HELP...Foxface FREAKING OUT!

[richmond98]

So im sitting here on the couch watching Tv, nobody else is in the room and all of a sudden my foxface starting freaking out! im not talking just racing back and forth im talkin vodoo friday the 13th nightmare on elm street freaking out! All of a sudden for unknown reason he starting thrashing about slamming into things and flying around the tank. He was moving so fast he was just a blur of yellow, i have never seen a fish move that fast before in my life!

it lasted about 10-15 seconds then he slammed into the glass on the opposite corner behind a rock and went into the camo freak out defense mode and seemed like he was scared out of his mind or something

he was breathing heavily and really beat the crap out of him self he's got marks all over him now. My 4 stripe damsel seems to be fine and acting normally in fact im pretty sure i heard him ask the foxface WTF he was doing
What on earth could be going on??????????????

 

[spiderwoman]

Something must have startled him. Is your tank near the TV and how loud was the TV at that time? Did you have lights turned off in the room? Foxface is a fish that easily gets startled. Mine sometimes acts like a Flash Gordon.

 

[richmond98]

Tv has been on all day (i've been watching M*A*S*H) and its not any louder then usual.
I just tested the water and its still the same as it has been for the past 2 months. I know he is freaked out cause he wont eat, and that boy eats like a pig, give him a all day pass at chuckie cheese and they would go out of business
im trying to get pics of his battle wounds but my camera isnt cooperating and my other one the batteries are dead so they are charging now

 

[harris28]

My foxface will do the same thing. I think that is just there nature. He will pull out and be fine. Then probably in some time he will do it again. Mine, when eating, will be pigging out and then all of a sudden thrash about and hit the rocks in camo mode. He has always done that and I have had him for years now and I have seen him do what you describe also. Don't sweat it.

 

[richmond98]

i've been keeping an eye on him and he seems to have calmed down but really banged himself up pretty good.
He really must have done some damage to his upper spiney fin because he is unable to erect it fully (appologise for the gutter humor) the first inch, inch half doesnt seem to move but the rearward portion he seems to be able to get it to come up some. He has srapes on his sides, his belly, tail, small chunk by his eye.
Kinda worried about the whole upper fin thing, i havent seen his lower fins come down yet either but im not sure he is trying to.

 

[king_neptune]

dump some weed into the water.

 

[richmond98]

Ok im not sure how that helps me at all

Well this makes day 4 and he still isnt acting right, he still has not eaten anything and he barely comes out of the hiding cave and if he does its for a lap then right back in. friday night he went through another freak out attack but at least this time he was away from the rock however, he thrashed water all over the place i thought for sure he was going to blast the top off and go for a surf. This freak out only lasted a few seconds unlike his first one.
My main concerns right now are the fact that he beat himself up pretty good so im worried about his injuries and the fact that he isnt eating. Any words or suggestions other then dumping illegal substances into the water

 

[richmond98]

Oh and one more thing of concern....im due for a water change and i wanted to rearrange the rock while i had the water down but, he is already in a weird state and i dont want to make it any worse. should i go ahead with those plans or just wait it out???

 

[nycbob]

i hv heard many stories from people at swf.com about their foxface freaking out. mine has never acted that way. maybe, just maybe, it is seeing things we arent seeing.

 

[spiderwoman]

I would not rearrange the rocks at this time. He is already stressed out and you could get really unlucky and get stabbed by him. Have you tried garlic laced algae sheets or fresh clams to try to get him to eat?