. I did that too. Put some nori either on a clip way low on the glass near his cave, or on a rock where he barely has to leave his area to get some (a clip on a magnet is really helpful here, because you don't want to be reaching in near his hiding place all the time), then move it further away a little each week. And by a little I mean a couple inches. Have to remember from his point of view, he worried about being too exposed and killed, and that's a powerful motivator to stay hidden. It just takes time for it to feel safe and know that your shadow isn't a shark, and that nothing is hiding waiting for him somewhere.