Please help with my new foxface lo (foxface rabbitfish)

[1.023sgmike]

Hey guys hoping you can help me. I just got a brand new foxface rabbitfish about 2.5 inches and it’s been 5 days since I put him in my tank.. I haven’t personally seen him eat and he hides most of the time with camo and sometimes swims around nervously and slowly with full beautiful yellow color and no one messes with him .. I always put a 3 inch piece of seaweed twice a day that goes missing but idk if that’s the other fish. The two banner or bangai cardinals and emerald crab I put in at same time are doing amazing I also have two clowns a little 1 3/4 inch black lip butterfly 5 mollies a green stripe goby 2 nastaria snails a hermit crab and two chocolate chip sea stars in a 55 gallon with about 65lbs of pretty much Texas holy rock with a lot of caves and hiding places the dimensions are 4’ L 19”H 13” W and all them are so happy and healthy and I’m narotic with my water it’s prestine.. I offer so many varieties of food brine shrimp cobalt flakes tetramin flake cobalt pellets bloodworms Mysis with garlic guard occasionally... any advice or words of wisdom much appreciated pretty new to this saltwater and haven’t done freshwater in years..

 

[Blackice615]

Give it time. At times, it seems more stressful on us than the fish. Many FFRF are shy initially and with due time, come out of their shell

 

[1.023sgmike]

Give it time. At times, it seems more stressful on us than the fish. Many FFRF are shy initially and with due time, come out of their shell

I appreciate that! Any advice about me not seeing him eat. Or if the other fish are eating his seaweed or it’s him ?

 

[Blackice615]

Difficult to say. I would recommend continuing to try your best to see who's eating the seaweed.

Depending on your setup and although it may pollute your tank, continue your feeding patterns for the time being. Dont be shy to use garlic guard as it seems easier to buy another bottle than lose a fish.

 

[Blackice615]

Difficult to say. I would recommend continuing to try your best to see who's eating the seaweed.

Depending on your setup and although it may pollute your tank, continue your feeding patterns for the time being. Dont be shy to use garlic guard as it seems easier to buy another bottle than lose a fish.

 

[nereefpat]

Is the seaweed on a clip? If so, try rubberbanding it to a rock. That works better.

Did you see it eat at a store? That's a good policy in the future.

Keep in mind that species gets really big (8+"), and will outgrow your 55 fairly quickly. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/4629

 

[1.023sgmike]

Is the seaweed on a clip? If so, try rubberbanding it to a rock. That works better.

Did you see it eat at a store? That's a good policy in the future.

Keep in mind that species gets really big (8+"), and will outgrow your 55 fairly quickly. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/4629

Yes it’s on a clip and this was the first fish I asked to see eat in the store and at first I wasn’t going to get it but then very timidly started eating the Mysis shrimp presented in the tank with lots of other fish their including an angel

 

[1.023sgmike]

Any other comments or advice would be much appreciated!

 

[DarthSimon]

The good news is your Rabbit Fish is super hardy. He will come through. Keep trying the Nori a clip. He will eat soon.

 

[Geebs19]

So some good and bad news. I have had one for about 3-4 months now and he hides whenever I come by the tank, its in my office so if I sit behind my computer long enough he comes out, otherwise he goes straight into the rockwork, no idea if this will ever change.

Mine would not eat Nori until it saw my wrasse eat it, and now he pigs out on it. Im sure when you are not looking he is out and picking at the rocks, they eat a ton of algea off the rocks so I wouldnt be too concerned here. Mine now loves PE Mysis but was not into it right off the bat.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I’d try offering him LRS Reef Frenzy, and LRS Herbivore Frenzy. I would also try cutting up nori into little squares and adding it to all the other frozen foods you feed in a cup of tank water while the food thaws. My scribbled rabbit won’t eat nori from a clip but loves eating cut up squares mixed with frozen food.

I personally don’t feed any flake foods to marine fish (I think most are nutritionally inadequate), I also don’t use pellets, though I know there are great pellets out there. I’ve always found that marine fish (especially the onmnivores like rabbit fish, surgeons and tangs) need a wide variety of frozen foods to really prosper and thrive.
The LRS (Larry’s Reef Service) food are some of the best for getting picky fish to eat and keeping them fat and happy. I feed them daily to my fish.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Welcome to Reef2Reef by the way!

 

[lagatbezan]

Welcome to R2R
They always tend to be really skiddish and spooked easily. often takes a few days for them to start feeling comfortable and be less nervous and shy. try keeping the lights dim and give him time to settle in. They also tend to feel more comfortable being in larger tanks and more active fish being housed with them.
feed the tank and then move out of sight and observe from a distance and see if it eats.
I'm sure you know their spines are venomous so watch your hands and try not to use nets to catch them since they will easily get tangled.

 

[Scott Campbell]

My Foxface is a beast of a fish - by far the largest and most capable of defending himself fish in my tank. And yet also the most timid and easily frightened fish I have ever owned. They can be very nervous and strangely behaved characters. Mine was about 2" when I got him. He is about 9" now and still acts as if his life is in grave danger whenever I enter the room. <lol>

 

[1.023sgmike]

Thank you everybody so much. Honestly helped with my stress, I hope everything works out. I will keep you updated.

 

[1.023sgmike]

Very excited to say my foxface came around and is eating very well and rips the seaweed off the clip like a beast. He was going to town on the Mysis and brine shrimp this morning and idk who suggested but I cut up the seaweed into squares and he liked that too! Thank you again guys !

 

[DarthSimon]

Very excited to say my foxface came around and is eating very well and rips the seaweed off the clip like a beast. He was going to town on the Mysis and brine shrimp this morning and idk who suggested but I cut up the seaweed into squares and he liked that too! Thank you again guys !

Awesome news!!

 

[Blackice615]

Glad to hear. Personally I would feed him until he cant eat anymore to make up for lost ground Feast time!

 

[1.023sgmike]

Glad to hear. Personally I would feed him until he cant eat anymore to make up for lost ground Feast time!

Yep been very heavy handed with the seaweed portions for him lol

 

[DarthSimon]

I knew your guy would be ok. I have had FoxFace's battle through wars in my tanks over the years. They survive disease outbreaks, aggression, power outages ect. They are super indestructible. If he's eating nori, you are in the clear. Let us know how he's doing down the line.