COWFISH AND BOXFISH

[FAHADREEF]

i am about to add like 10 box fish and cowfish to my separate tanks but i want to know how many can i keep together and are they really that difficult cz people who own them tell me the one thing i might struggle with is getting them to eat any suggestions??

 

[blaxsun]

Other than having the potential to release a toxin that can kill every fish in the tank, they’re a blast (I gave to remind myself of this every time my LFS gets one in). Here’s an article with some good reading.

Yellow Boxfish: Endearing but Perhaps Best Avoided | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

For hobbyists inclined to purchase livestock on impulse, a yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) paddling about in a dealer’s tank can prove almost irresistible. Typically sold as juveniles at just a few…

reefbuilders.com

 

[lion king]

While they can be temperamental to feed, the main issue will come if there are aggressive eaters as tank mates. If you are setting up the tank to cater to their needs, you should have no problem. They are slow eaters, so giving them time, turning your flow to feed mode, and if they have others to show them the ropes, no problem. Eventually depending on the species, they will need tanks from 125g-180g, smaller tanks create more stress and any toxins in a smaller tank will cause a problem. They do best with at least a couple of feedings a day, more even better. If fed properly they do grow quickly.

 

[Mr Fishface]

They are picky eaters. I had a boxfish and loved it. Actually he's my profile pic! If you have lots of pods that helped mine a lot. I put in lots of different algaes too and it was the only fish in the tank. They are slow eaters so having them by themselves helps.

Yes, they have a toxin. I have yet to see a confirmed case where the boxfish or cowfish died then released toxins to kill everything else. Seriously. I haven't looked in the last 6 months but when I did there was no evidence of that happening. Just people saying it can. Of course if the whole tank crashed and everything were to die, who'd know for sure.

They take some planning for sure.