Foxface eating corals

[hillegom]

I have not heard of this before. My foxface of 2 weeks, is eating my green star polyps. They seldom come out anymore. Just the purple leathery base is there and he nibbles only on the "bumps" So in the morning, the GSP start to open and some have tenacles missing, others are totaly gone.
Not only that but he also ate my white sponge from the back wall, up high under an overhang where there wasn't much light.
I thought that he would be happy with 2 types of macro algae that I have in the 50 gal tank. It isn't all gone yet. Everyone also gets flakes one day, pellets another and frozen a diff day.
Anyone else ever heard of a foxface that likes sponges and coral?
If this keeps up he might have to go,lol

[Madreefer]

My foxface would take the odd bite out of my colt coral but nothing else. If you do get rid of him, make sure he polishes off your GSP first.

[hillegom]

"If you do get rid of him, make sure he polishes off your GSP first."



I knew someone would say that. lol
I have a rock that is "balancing" on another. So the GSP has to grow down into the "Dark" to spread. Well, I guess it can't do that because it never has. However, it grows upon itself and is sending a 3 inch ledge out, trying to span the gap. When I get proper lights, then the GSP will be taking up good real estate and have to go.

[Canuckgod420]

My foxface was fine for a year then he decided to clean a large rock of some sweet orange zoos....there must have been 300-400 on there and he cleaned it all up in less than 2 weeks.
It sucked but what a great fish and he keeps my tank clean of algae so I guess I cant complain.

[Skimmerking]

My foxface was great too. i found that my tank was infested with bubble algae got him from a friend cleaned it right out , and my bubble coral. loves all my clams, zoo's so i had to sell him.. love d the fish thou would let me pet him and rub him down too and ate out of my hand and would swim into my hands to eat.. very tame....
and if i get stung i would die.. no that is retarded for loving fish.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by hillegom

"If you do get rid of him, make sure he polishes off your GSP first."



I knew someone would say that. lol
I have a rock that is "balancing" on another. So the GSP has to grow down into the "Dark" to spread. Well, I guess it can't do that because it never has. However, it grows upon itself and is sending a 3 inch ledge out, trying to span the gap. When I get proper lights, then the GSP will be taking up good real estate and have to go.

My GSP grows right under rocks in the dark just as fast as the stuff ontop of rocks. I wish my rabbitfish would eat it because right now I am removing it manually once a month or so.

I have never heard of them eating GSP but I have heard of them nipping clams.

[Trigger Man]

I had to get rid of my foxface because was eating my Zoas. I did find if I fed 3 times a day heavily then he would not nip at my corals, but then there would be the risk of water issues, so it was easier to just get rid of him.

[hillegom]

Man o man, I have zoas in my quarantine tank right now!
Here I thought foxfaces just ate algae and normal fish food.
Research,research, research!!!

[rocketlily]

Thanks for this thread. I was going to buy a Foxface on Friday. You all saved me alot of grief.

[Buccaneer]

Not all Foxface react the same ... I had a tank with mix of softies, LPS and SPS ... the foxface was one of my favourites ... he never touched any corals and I even had a argrocrete back wall covered in GSP ... he did clean up nuisance algae though

He was certainly the most interesting as he would be swimming along and all of a sudden decide to camoflage himself against a coral changing colours to match the coral

He had some big tankmates though which may have spooked him - Atlantic Blue Tang, 2 Yellow Tangs, Sohal Tang etc

very cool fish