foxface inquiry

[tech1]

howdy all. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas they could throw my way. I recently got a foxface that looked healthy and has been great for a week. I came home from work thurs. night and found it hiding in the rocks (its color was gone). I don't know why it was stressed, it was swimming around the day before looking great. Friday he was swimming some, but kept himself under part of a rock. He was starting to breath heavier. Saturday he lost his equilibrium and eventually died. I have 2 other fish, both clowns, and they have been great. The foxface has no markings on the exterior. My readings were a ph= 8.0, NH3= 0, nitrate = 2.0. The spec.gravity was around 1.018 (keeping it a little low). I have already done a water change, but it was too late for him. I have a 85 gal. I couldn't find any info. so far to show that they are more delicate than others. Any info would be great.

thanks

[dattack]

That's a bummer. I found foxfaces to be pretty hardy and voracious eaters. Was it eating within those 2 weeks when you had it? Quick deaths within a day like that when it's previous healthy could be caused by big changes in pH, water chemistry, or stray currents.

[tech1]

yes, it was holding its own against the 2 clowns. It ate very well and looked well. It was just a real sudden onset.

[Bughead]

Don't be too quick to blame yourself or your water chemistry. The foxface had some disease, previously dorment, that took hold of him just from the stress of moving from one tank to another. It happened to me once moving a fish from the living room tank to the family room tank even tho the water in both tanks is pristine. Sometimes the fish dies within days, other times he lives longer in apparent health. I recently lost a beautiful Sohol tang. He was healthy when I put him in, altho he appeared somewhat off-color for several days in the beginning. Then he started eating and acting really well and I thought we were home free. But one month to the day, he suddenly appeared blotchy and ate little. He died the next day. I did a rather consertive water change, but no other fish ever had any symptoms. "SoHo" was just not healthy from the start, even tho he appeared so.

Hey, don't give up on the foxface. I've had "Roger Rabbit" for 2 1/2 years. He's 7" long now, having been only 2 1/2" when I got him. He's a tough guy with loads of personality.

[tech1]

hey thanks for the reply. It has eased my worries about the H2O quality. I may get another one down the road.

[SueT]

I too have found that the foxface fish are a very hardy type of fish. I have added one to my 180 and it went in like a charm. I became so fond of the fish I added one to my 120. My purple tang harrassed this fish to I thought it would stress it out and die on it's first day here. Luckily it didn't. I have to think as hardy as these fish are, your's had to have some previous unseen problem. The stress of going from one system to another could of caused it to become deadly. Don't give up on them, the foxface fish is a great reef fish and they will take care of any macro algae available or as mine does eats flake food like crazy.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html