Sick Fish, Please Help!

[berrya]

We have noticed our fish getting progressively skinnier over the past few weeks. It will eat a little bit, but not alot. None of our other fish display these symptoms. Recent water panel raises no concerns, at good levels.
Our fish are fed a variety of shrimps and squid 2 times daily, including a seaweed strip every 2-3 days.
Our lights are currently being run 8 hours instead of 12, could this be part of the cause?
Please help!

 

[cherylann]

I am sorry to say this but you are probably going to loose that fish. He is too emaciated, you should google foxface rabbit fish and make sure you are suppling the right diet. They are one of the more finiky eaters, but alot of people have good success with them. Your fish could probably have internal paracites that are robbing him of his nutrition. You could try to treat him in a QT, but I fear in his current state the stress would kill him. Sorry.

 

[mie]

Sounds like the same diet my foxface is on, he is nice and plump. I would also suggest a parasite, do you feed vitamins with your food?

 

[beth]

This fish is grossly malnourished. The foxface is not a carnivore, its a herbivore. Right now, you are feeding it a carnivore's diet.
Are you making your own food with the squid and shrimp? Is it seafood, or fresh water? If your LFS has frozen foods, I'd suggest you get a variety of food, to include both meaty and vegetarian. Try target feeding this fish right now since he is pretty malnourished. Use a syringe that is commonly used to feed young birds. If he is not eating, load the food in to the syringe, and dangle a bit off the tip while close to the fish to see if you can coax him to eat. You can also squirt a tad right near him, after he picks up the scent.
Offer this fish food 2x a day the way I described above until he starts to eat on his own, then continue 2x a day feeding choosing a good variety of herbivore foods.
Also include zoecon in one meal.
Additionally, place algae sheets daily in the tank. You don't have to place the whole sheet, but a few small cut-offs. Figure out which algae your foxface prefers and offer it daily.
Can you post your water readings?
Does your tank have live rock? Size of tank?

 

[berrya]

Yes, the tank has live rock.Our angelfish and blue tang are doing just fine and finding algae to eat, it's just the rabbit fish. We have been feeding it green algae strips that we know it likes [we've been feeding the same type to it for over a year], but it still won't eat.
Will increase the frequency of the algae strips and add vitamins to the food, and see how that works. Thanks!
Tank size: 80 gal