Feeding a foxface

[VAreef]

I've never had one of these before and I'm curious about feeding him. Within 24hrs of him being in my tank every stitch of hair algae that was growing between some polyps was gone. I've since been pulling a clump of hair algae out of the sump and tossing it in the DT daily for him to munch on. Is this stuff good for him? I have some spuralina(sp?) that I throw in every 3 days or so. He really doesn't attack the spuralina like he does the hair algae but I'm not sure he can survive on hair algae alone. Should I stop feeding it to him and buy algae sheets instead?

 

[PRC]

Here's what I know about my foxface....

1. those little feather dusters that are hitchhikers on rocks...kiss them goodbye. He'll devour them within a few days.
2. Mine loves algae sheets.. The minute I put my hand in the tank with the algae sheet he's all over it. I've stopped using a clip and started rubber banding it to a piece of rock and dropping it to the bottom. I just leave what he doesn't eat in there for my Mexican Turbos because they love it too. But the directions say pull it out after a few hrs. But I don't.
3. He'll also eat mysis, but not thrilled with emerald entree or pellets.kinda' picks at them.
4. Mine will go after the sperulina, but it seems like it's too hard for him to chew properly so he spits it out.

They're natural grazers so you have to keep something in there for them, since my tank doesn't grow any algae I give him an algae sheet every other day. Not a full algae sheet more like 1/4 him and the sailfin tang and the mexican turbos all compete who's gonna get it first.

 

[yote]

+1 PRC

AT the store,we'll give em feather caulerpa.Which they really like.

 

[VAreef]

But is the hair algae good for him? I think I definitly need to order some algae sheets no matter what as I will prolly be out of hair algae in 2 weeks or so. He never seems to not be hungry.

 

[VAreef]

Oh and I just went and looked and yep the pretty decent sized feather duster that used to be in with those polyps...gone.

 

[Smitty]

+2 PRC...algae sheets...get the ones with garlic on them. :)

 

[yote]

Hair algae is just algae.And its their natural diet,so its not gonna hurt him.If anything,its probably better that any frozen or sheet foods you could give him.

 

[VAreef]

Thats cool I was worried it may be like feeding iceburg lettuce to an iguana. They love it but it will eventually kill em from starvation.

 

[yote]

Lettuce would probably be a lot different.:D
Think about what algae needs to live.All those nutrients are then passed onto the fish when they eat it.

 

[kwsm]

I put in an algae sheet about once a day for the foxface because he goes crazy for it. Other than that he also love the emerald entree. The pellets are too big so i have to break them up but when i do he likes them too. Basically, he just likes to eat...

Though every now and then the urchin stumbles across the algae sheet clip and eats the ENTIRE thing and the foxface doesn't get any...

 

[dcantucson]

+2 PRC...algae sheets...get the ones with garlic on them. :)

I didn't know they existed with garlic on them. Thanks Smitty.

 

[PRC]

. I've since been pulling a clump of hair algae out of the sump and tossing it in the DT daily for him to munch on.

I have to clean my algae scrubber every week....I wonder if I could scrape it off, throw it in a ziploc bag, freeze it and feed it to my fish....Hmmm. I don't see why not. Never thought of it.

 

[yote]

I have to clean my algae scrubber every week....I wonder if I could scrape it off, throw it in a ziploc bag, freeze it and feed it to my fish....Hmmm. I don't see why not. Never thought of it.

I dont see why you couldnt.But I dont know what freezing it do for the nutrients its got stored.

 

[Melosu58]

He is a herbivore and hair algea is good. You are very lucky he eats hair algea. Most eat macro algea but not hair algea. Let him clean up that hair algea.